2019 AUTUMN
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COVER STORY Workplace challenges creating horrific HR zeitgeist
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SHIFT HAPPENS Validity of HR data sources
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HOSPITALITY TALENT Attracting talent in challenging times
HR Horrors Human Remains or remaining human?
PUBLISHER’S NOTE IN THE NEWS As we approach Halloween, Hong Kong is going through its own nightmare phase, and the world of HR is not immune to its effects. Social events have impacted travel, public perception and tourism, which in turn have hit the workforce in a big way. This impact has been felt more so in the hospitality industry than any other, with many employers now asking staff to take unpaid leave. We also analyse the growing trend of ‘naked resignations’— candidates leaving their current roles before being offered a new position, with over one-third of employees in Hong Kong regularly doing so.
COVER STORY Our cover story hits on a theme close to HR’s heart as AI and automation become more ubiquitous in the workplace. No industry is safe from our new robotic colleagues or their software cousins. How does this technology marry up with younger generations wanting a more human approach to the workplace? We have examined this continuing trend with some of our other features, while also looking at the impact of the protests, sleep deprivation, commuting and performance reviews; all horrors in the eyes of HR and staff. Is the advent of increased automation a dream, or are we creating a human nightmare? HR needs to merge its desire for social enterprise and talent engagement against the increasing amount of AI and automation in the workplace. HR teams are under pressure to both digitalise the workload and become more human at the same time. We delve deep into recent research to discover if we are about to suffer more sleepless nights or if we can relax, and it will be just a pleasant dream.
OTHER STUFF With Pink Season on the horizon, we sat down with its director, Jim Poon, to talk about the LGBT+ community in Hong Kong and how they feel about the current state of inclusivity in the region’s workplaces. We continue our analysis of jobsDB’s Laws of Attraction in-depth survey, this issue focusing on recruitment and retention—and what attracts different generations to work in the hospitality industry. Finally, we have something less scary to talk about and report what senior leaders across APAC had to say at HR Magazine’s Young Leadership Conference, held in September. We share insights on talent promotion programmes, leadership styles, Gen Z coming into senior roles and the legal implications of asking staff to work during times of political unrest. Hopefully, we can save you from unnecessary HR nightmares. Enjoy…
HR MAGAZINE EDITORIAL
Publisher & Editor-in-Chief Paul Arkwright Editor Tony Ryan
Paul Arkwright, Publisher & Editor-in-Chief, HR Magazine
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2019 SUMMER
06 24
18
HR NEWS
HR FEATURES
06 09 10 12 14 16
24 26 28 30 32 36
Hong Kong News APAC News International News HR Events HR Moves HR in Numbers
HR paying the cost of commutes Shift happens Hong Kong staff facing protest nightmare New talent skill sets 1 in 4 employees uncomfortable with performance reviews Working nightmare of sleep deprivation
COVER STORY
HR COMMUNITY
18
38 40 46
HR Horrors human remains or remaining human?
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Hong Kong’s Pink Season HR Magazine conference 6 September 2019 JobsDB: Hospitality Laws of Attraction
40
54 36 38
HR TECHNOLOGY 48 50 52
Technology to reduce employee burnout Talent and tech-crucial combo to attract millennial customers Why HR keeps buying bad software
HR LEGAL 54
What’s New in Employment Law 2019
HR BOOKS 56
58
Career Coach: how to plan your career and land your perfect job What Employers Want She’s Back—Your Guide to Returning to Work
HR CLASSIFIEDS 59
HR Classifieds
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HK NEWS
NAKED RESIGNATIONS ON THE RISE According to the latest jobsDB 2019 Job Seeker Salary Survey, more than one-third of respondents had decided to leave their previous jobs before securing a new offer. Isaac Shao, Country Manager, jobsDB Hong Kong, said, “Generation Z does not place much emphasis on finding permanent roles. Instead, they prefer to enjoy benefits such as sabbatical leave, flexible working hours and remote work. The combination of a younger
generation that is free from family burdens when joining the workforce and the fact that Hong Kong’s economy remains steady despite external forces, means the trend of ‘naked resignations’ is likely to continue.”
Are ‘naked resignations’ becoming a new trend?
In terms of age group and work experience, respondents aged below 25 (50%), or with less than two years of work experience (44%), tend to resign before securing a new offer, indicating that young people are more prone to job-switching.
IT SKILLS SHORTAGE Statistics compiled by the Hong Kong government revealed the numbers of local offices of mainland China companies based in Hong Kong has grown from 678 in 2014 to 1,139 in 2018, representing a growth rate of 68% over five years. The growth of mainland China companies investing and expanding into Hong Kong is driving the need for qualified technology candidates in the city-state, particularly for skilled developers, according to the newly released 2019 Robert Half Salary Guide.
6 | HR MAGAZINE
The skills shortage within Hong Kong’s IT sector continues, as independent research has found that over three-quarters (77%) of Hong Kong CIOs currently find it difficult to source qualified IT professionals, with the number rising to 85% for those who predict it will become even more challenging in the coming five years.
connected and efficient city driven by the latest technology—are driving strong demand for local IT talent.”
Adam Johnston, Managing Director, Robert Half Hong Kong said,“Hong Kong’s Smart City initiatives––aimed at building a better-
1. 2. 3.
Robert Half has identified the top three technology positions in demand in Hong Kong for 2019 as: Lead Software Developer Software Development Manager Full-stack Software Developer
HK NEWS
RETIREMENT WOES AMID MEDICAL EXPENSE HIKES
• Over 80% of Hong Kong employees expressed financial concerns about retirement, with ‘increased medical expenses while ageing’ (64%), ‘insufficient government welfare for elderly’ (53%) and ‘inability to afford housing expenses’ (39%) being the top three concerns. The 2019 jobsDB Job Seeker Salary Survey, canvassed the opinion of 3,192 job seekers from mid-March to mid-April this year.
•
• •
Hongkongers are most concerned about medical expenses after retirement, as well as insufficient elderly welfare and an inability to afford housing Almost half of employees aged over 50 are worried about having to find a job to afford to live after retirement Pinched employees on average spend 20% of their income on accommodation Nearly 70% of respondents would like to change their job to deal with the surging costs of living
Almost half of Hong Kong employees aged over 50 worry about their post-retirement income.
HONG KONG’S READINESS FOR AI Hong Kong is not exempt from the increase and advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI), and the impact on innovation and development as a result. Questions of readiness for continued advances in AI, and drivers and challenges associated with societal and business changes have been analysed in the recent study by Microsoft and IDC Asia/Pacific, entitled, ‘Future Ready
Business: Assessing Asia Pacific’s Growth Potential Through AI’. Ralph Haupter, President, Microsoft Asia, explained,“Today, every company is a software company and increasingly, every interaction is digital. To be successful in this new world, organisations need to be a fast adopter of bestin-class technology; they also need to build
their own unique digital capabilities.” The study consisted of 1,605 business leaders and 1,585 workers across 15 regions in APAC. It was revealed that the three biggest skill gaps for AI advancement currently are adaptability and continuous learning, leadership and management, and entrepreneurship and taking initiative.
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HK NEWS
JOBSEEKERS LOSING OUT ON OFFERS This according to research on over 200 employers from Robert Half which reveals that many job seekers are at risk of losing out on job opportunities after the offer has been made. More than half of Hong Kong employers have rescinded a job offer because a candidate took too long to consider it. 29% of Hong Kong bosses cite multiple job offers as the reason candidates are taking so long to decide. Other contributing factors include the salary not being competitive enough for the candidate (26%) and applicants receiving
a counteroffer from their current employer (20%). Two-thirds of bosses expect a response from candidates within one day to two weeks. Elaine Lam, Associate Director, Robert Half Hong Kong said, “Securing top talent efficiently requires a streamlined recruitment process alongside the offer of a competitive salary and benefits. When it is likely candidates are considering multiple job offers, a fast and highly-organised recruitment process could be what it takes to win the top talent, while saving the business time and money in the process.”
HK RESIGNATIONS SET TO RISE TO COVER DH SHORTAGE AMIDST UNREST A deployment ban would have a huge impact on families in Hong Kong and society in general. According to a recent study by Enrich, foreign domestic workers (FDWs) contributed to 3.6% of Hong Kong GDP in 2018, that is to say, USD 12.6 billion; this amount should reach USD 15 billion by 2030. On Tuesday August 6 2019, the Philippines Labour Secretary Silvestre Bello III, mentioned that, “The Department of Labour and Employment were considering a possible deployment ban with regards to sending overseas Filipino workers to Hong Kong, following the political unrest in the region and the arrest of a Filipino citizen during a recent protest.” When asked about the potential ban, the majority of 982 surveyed Filipino
8 | HR MAGAZINE
FDWs stated they would not consider relocating or returning to the Philippines for work. 52% declared they were not worried about recent events, and 45% responded that they were worried but are not willing to relocate. Only 3% are very concerned about Hong Kong’s current environment and willing to move to another country or return to the Philippines. According to the Census and Statistics Department of Hong Kong, 15% of households in Hong Kong in 2018 depended on domestic helpers, with 1 out of 7 households employing one. Hiring a domestic helper for childcare allows Hong Kong families to save up to USD 700 per month. Also, due to the ageing population in the city, the need for elderly care has increased, and local carers tend to be more expensive.
APAC NEWS
FRESH GRADS GET BETTER DEALS IN JAPAN CULTURE SHIFT A third of Japanese companies have already introduced new hiring systems to grant better employment opportunities to fresh graduates. This according to Nippon, the Cabinet Office’s Annual Report on the Japanese Economy and Public Finance 2019. Traditionally, Japanese companies hire new graduates during the spring season, when their school year ends. Recently, there has been a shift towards year-round
hiring systems, providing greater opportunities for fresh graduates to begin their careers. Nippon estimates that over half of all companies will move to a year-round system. This culture shift is a result of companies’ fear of stagnation, and their need to increasingly diversify personnel in hopes of developing ground-breaking products and services.
AI CUTS SANTANDER’S WORK TIME FROM 7 DAYS TO 15 MINS Banco Santander, one of the largest private banks in Europe, has earned an award from the European Financial Management Association (EFMA) for using technology in streamlining HR and work processes. By making use of AI, they have become the only bank in the world to achieve a 100% digital small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) customer onboarding, dramatically improving their productivity, and cutting
processing time from seven days down to 15 minutes with superior accuracy. Leveraging AI solutions from TAIGER, a Singapore-based AI startup, Santander applied advanced semantic and human reasoning, along with machine learning and natural language processing to deliver 90% accuracy in three key organisation-wide work processes: information extraction, virtual assistance and enterprise search.
Following success in Singapore, TAIGER intends to put further resources into engineering, research and development, and plans to expand into Korea and Japan. This expansion is a strategic step to offer organisations information processing and knowledge representation AI to help improve and optimise the whole of an organisation’s work processes globally.
UNITED BY XCMG Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group Co., Ltd. (XCMG) has held the 10th operator training session of its Global Operator Excellence Program. A total of 25 trainees from various Chinese provinces along with 16 international trainees joined this summer’s programme led by experienced experts and instructors from XCMG.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Hany G. Seleim, overseas service engineer, DMC company, Saudi Arabia said, “We will take this training as a valuable learning opportunity. I want to express my sincere thanks to all XCMG leaders and staff who carefully organised and prepared this training.”
The 16 international trainees who enrolled in this session came from Mexico, Serbia, Zambia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. For 25 days, XCMG delivered skills training that covered installation and adjustment of pilot and dynamical systems, product structure principle and overseas service specifications.
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INTERNATIONAL NEWS
HR SPENDING 12 BILLION ON SOFTWARE A 2019 survey by Capterra shows that the talent management software (TMS) industry now grosses around USD 12 billion annually, and shows no signs of slowing down. Some products cost just USD 1 per month, while others cost the equivalent of USD 500 per month to run. 45% of purchasers spend ten months researching and choosing the software they buy. Unsurprisingly, the data shows that cost has risen to the number two spot for reasons a product was purchased. 60% of users deploy cloud-based solutions on their current PM tools compared to 40% that use on-premise/desktop solutions.
EU-CHINA COOPERATION 4.0 INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION The DEIBS Insights 2019 Europe Forum Roundtable in Brussels focused on The Fourth Industrial Revolution: Opportunities and Challenges for Europe and China. Economic think tank Bruegel co-hosted the event, which discussed options for balancing policy and market forces between Europe and China and improve bilateral cooperation. Wang Hongjian, Charge d’Affaires ad interim, Mission of the People’s Republic of China to the European Union, summarised, “Looking ahead, China and
“China and the EU are duty-bound to join forces.” 10 | HR MAGAZINE
the EU are faced with shared challenges which will reshape the future of humankind, such as climate change, the new technology revolution, resources and environmental challenges. China and the EU are duty-bound to join forces with a mindset of reform and innovation, and to make a greater contribution to world peace, development and prosperity.”
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
RECORD HIGH CEO TURNOVER CEO turnover hit a global record high of 17% in 2018, according to a recent study by Strategy&, PwC’s strategy consulting business. The study analysed CEO successions at the world’s largest 2,500 public companies over the past 19 years.
every employee understands and adheres to the organisation’s process and controls to maintain compliance and integrity.”
2018 also showed a rise in the share of CEOs who were forced out of their positions for ethical lapses. In fact, more CEOs (39%) were forced out for ethical lapses rather than financial performance or board struggles, a first in the study’s history. This number rose by half as compared to 26% in 2017.
Geographically, CEO turnover rose in every region in 2018 except China (7%). Among industries, turnover was highest in communication services companies (24.5%), followed by materials (22.3%) and energy (19.7%). Healthcare saw the lowest rate of CEO turnover in 2018 (11.6%).
James Chang, PwC China Consulting Leader, said “The most important force in preventing misconduct and withstanding regulatory scrutiny is a company’s corporate culture. An effective corporate culture not only has the company’s values clearly defined and demonstrated by behaviours but ensures that
The share of incoming women CEOs was 4.9% down slightly from the record high of 6% in 2017. However, the trend has been upward since the low point of only 1% in 2008.
MEDICAL ANSWER TO BURNOUT Burnout is real. In May 2019, The World Health Organisation (WHO) recognised burnout as a syndrome, specifically related to workplace stress. The new definition of burnout has been classified in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) eleventh edition (ICD-11). They listed three symptoms to help identify a worker suffering from the phenomenon as: 1. 2.
3.
Feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion. Increased mental distance from one’s job or feelings of negativism or cynicism to one’s job. Reduced professional efficacy.
linked to motivation, could potentially be inhibited through medication. Speaking on the topic, Dr Michael Musker, senior research fellow, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, stated, “Burnout is an insidious syndrome that becomes apparent after long periods of exposure to stress.”
the individual is like paddling upstream. It’s much better to look at the work environment instead.” A nociceptin-inhibiting drug is now in clinical trials for pharmaceutical use.
There is a moral issue to consider when dealing with this syndrome, as explained by Cary Cherniss, Ph.D., professor emeritus of applied psychology, Rutgers University, who said, “The factor that is probably most important is the behaviour of one’s boss.” He went on to say, “Any intervention that targets
In July 2019, a study on mice, published in Cell (Vol.178, issue 3), showed that it is possible to inhibit the behaviours that can lead to burnout. The study’s authors found that a protein called nociceptin, which is primarily
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HR EVENTS Oct 2019 Organised by
Key Media
HRD Leaders Summit Singapore 2019 Location: Hilton Singapore Website: https://hrleadersasia.com/singapore/index. php/contact-us Time: 8.15am - 4.40pm Email: clarissa.chua@keymedia.com Tel: 65 3163 5403
Organised by
3
AmCham, Laserfiche
Start your digital transformation journey Location: 1904 Bank of America Tower, 12 Harcourt Road, Central Website: https://amchamhk.eventbank.com/event/startyour-digital-transformation-journey-16291/ Time: 2.30 pm - 5.00 pm Organised by
Organised by
Community Business
7-11
Asia Employee Wellness Week Website: https://www.communitybusiness.org/events/2019asia-employee-wellbeing-week
Organised by
French Chamber of Commerce
Just arrived in Hong Kong: practical tips to find a job in Hong Kong
Location: French Chamber, 21/F On Hing Building, 1 On Hing Terrace, Central Website: https://www.fccihk.com/calendar/events/ just-arrived-hong-kong-practical-tips-find-job-hong| 12 kong/44914 Time: 10.30am - 12.30pm
Organised by
8-9
9
Location: Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre in Singapore Website: https://conferences.int-comp.org/ Organised by
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16-17
Location: Weddings at Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel 320 Orchard Road, Singapore, 238865, Singapore Website: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/hr-leaders-strategymeeting-singapore-2019-proventa-international-tickets59686151887?aff=ebdssbdestsearch Time: 8.00 am - 6.00 pm Organised by
British Chamber of Commerce HK, Aria Forum
Building an Olympic class team
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Location: Level 3, The British Consulate-General, 1 Supreme Court Road, Queensway, Central Website: https://www.britcham.com/public/Public/Events/ Event_Display.aspx?EventKey=3332 Time: 12.30 pm - 2.00 pm
World Forum Disrupt Organised by
Location: Thedesk United Centre, 5/F, 95 Queensway, Admiralty, HK Website: https://www.worldforumdisrupt.com/women-inmarketing-hk-19/ Time: 8.00 am – 6.00 am Contact Person: Sam Martin, MD, World Forum Disrupt Email: sam.martin@worldforumdisrupt.com Organised by
Proventa International
HR Leaders Strategy Meeting Singapore 2019
Women in Marketing
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Location: Blueprint 2/F, Dorset House, Taikoo Place, 979 King’s Road Quarry Bay, Website: https://www.genderequityconference.com/ programme-2019/ Time: 8.30 am - 6.00 pm
British Chamber of Commerce HK, Aria Forum
HR Magazine Breakfast Briefing powered by Cornerstone OnDemand Location: The Sheraton Hong Kong Time: 8.00 am - 11.00 am Email: a.ramesh@excelmediagroup.org Tel: (852) 2736 6339 Organised by
FLEXImums co-hosting
Gender Equity Conference
12 | HR MAGAZINE
Start your digital transformation journey
Location: Suntec Singapore International Exhibition & Convention Centre, 1 Raffles Boulevard, Suntec City, Singapore Website: https://www.terrapinn.com/template/live/ go/10094/20546?pk_campaign=listing&pk_kwd=AF&pk_ source=terrapinn&pk_medium=link Time: 9.00 am - 5.00 pm Email: malie.samson@terrapinn.com Tel: 65 6222 8550 Organised by
International Compliance Association
International Compliance Association’s 2nd APAC Conference “The BIG Compliance Conversation… Continued”.
terrapinn
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CHRO Indonesia
hrmasia
Location: Shangri-La, Jakarta Website: http://www.chroseries.com/agenda-indonesia.html Time: 8.00 am - 5.00 pm Email: info@hrmasia.com.sg
Oct 2019 Organised by
French Chamber of Commerce
Organised by
HeForShe sharing session: Setting up a successful mentoring programme
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Location: French Chamber, 18/F On Hing Building, 1 On Hing Terrace, Central Website: https://www.fccihk.com/calendar/events/ heforshe-sharing-session-setting-successful-mentoringprogramme/44073 Time: 8.30am - 10.00am
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Hong Kong Institute of Human Resource Management
Pay Trend & Benefits Seminar Location: 6/F, Royal Plaza Hotel, 193 Prince Edward Road West, Kowloon, Hong Kong Website: http://www.hkihrm.org/index.php/ld/ upcoming-programmes/event/4269 Time: 9.00 am - 5.00 pm Tel: (852) 2837 3812 / 19 Email: learning@hkihrm.org
Nov 2019 Organised by
hrmasia
Organised by
CHRO Singapore Location: Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel, 320 Orchard Rd, Singapore Website: http://www.chroseries.com/agenda-singapore.html Time: 9.00am - 5.15 am Email: info@hrmasia.com.sg
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26-27
Hong Kong Institute of Human Resource Management
Pay Trend & Benefits Seminar Location: Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Website: http://www.hkihrm.org/index.php/pe/annualconference Time: 11.00 am - 5.45 pm Tel: 2837 3817 / 22 / 23 Email: project@hkihrm.org
Dec 2019 Sept 2019 6 Organised by
hrmasia
CHRO Malaysia
26-27
Location: Kuala Lumpur Website: http://www.chroseries.com/agenda-malaysia.html Time: 8.00 am - 5.30 pm Email: info@hrmasia.com.sg
Flexible HR
Organised by HR Magazine Location: Regal Hongkong Hotel, 88 Yee Wo St, Causeway Bay Date: Friday, 6 December 2019 Time: 8.30am - 5.00 pm` Website: http://hrmagazine.com.hk/event/hr-magazineconference-flexible-hr/ Email: chris@excelmediagroup.org Tel: (852) 2636 6339
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HR MOVES Cenveo Worldwide Limited has appointed Kelly Lake to direct the strategic development of its corporate consulting and digital solutions business, Cenveo Learning. Lake joined the company on July 15 as Global Head of Corporate. Atul Goel, President, Cenveo Learning commented, “We are delighted to welcome Kelly to the team. We are confident that Kelly’s track record as a performance strategist and thought leader advocating the latest learning approaches and technologies is exactly the sort of wide-ranging expertise L&D leaders depend on.”
Kelly Lake
Global Head of Corporate Learning Cenveo Worldwide Limited
Lake brings nearly 30 years of experience creating learning blueprints to enhance organisational and business success, specialising in learning ecosystem design, analytics, Learning Management Systems, mobile learning and global performance methodology. Previously, she created learning strategies to maximise ROI for hundreds of Fortune 1000 companies including World Bank, TMP Worldwide and Deloitte. In addition, Lake was CEO, North America for WorldLearn and founded her own consulting and learning companies.
Oxford University Press (OUP) has announced the appointment of a new Director of HR Business Partnering for OUP in Asia and Australia and New Zealand. Parul Pandey will join OUP in October, coming from roles at global organisations such as Microsoft, Deutsche Bank, and Diageo. Parul is a global expert on Diversity and Inclusion, and speaks regularly on helping to transform business through progressive and inclusive practices. Lesley Sommerville, Group HR Director, said, “I am convinced Parul will contribute enormously to our exciting and pacy agenda. Every single one of us has a responsibility to incorporate diverse and inclusive practices into our daily working lives, but I would like Parul to ensure that we progress at pace with our stated global Diversity and Inclusion goals at the Press.”
Parul Pandey
Director of HR Business Partnering Oxford University Press
Grain Management, LLC has appointed Merche del Valle as Chief Talent Officer (CTO). Ms. del Valle joins Grain from Goldman Sachs, where she was Global Head of Coaching & Advisory based out of the Asia Pacific (APAC) region. The CTO role is a new position at Grain with Ms. del Valle working to identify, assess, and enrich Firm talent from within. David J. Grain, Founder and CEO of Grain, said, “Ms. del Valle’s global experience working with high-performance teams in sophisticated organisations is uniquely suited to Grain’s goals as we continue to develop.”
Merche del Valle
Managing Director and Chief Talent Officer Grain Management, LLC
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Most recently, Ms. del Valle led Goldman Sachs’ global coaching and advisory practice, Pine Street, based out of Hong Kong. She joined Goldman Sachs from Prudential Corporation in Asia, and before that, Unilever where she was Director of Leadership and Organisational Development.
Reckitt Benckiser Group (RB) has promoted Udayan Dutt to the post of Global HR Director, Corporate Functions and Category, Health and CHQ, effective from Aug 2019. He will be based out of the United Kingdom. Udayan was previously the Regional HR Director, Africa, Middle East & South Asia. Udayan joined RB in 2016 as a Regional HR Director from Unilever, where he was working as HR Director, Marketing South Asia. He joined Unilever as General Manager-Reward for the South Asia business in 2006 and moved on to become the Director, HR and Corporate Relations, Sri Lanka in 2012 and further elevated to HR Director, Marketing South Asia in 2014.
Udayan Dutt
Global HR Director Reckitt Benckiser Group
Matrix Medical Network announced that Jill Patterson has joined the company as Chief People Officer. Patterson most recently served as HR Strategic Advisor and Interim Chief Human Resources Officer for Kalispell Regional Healthcare. Prior to consulting, she served as Vice President, Human Resources— Delivery Operations for Banner Health. She also served as Executive Director, Human Resources at the Cleveland Clinic. Ms. Patterson also has HR leadership experience in the banking industry and was a practicing attorney.
Jill Patterson
Chief People Officer Matrix Medical Network
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HR IN NUMBERS
800 Million
88%
39%
jobs automated by 2030 globally
of employees feel performance reviews are purely used to give one-way feedback
of CEOs forced out by ethical failings
Quoted by Raymond Yip, Partner, Zeroth.AI at Techsauce Global Summit
Workmonitor Survey released by Randstad Singapore
2018 CEO success study by PwC
7%
68%
83%
CEO turnover in China (lowest globally)
increase in mainland China organisations setting up offices in Hong Kong from 2014– 18
of potential employees change mind about organisations after negative interview experience
2018 CEO success study by PwC
gov.hk
LinkedIn Global Talent Trends Report
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89%
85%
47%
of talent in companies that support well-being would recommend their organisation to others
of US professionals said they would accept pay cuts for shorter commutes
rank easy commutes as key when applying for jobs
American Psychological Association (APA)
LinkedIn 2018
Harris Poll of 1138 Adults, 2018
1 in 5
80%
19.5%
new hires leave within 45 days of starting a new job
of Hong Kongers concerned about retirement finances
Growth of APAC civil engineer degrees in 2019
jobsDB
17 || 17
COVER STORY
HR Horrors Human Remains or remaining human?
18 | HR MAGAZINE
COVER STORY We’ve often heard HR referred to as Human Remains, and we all know why. Faced with multiple challenges on a daily basis, those in HR often feel like they’ve been dragged through a hedge backwards. And things aren’t getting any better. With social, economic and political unrest reaching fever pitch in economies around the world—especially Hong Kong—this is having a huge impact on workforces, and in some cases even workplaces. Moreover, with the uptake of AI and automation across organisations, rapid upskilling, increasing agility and managing change has become the new norm for HR teams. This confluence of modern workplace challenges is creating a pretty horrific zeitgeist for HR that sees many struggling to keep up with digitalisation, whilst trying to remain human at the same time.
With the pressures of this new HR zeitgeist, the importance of embracing a social-enterprise mindset and culture within organisations has become even more acute. HR is having to push their organisation to move beyond mere platitudes and instead completely reinvent themselves—around a more human focus. Illustrative of this, 84% of business leaders state their organisations need to rethink the entire workforce experience, according to the Deloitte 2019 Global Human Capital Trends report. The Report highlights the rise of the social enterprise—a relatively unexplored avenue in 2018, which is now rapidly gaining traction. Organisations around the world are increasingly placing much greater focus on their philanthropy and CSR efforts.
84% of leaders state that their organisations need to rethink the entire workforce experience
HR crisis The Industrial Revolution 4.0 is already disrupting the fabric of politics, society and the economy. This disruption naturally impacts people, workplaces and employers and is manifest in a range of issues including income inequality, wages, technology and the broader role of business in society. Bringing these different elements together under a cohesive company culture is one of the ever-growing number of jobs for HR, and it’s a job that is becoming more difficult with every passing day.
Societal tensions are not just in the news; they are reflected in regulatory, labour and community concerns around the world. For example, last year, the US saw 20 major strikes or work stoppages involving 485,000 workers—the most since 2007. The rate of income inequality in China continues to rise, up by 15 Gini points since 1990, and many attribute the high suicide rate among young men in Japan to the recent increase in precarious employment contracts.
“Employers might have to resort to measures such as staff and salary reductions to contain the impact of the economic downturn.”
Hong Kong is in the midst of its own crisis,
and the impact on HR teams and the workforce is tangible, particularly in the tourism and F&B sectors. Up to 77% of hospitality staff are having to take unpaid leave as a direct result of protests (aka ‘social events’) on the local economy. Paul Chan, Hong Kong Financial Secretary, recently conceded, “Employers might have to resort to measures such as staff and salary reductions to contain the impact of the economic downturn. Employers need to step up communication with workers and let employees understand the company’s financial difficulties and secure their consent through consulting them and listening to their views before adopting any measures, such as lay-off or pay cut.”
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COVER STORY In the longer term, demographic changes are leaving employers wondering who exactly they do need to engage for work. The birth rate in many developed countries is below replacement level, and the workforce is living longer and, consequently, working longer. Society may benefit from such an increase in life expectancy, but it is yet to be worked out what roles or careers workers should have in their long lives, and among other questions, how these roles should adapt and change. Such uncertainty only adds to the pressure already causing sleepless nights for under pressure HR leaders. Human changes are not the only kind of uncertainty facing HR. Despite amazing and readily available technology being thrust into the corporate world every day, sections
of the workforce are still sometimes reticent about adopting it. For now, at least, it is still human potential that moves us forward. The path of HR today should remain human-focused: where profits meet purpose, talent trumps technology and the social enterprise reigns supreme. In line with this idea, August 2019 saw The Business Roundtable, an association of CEOs of major US corporations, released a statement recommending that corporations change the way they operate and now focus much more on their employees. Their statement was co-signed by all members—over 180 of America’s biggest corporations— responsible for influencing markets and employment across the globe and made several key recommendations for HR.
Key HR recommendations Compensate employees fairly Provide important benefits to staff, such as health care Support worker training & education Foster diversity and inclusion, dignity & respect Deal with suppliers ethically Protect the environment through sustainable practices
Brett Cooper, General Manager Hong Kong and Macau, Philip Morris Asia Limited
Future of the workforce The number one issue cited by business leaders for measuring business success in 2019 was their organisation’s impact on society—including reducing income inequality, increasing diversity and placing greater focus on sustainability and the environment. In response, more
flexible and socially-responsible work arrangements are on the increase. Every known area of alternative work is expanding. The number of outsourced teams, contractors, freelancers, gig workers and crowd workers is rapidly growing to meet the world’s new attitude to work-life balance. At the same time, retirees are re-entering the workforce, people are spending more time caring for family and individuals
“When we recruit, we look at learning agility, communication and collaboration, as well as the ability to progress into a future career, leave a good impression and get along well with people.”
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are going back into education. Flexibility in terms of talent skillsets is what HR is increasingly looking for from new recruits to help them fill job roles that are no longer fixed in nature. Brett Cooper, General Manager Hong Kong and Macau, Philip Morris Asia Limited recently shared with HR Magazine, “When we recruit, we look at learning agility, communication and collaboration, as well as the ability to progress into a future career, leave a good impression and get along well with people—as ultimately, inflexible staff will be the ones fighting change.”
COVER STORY Currently, organisations are not as effective as they could be when managing their alternative workforces. According to the Deloitte report, 41% of business leaders surveyed identified managing alternative workforces as important, but only 28% believe they are ready to
These trends are adding to the depth and variety across the range of alternative talent pools. Despite organisational inefficiencies, the Report still shows that using alternative workers can enhance organisational performance. Over half of respondents claimed outsourcing had a positive impact, while only 5% responded negatively.
“Adopting a growth mindset that considers worldviews of different generations, particularly Generations Y and Z, is crucial.” address it. More worryingly, only 8% said they had established processes to manage and develop alternative workforce sources. 54% went on to admit that they managed alternative workers inconsistently or simply had no processes for managing them at all.
It is important going forward that the entire workforce, both alternative and traditional style talent, be treated fairly and made to feel included. The risk remains that alternative workers will feel they are being viewed as outsiders, potentially leading to an organisation’s overall brand or reputation being damaged. Charles Caldwell, Human Resources Director, ESF, explained the
importance of embracing new leadership styles in order to engage both alternative and traditional mindsets in the workplace, “Leadership types can be categorised as heroic and post-heroic. Heroic leaders operate in a more commanding and controlling environment and have a ‘top dog’ approach to achievement. In contrast, post-heroic leaders tend to be humbler— there to serve others and are empathetic, trusting and more compassionate. The mindset of a heroic leader leans more towards a fixed mindset where talent and intelligence are fixed at birth; the growth mindset is adopted by a post-heroic leader, where intelligence and talent can continuously change. Adopting a growth mindset that considers worldviews of different generations, particularly Generations Y and Z, is crucial.”
Charles Caldwell, Human Resources Director, ESF
80% of business leaders believe that 21st-century leadership has unique and new requirements
Leadership culture is also changing. 80% of business leaders believe that 21st-century leadership has unique and new requirements. The biggest factor cited for this was, unsurprisingly, new technologies. Constantly increasing one’s tech-savviness was specifically listed as an important new leadership competency. Every year, organisations respond to surveys showing that they struggle to develop future-ready leaders. Perennial leadership skills such as supervising teams, decision-making, prioritising investments and managing the bottom line are still regarded as important.
Yet, in a rapidly-evolving, technology-driven business environment, such traditional methods have become less meaningful. Capabilities such as leading through ambiguity, managing increasing complexity, being tech-savvy, managing talent demographics and handling cultural differences are becoming key leadership skills. The future of leadership is in the hands of the younger generations, but they are feeling more disenfranchised than ever. Caldwell further noted that the leadership shift is at a crucial tipping point, saying, “The entire millennial group is really disenchanted,” later adding, “The risk of millennial disengagement is that they no longer feel empowered.”
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Future of the ORGANISATION The digital, always-on world of work is a cause of increasing concern to seasoned HR professionals. It is no longer the case that staff clock in and clock out after a shift and go home to forget about work. Issues of well-being, productivity, overwork and burnout have resulted in significant dissatisfaction amongst employees. Organisations are having to move from employee and customer experiences to, simply, human ones. Apple, for example, talks about humans instead of using different institutional labels for different groups of people. People are not employees, customers or stakeholders. Angela Ahrendts, Apple’s departing head of retail, said of her successor, “I look forward to watching how this amazing team, under her leadership, will continue to change the world, one person at a time.” This idea was reinforced during the Fortune Leaders Experience Roundtable at a recent SuccessConnect conference where Greg Tomb, CEO, SAP SuccessFactors,
explained that his organisation would now treat the idea of ‘Human Capital Management’ as ‘Human Experience Management’.
can be organised into playlists and channels, and users can rate or share content using dynamic social settings.
Global talent in the workplace consistently express a desire to learn and self-develop. Training and development, according to jobsDB’s Laws of Attraction research, is a key driver for today’s young talent across all industries—ranking ahead of job security, location or even company culture. Developing the workforce within an organisation is a key priority, but a challenge to implement. One new solution is the emergence of learning experience platforms (LXPs), an evolution in learning technology set to take over from today’s traditional learning management systems (LMS).
Technology is supposed to improve our working life and make it more efficient for us humans, not make it more bureaucratic and frustrating. According to Deloitte’s researchers, after conversations with clients, many HR leaders admitted that employees have found it easier to quit and be rehired than to change positions within the organisation because of the lack of systems to enable internal moves. This seems nonsensical when the research shows that reskilling an internal hire can be done for as little as one-sixth the cost of hiring an external candidate.
Where an LMS focuses on narrow subject areas linked to the organisation, LXPs offer functionality that can be integrated into any system to offer on-demand learning; material
45% of talent leaders say that their employees lack information on available roles inside their organisation. A further 56% said it was easier to find a new job at another organisation than with their current employer. What can be done to buck this trend, and can technology help? HR should be keeping their best talent, not making it easier for them to get a job somewhere else.
“Development is more important than anything: it’s more powerful than money.” Agile career models undoubtedly improve employee engagement and commitment; one example being Ingersoll Rand, who invested in an interactive, analytics-based technology solution that allows them to explore alternative career paths across the company. This led to an employee engagement increase of almost a third. Employee engagement at a high level is becoming one of HR’s biggest nightmares, with retention rates falling in most industries. Anything they can do to improve the relationship between staff and employer is grabbed with both hands. Jim Clifton, CEO, Gallup, talked about his company’s study into ‘The State of the Global Workplace’ exclaiming, “Development is more important than anything: it’s more powerful than money.” He added, “Strategies that allow individuals to identify, develop and use their natural talents, so they become strengths, have the potential to dramatically improve workforce productivity.”
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COVER STORY
Death of HR (as we know it ) With social enterprise becoming the norm, alternative workers increasing, leadership competencies shifting, and employees looking for more than just a paycheque, the future of HR is full of new challenges. Calling it a challenge might be an understatement when, in reality, the future of HR is a minefield of uncertainty, and the outlook is so cloudy as to be impossible to predict. The most effective HR teams must marry together an increasingly automated environment with constantly updated AI software alongside multi-generational teams of talent—each with their own welfare needs; and then do it all under the umbrella of global financial, societal and political uncertainty. No easy task. The most transformational way to find new talent and keep them is to leverage new technology, yet this offers up its own set of challenges.
According to the Deloitte Report, over 80% of HR leaders see the use of technology increasing in the areas of applicant sourcing, screening and application processing. However, only 6% believe they currently have best-in-class processes and technology in place . A new AI-based assessment system from Pymetrics can assess a wide variety of human traits and skills, and map them directly against the characteristics of the highest-performing people in various roles. Another example, Mya, a leading provider of AI-based recruitment chatbots, has been able to reduce candidate screening time by 30 to 50%. IBM’s new Candidate Assistant automatically matches potential candidates to the right roles. This software can do in less time what humans used to do over long periods, and with greater accuracy.
One of the other big HR trends in recent years has been the adoption of subscription-based cloud systems for the processing of various HR functions. A time-saving achievement welcomed by all, although adoption in this area has been limited. Cloud vendors have, in some cases, oversold their systems’ capabilities—not an uncommon complaint from HR teams when it comes to adopting new software solutions. Digital HR solutions continue to be pioneered, with more than 1,400 HR technology vendors competing for sales. Tools to digitise performance-management, well-being, learning, recruitment and grievance processes are flooding the market. These tools give HR managers a range of options, but very few truly unified HR solutions.
HR Resurrection So, with the old HR dead, what gives for the future of HR? Research consistently shows that, although the future of HR is unclear, reinvention with a human focus is the way forward. Aamer Ghaffar, Chief Strategy Officer, Kordinator—an organisation focused on AI business solutions—explained, “The concern is no longer ‘will robots take my job?’, it’s ‘how can robots make my job easier?’ The future belongs to leaders who can create organisations that work for their business, their customers, their people and the broader society.
“The concern is no longer ‘will robots take my job?’, it’s ‘how can robots make my job easier?”
This multitude of sweeping workplace changes has certainly given HR plenty of nightmares. HR, as we know it, already has one foot in the grave; and at this rate may cease to exist at all. But, that might not be as bad as it sounds. Free from the shackles of traditional ‘personnel processes’, an evolved species of HR leaders will likely emerge from this coffin of Human Remains. With the luxury of time to focus on forward-looking strategic initiatives, tomorrow’s HR leaders will be much better poised to drive their business forward and engage today’s workforce—who are already screaming out that they want to remain very ‘human’.
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HR FEATURES
HR
paying the cost of
commutes
Commuting has been a sore topic for decades, but most have accepted it as the only way to land the best jobs with the best companies. Commute times across APAC are some of the highest in the world. According to the Countries with the Longest and Shortest Commutes Study from Dalia, Hong Kong has the fourth-longest commute time across all the countries surveyed, at an hour and a half, due largely to congestion, traffic and a recent surge in vehicle ownership. Singapore and the Philippines came in sixth and eighth place respectively. At the other end of the spectrum, Japan came in first place with the shortest daily commute of just 39 minutes each day. Location (59%) and commute time (43%) are two of the top five considerations when looking for a new job, according to The Harris Poll on behalf of Glassdoor. When asked what would make them more likely to apply for a job at a company, nearly half of U.S. job seekers (48%) cited attractive benefits and perks (e.g., gym memberships, paid time off, etc.), followed closely by a convenient, easy commute (47%).
Commuting has been a sore topic for decades, but most have accepted it as the only way to land the best jobs with the best companies.
Commuter angst According to International Workplace Group (IWG)’s Global Workplace Survey, more than eight in ten jobseekers will not take a job that does not offer flexible working. 41% of the Survey’s APAC respondents said that commuting is the worst part of their day, and one in five workers said they are regularly late for work due to travel disruptions.
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Almost one-third of APAC respondents said they would prefer to live in another area, but did not choose to move because it would increase their commute time. Fortunately, commute-free and commute-light flexible working options are becoming far more commonplace. 74% of APAC respondents acknowledged that businesses in their sector are offering flexible working options to reduce commute times. 32% of APAC respondents believe that by 2030, commuting will be a thing of the past.
How businesses can future-proof their HR strategy The APAC region is suffering the most severely from talent shortages globally, making up five of the world’s top ten worst-affected markets, including Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and India. This is according to the Talent Shortage Survey conducted by the Manpower Group. Julie Coucoules, Global Head of Talent
Acquisition, Glassdoor, said, “Job seekers crave transparency, not only to make an initial judgement about whether to consider applying for a job but also to assess if an employer holds long term potential for them. Quality candidates are typically well-researched and look for a richer set of background data that includes benefits and employee reviews, among other specific traits about an employer. This means that employers should make information available to job candidates proactively, or they risk missing out on quality candidates applying.” For companies that need their talent on-site, which is still a reality for the majority of businesses in APAC, it is important to listen to their employees and look for ways to ease the burden that commuting puts on them. IWG’s research showed nearly half of all employees across APAC spend their commute working, and as a result, 42% think that
official working hours should include time spent on their journey. Not only is commuting a drain on time and energy for employees, but it is also an expensive activity. 55% of APAC respondents want businesses to subsidise the cost of commuting. A flexible workplace policy can be difficult to implement if there are strong cultural barriers against it. If employers want to attract and retain the best talent, there is a need to look for ways around this. IWG’s research also showed that 82% of APAC workers would turn down a job that did not offer flexible working, and 46% believe a choice of work location is more important to them than working for a prestigious company. Given that people are a company’s greatest asset failing to address employees’ needs in today’s competitive job market will not only impact recruitment and retention but also will, in turn, hit production and output levels.
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HR FEATURES
Shift happens Investigating the validity of the HR information sources we rely on.
Looking at statistics is a great way to get instant information. Numbers are facts, and facts are important. So, when we read a statistic, we expect it to lead to some factual conclusion. Unfortunately, in the modern age of memes and social media, it’s very easy to share a short statistical quote, which then very rarely gets factchecked by those reading it.
An example of a fact being a fact, and yet not, became apparent to me recently while researching some statistics online. It is a kind of ‘Schrödinger’s fact’, whereby the information is both true and not true at the same time. Did you know, for example, that 65% of children entering primary school today will ultimately end up working in completely new job types that do not yet exist? I did not know this and found it very interesting, so I decided to do my due diligence and check it out. I followed the month-old article’s information to its source, the World Economic Forum (WEF) Report on the future of jobs. I found that the report was published in full on their website, and was copyrighted in 2019. It took a lot more digging to find the original publication date, which happened to be 2016. Whilst not completely new, it is still recent enough, and a reputable enough source, for me to take that statistic and run with it. Unfortunately, I am not that trusting, so decided to dig deeper into the footnotes. I found the statistic being cited and the reference footnote, which was a link to an internet webpage. I clicked on the link and found that the site was disappointingly no longer live. This is no great shock, as the speed at which the internet changes is
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incredible, and a three-year-old link will often disappear. End of story—I thought. Again, I am too cynical to give up at this point and just believe something I read on the Internet, so went back to digging. A search on the authors of the webpage that no longer
“While that statistic may indeed have been ‘sourced’ from my presentation, it actually was not in the presentation. I have no idea where it came from” exists lead me to a nifty title: ‘Shift happens’. A further search for this presented me with a wave of nostalgia, as I saw a video I had not seen for many years. Perhaps you have also seen it if you’re old enough to have been a keen internet user ten years ago. The video in question is a fancy slideshow of statistics put together by two men named Scott McLeod and Karl Fisch. It’s so old that it was using myspace as its barometer for social media popularity. Nevertheless, this is where the information came from about children in the future doing job types that do not exist. Tenacity overruled complacency again, and I decided to email those original authors. Karl Fisch responded to me the next day, and he said, “While that statistic may indeed
have been ‘sourced’ from my presentation, it actually was not in the presentation. I have no idea where it came from. My presentation simply said we were preparing students for jobs that didn’t yet exist (based on a quote from former Secretary of Ed Richard Riley).” Now I was truly hooked. As far as I could tell so far, I had read an interesting fact in a very recent HR article, which upon further scrutiny turned out to be an incorrect statistic being used by a big organisation, the WEF, sourced from a defunct website, based on a ten-year-old presentation, generated from a quote years earlier. At what point do we stop burrowing down the rabbit hole and accept that there is no longer any validity to the information being presented? Also, how do we protect ourselves from using misinformation in our organisations? HR Professionals do not have the time to fact-check any piece of information to this extent, and at some point have to trust their first sources. New policies for talent management, onboarding, career progression, future lines of business and even new technologies could be based on that information, which ultimately turns out to be a huge waste of resources. I followed Finch’s claim that his source was Richard Riley, former US Secretary of Education, and investigated what Riley had
HR FEATURES originally espoused. A directly attributable students will work in jobs and industries that quote from Riley was impossible to haven’t been invented yet.” The Herman she find, but I found the testimony of Beth seems to be referring to is Alexis Herman, Buehlmann, VP and Executive Director, former Secretary of Labor under the Bill Clinton Center for Workforce Preparation, administration. appearing before the Committee on Small There are countless other “65% of school-aged Business, 2004, similar variations on quotes students will work in jobs where she said, predicting the future of and industries that haven’t “Former Secretary of the job market, yet none Education Richard seem to be based on actual been invented yet.” Riley recently noted research. The quote we that none of the top are left with today is an ten jobs that will exist in 2010 exist today amalgamation of bits and pieces other and that these jobs will employ technology people have referred to over the past few that hasn’t yet been invented to solve decades. Therefore, the source for the quote problems we haven’t yet imagined.” itself does not really exist, and yet the quote is here to stay. That testimony, before the U.S. Congress in 2004 does not cite a source for Riley’s Now that we have established that the assertion, nor does it tell us when he said it. statistic in question has been completely However, further investigation revealed that fabricated, does that mean that it is also Ian Jukes, founder and Executive Director of completely false? Maybe all these people, the InfoSavvy Group, was present at a summit together with their experience and insights, in 2006 where Riley was the keynote speaker stumbled upon a useful truth, despite doing and gave the quote again word for word. This so in a peculiar way. obviously comes after the use of his words in the 2004 committee hearing, so he must have Unfortunately, it does not appear to be the been using the phrase for quite a while. case. Various outlets have debunked the idea, for example, in 2017 the BBC had a So far, I have still not answered the question of podcast featuring various educators, titled where this quote originally came from. Riley Have 65% of Future Jobs Not Yet Been is not a researcher, so when did he start using Invented? Ultimately, they could also find the quote, and what was his source? Was there no data to support the claim, and their even a source to begin with? I was beginning consensus seems to go against the notion. to hit a wall, so started looking for variations Researchers for the BBC used employment on the quote. One such variation, with a very data to run a comparison and made some similar sentiment, can be found in the book strongly biased assumptions to lead Women in IT in the New Social Era, by Sonja them to the desired conclusion. However, Bernhardt. She wrote, “Over a decade ago, even using these assumptions, they said, Herman (1999) predicted, “65% of school-aged “Despite our very best effort to inflate the
figures, we still only managed to get to one-third of jobs being new.” Despite the popularity of the idea, and the plethora of influential people sharing it, we are ultimately left with something that sounds interesting but can not be said to be true. It took a long time for me to also reach this conclusion, despite my original intention of finding the source to prove the statistic correct. I started with a natural bias, based on the statistic, that it was probably true. I just wanted to verify it. I ended up debunking it, and am pretty disappointed to do so. The idea of a brave new world, with new jobs, new technologies, and an exciting future for our children is very appealing. Unfortunately, the truth appears to be far more mundane, and our children will likely be doing most of the same jobs that we are doing today. Therefore, that is what we should be preparing ourselves for. In turn, that is what most companies’ HR management teams should be planning for, as they are likely to be recruiting people into jobs that they are already aware of, and dealing with. The use of significant resources preparing for change of a magnitude predicted by our false statistic can actually be far more damaging than helpful. It’s a lovely idea that we can plan and prepare for an exciting unknown future, but we would probably be better served by planning to support our future talent in a work practice that already exists. Perhaps preparing for a more inclusive culture, promoting efficiency, and increasing staff wellness would be a better use of those resources. The Shift didn’t happen as much as we thought, and it probably won’t.
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Hong Kong staff facing protest nightmare Hong Kong is in the midst of an economic typhoon, being hit on all sides by the simultaneous storms of trade disputes, tariffs and persistent social unrest. With the latter being a unique factor, this economic typhoon has grown from a manageable T3 into a potentially devastating T10. Tourism and the hospitality industry have played a huge role in Hong Kong’s long-standing financial success. Social unrest in recent months has led to Hong Kong’s hotel workers paying the price, with many placed involuntarily on paid and unpaid leave as occupancy rates plummet. The unemployment rate in this industry has increased gradually from 3.4% at the start of 2019 to 4.3% in July, which is no coincidence. This growing trend emerged as the government warned that the extradition bill protests had damaged the city’s economy, reporting shrinking figures in tourist arrivals and room occupancy rates. The number of inbound tourists dropped more than 30 per cent for the first ten days in August, and industry figures believe that the protests
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could be worse for Hong Kong than the 2003 SARS outbreak. According to the Catering and Hotel Industries Employees General Union, InterContinental Hong Kong sent an email to staff, saying the protests had hurt the economy and its occupancy levels were down considerably. As a consequence, many staff, including department heads, are to take one day of annual leave and two days of unpaid leave in August. The following month, all permanent staff are being forced to take two days of annual leave and another two of unpaid leave. The union’s organising secretary Ho Hung-Hing could not say how many staff members had been affected yet but added that even though workers were not happy with the
arrangement, they had to do what they were told. Meanwhile, CK Asset has reportedly asked staff to take unpaid leave at ten hotels, including the Harbour Grand Hong Kong in North Point, and the Harbour Plaza 8 Degrees in To Kwa Wan.
Inbound tourists dropped more than 30% for the first ten days in August. Protests could be worse for Hong Kong than SARS outbreak. The ongoing social unrest shows no signs of ending soon and its impact is not restricted to the hospitality industry. According to the financial secretary, Paul Chan, unemployment across the city as a whole is on the rise. In his August blog, Chan wrote,
HR FEATURES
“Since the unemployment rate in Hong Kong had not increased in the past two years, the public might not feel the immediate impact. Nevertheless, from the experience of dealing with financial crises in the past, the unemployment rate could worsen much quicker than one expects.” He continued by referring to statistics showing Hong Kong’s past unemployment increases following economic crises, and said, “In 2000 when the dotcom bubble burst, the unemployment rate leapt from 4.4% to 7.5% by mid-2002, and further increased to 8.5% in 2003 due to the outbreak of SARS.”
Chan appears to be telling us that although the economy has been strong for many years, with low unemployment across the region, the economic impact of the current protests is already having an effect. It is not out of the realms of possibility that the impact could worsen and critically affect the employment and income of vast numbers of Hong Kong residents.
In addition to the regularly organised job fairs, the labour department is planning to hold large-scale job fairs on 3 and 4 October in Lok Fu Place, Kowloon and 29 – 30 October at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. The Government is keen to address issues of unemployment and economic weakness early to prevent the onset of a more serious slide.
Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Law Chi-kwong said, “As the economy is expected to stay weak in the coming months, the local labour market will unavoidably be subject to greater pressure. The government will monitor the labour market situation closely.”
HR professionals across APAC are gearing up for a time of economic and social uncertainty that will continue to make it difficult to juggle the welfare needs, financial concerns and recruitment difficulties they already face.
“From the experience of dealing with financial crises in the past, the unemployment rate could worsen much quicker than one expects.”
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New talent skill sets 15 July marked the fifth International Youth Skills Day, first established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2014. This period is also the time during which many young people are completing their final days of university education. The graduating class of 2017 – 2018 comprised almost 21,500 individuals from Hong Kong University, according to the University Grants Committee. The expected influx of graduates comes at a time when numerous and significant changes to the working landscape and Hong Kong, in general, are occurring. These changes are occurring on an economic and social scale and also in terms of the city’s business operations. Additionally, workplaces are upgrading to embrace digital technologies, AI and automation, which subsequently has modified many of the working roles of employees to be more innovative, customer-focused and strategic. The daily operations of jobs are also changing rapidly and continuously, with industries and roles in IT, communications, finance, insurance and professional services affected the most. It is therefore unsurprising that the prospect of job searching for fresh graduates can be daunting and encroaching onto unfamiliar territory for candidates, HR teams and employers alike. With the continued development and spread of technology, it is perhaps not surprising that companies are prioritising a strategic, innovative and customer-focused mindset. Although the future of the workforce is as yet imprecise and unclear, job opportunities in communications, finance, IT, insurance and professional services are expected to rise.
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According to the 2019 Robert Half Salary Guide, fresh graduates can help to make the process easier for when job hunting by enhancing their employability with skills sought by employers. Skills in technology, in areas such as financial services or accounting, are, particularly in demand. In 2017 – 2018, 1,070 IT/ Computing and 4,829 Engineering/ Technology students graduated with in-demand skills, and therefore providing a skills pool for potential recruiters and employers. In addition, developing a candidate’s soft or human skills are perhaps more important than ever, in a world of expanding and accelerating technology. One such soft skill is emotional intelligence which is becoming increasingly valued, both in the workplace and also in wider society. Other skills such as communication, teamwork, problem-solving, adaptability and negotiation are considered by many employers as crucial not only for a specific role but to enter the workforce and progress one’s career. As such, maintaining an open mind with a constant learning mindset as well as gaining early experiences such as volunteer work or internships, are encouraged for youths, helping them to adjust to the workplace mindset and thus improve their employability.
The third recommendation from the Salary Guide is for graduates to continue their professional development and ‘upskill’ throughout their career. Many companies are now embracing continued education and development schemes, not only as a means of enhancing company productivity and profitability but also as a means of increasing employee retention.
The concept of job-hopping, or frequently changing jobs and roles, has been traditionally frowned upon and seen to be a negative trend of young employees especially. Employers in Hong Kong and globally, however, have recently adopted a more favourable attitude to the benefits of starting a new role, such as the enhancement of a broader range of skills from the employees. Candidates who successfully job hop are also said to likely advance their careers. There should also, however, be a balance between job-hopping and taking the time for an individual to grow into a new role and gain as much as possible from this career rung.
Finally, the Robert Half Salary Guide advises job seekers not to overlook the possibility of temporary or project-based work. Like job-hopping, short-term working arrangements allow a candidate to develop a new range of skills, while also being able to ‘try out’ working for various companies in various capacities. From the company perspective, having a mixture of short-term and permanent staff can also be beneficial. Indeed, according to the 2019 Robert Half Salary Guide, 72% of CFOs surveyed cited contract workers being a key element of long-term staffing strategies. Many of these roles also offer the possibility of extension into a longer-term position, should the candidate and employer both be satisfied. Although the ongoing societal and workplace changes have created a level of uncertainty for recent graduates and job seekers, there are nevertheless ways in which candidates can take actions and sell themselves in order to gain a job offer. Adapting to modern times and processes of recruitment and in the workplace is absolutely essential in order to succeed, and a university education or certificate is no longer enough. Focusing on soft or human skills, in addition to strategic job-hopping or enrolling in temporary jobs can be extremely useful and essential for youths to move ahead along their career path.
“Communication, teamwork, problemsolving, adaptability and negotiation are...crucial not only for a specific role but to enter the workforce and progress one’s career. ”
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1 in 4 Employees uncomfortable with performance reviews According to the Workmonitor Survey released by Randstad Singapore earlier this year, employees value real-time feedback as it gives them a clearer understanding of what they need to achieve and how to do it. Some employees still feel that these sessions are used by their managers to give feedback on their performance and often do not know how to react to it.
• 80% said that they are able to have an open conversation with their managers during performance reviews. • 15% of respondents were never asked for feedback during their performance appraisals. • 60% said that they value their employer’s feedback because it helps them get a clearer understanding of what they need to do to achieve their next career milestone. The survey was conducted with more than 400 locally based employees across key industries in Singapore. According to 47% of the Survey respondents, performance reviews are only conducted once a year. More than 87% said that their work performance is still being graded against a potential perfect score, which is unattainable. As the working environment changes and working relationships become less formal, it is important to understand how the perception of performance reviews has changed and how feedback is being used today.
Instant feedback most valued by employees Real-time feedback is finding its way into today’s offices. It gives employees a chance to
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ask for new growth opportunities, or raise any burning issues before it is too late. In Singapore, 49% of employers have adopted the use of real-time feedback to monitor work productivity and to help staff improve. More than 7 in 10 respondents said that they feel comfortable giving and receiving feedback to their managers. 73% said that they work in an open environment
where feedback can be shared between staff, including their managers, at any time. Despite working in an environment where real-time feedback is encouraged, 88% of respondents still feel that performance reviews are sessions that are purely used by the manager to give employees one-way feedback. In fact, 15% of respondents felt that they do not have the opportunity to speak out about their career aspirations or concerns at work.
HR FEATURES
Performance feedback methods: face-to-face
55%
online survey
16%
paper based
12%
employees are not asked for feedback
15%
others
2%
Feedback helps collaboration, but employees do not know how to react Employees have mixed emotions towards both real-time feedback and scheduled job performance reviews. Feedback was seen as positive in some areas: •
60% said it helps them gain a clearer understanding of what they need to achieve and how to do it. 49% said it encourages more open communication 45% said it helps them learn and develop
• • However, feedback sessions were negatively regarded for other reasons:
• 32% said they feel vulnerable • 29% said they do not know how to react • 26% said they feel uncomfortable The feedback that is shared between colleagues does not always need to highlight areas of improvement; it can also be used to recognise someone on the team for a job well done. The balance between sharing positive and negative feedback helps point the employees in the right direction toward growth, motivates them to be more productive and collaborative, and promotes employee loyalty. The Survey showed that only around half of employers organise training on how to give and receive feedback. It is important for organisations to ensure its entire workforce knows how to share and receive constructive feedback professionally and effectively so that managers and employees can have a more meaningful and productive conversation. It is also the manager’s responsibility to empower their employees to comment on the challenges they face at work and suggest the type of support that they will need.
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HR FEATURES
Annual performance reviews still the norm in Singapore
How often are performance reviews conducted?
Globally, 32 % of respondents said that their managers review their performance only once a year. In Singapore, 47% of respondents said that they still have regular annual performance reviews.
yearly
47%
half-yearly
19%
quarterly
15%
monthly
8%
weekly
3%
never
8%
‘Great Conversations’ introduced to promote open conversations in Randstad The annual graded performance reviews at Randstad were fully replaced by ‘Great Conversations’ in 2018. Under the new practice, managers and employees engage in an open discussion to share and receive feedback on their work performance, as well as discuss opportunities for growth and the kind of support they hope to have. To facilitate these conversations, Randstad organises training sessions for all of its employees so that they feel more comfortable and confident with receiving and giving feedback to each other. Jos Schut, Global Chief Human Resource Officer at Randstad said, “We moved from the traditional backwards-looking appraisal process to a future-oriented process using real-time feedback to make the conversations meaningful, aspirational and progress-focussed. This new approach made sure all of our employees have the opportunity to provide and receive frequent feedback to improve their performance, something the traditional appraisal process didn’t offer.”
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HR FEATURES FEATURES HR
Working nightmares of sleep deprivation It is no secret that sleep is an important process for every individual. While an enjoyable end to the day for most, it is also increasingly apparent that for many individuals, with the pressures and business of day to day life, sleep often becomes a lesser priority than perhaps it should. According to studies and experts in sleep, the optimal amount per night is between seven and eight hours. However, it is not uncommon for adults to be on the verge of or already getting less sleep than this, and the resulting effects can have harmful or even dangerous consequences to the individual and others around them. The physical effects on health-related to sleep debt, or an insufficient night’s sleep, of less than six hours per night, may include weight gain, high blood pressure, heart disease, or even stroke. This according to the journal PLoS One. The study shows in fact that getting a good night’s sleep is as important as eating and breathing and that both physical and mental health is affected by the quality of sleep, with the effects of both having a potentially negative impact on work performance. Different processes of restoration and sleep function occur during different stages of
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sleep, which subsequently trigger both mental and physical effects. For example, impaired sleep during Rapid Eye Movement (REM) can have an effect on an individual’s learning ability. Similarly, the hormone serotonin is released during REM sleep, and a lack of serotonin may be linked to feelings of depression and mood changes. When an individual is persistently deprived of sleep, they build up ‘sleep debt’, and the greater the sleep debt, the greater the effect on brain functioning and thus external performance at and outside work. Common mental consequences of sleep deprivation include impaired memory function, lower attention span and greater difficulty problem solving and dealing with complex tasks. In extreme cases, an individual may experience hallucinations or paranoia, according to the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry 2018. This can be repaired, however, when an individual catches up on lost sleep and recovers their debt. In the workplace, cognitive abilities including impaired learning, attention and memory, and greater difficulties with complex tasks and problem-solving can significantly affect an individual’s performance. Dr Charles
A. Czeisler, Professor, Harvard University, summarises individual behaviour changes as, “Otherwise intelligent, well-mannered managers do all kinds of things they’d never do if they were rested—they may get angry at employees, make unsound decisions that affect the future of their companies, and give muddled presentations before their colleagues, customers, the press, or shareholders.” For physical roles such as those involving driving or performing medical procedures, the likelihood of accidents and dangerous or fatal mistakes is increased. It is said that up to 12% of vehicle accidents are the result of sleepiness and subsequent slowed judgement and reaction time. Czeisler further described the effects of sleep deprivation on attention spans, “In a study our research team conducted of hospital interns who had been scheduled to work for at least 24 consecutive hours, we found that the odds of stabbing themselves with a needle or scalpel increased by 61%, their risk of crashing a vehicle increased by 168%, and their risk of a near-miss increased by 460%. It is estimated that 80,000 drivers fall asleep at the wheel every day, 10% of them run off the road, and every two minutes, one of them crashes.”
HR FEATURES According to a recent study conducted by the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety, out of 1,435 individuals, it was found that those who suffered from insomnia were 56% more likely to have impaired work performance. Similarly, a 2012 study conducted by the Brigham and Women’s Hospital found that the work performance of participants who slept an average of fewer than six hours per night declined each week. Researchers suggest that individuals taking naps when needed is one way to alleviate the horrors of sleep deprivation. A progressive approach to reducing and preventing potentially significant company costs, various companies such as Google in the US have introduced nap pods in their office space, where employees are able to catch up on some lost sleep during downtime at work. Such an
approach tackles head-on the often negatively perceived necessity and are among those to reap the rewards from increased alertness and higher productivity. Similarly, a NASA study found that pilots who took a 26-minute nap increased alertness by 54% and performance by 34%; while a 40-minute nap increased pilot alertness by 100%. The University of Haifa in Israel conducted a study in 2008 which revealed the relationship of daytime napping with enhancing long term memory, and the brain’s retention of information. These findings were later supported with a 2016 study conducted at the University of California at Berkeley. By contrast, sleep studies have shown that a 17 hour period of wakefulness has the same effect on an individual as having drunk two glasses of wine, or having a blood alcohol
content of 0.05. If an individual has been awake for 21 consecutive hours, their attention and reaction functions are akin to having had four glasses of wine, or a blood alcohol level of 0.08. The effects of sleep deprivation are certainly prominent on not only an internal level but also with external consequences. Famous disasters such as the Three Mile Island nuclear meltdown, the Chernobyl nuclear explosion, the Exxon Valdez oil spill and the Challenger space shuttle disaster have all been attributed to human error which was likely caused by sleep deprivation. Companies introducing schemes such as encouraging naps, or emphasising the importance of a good night’s rest can truly see the benefits not only in the individual but in their role and potentially company performance.
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HR COMMUNITY
HONG KONG’S PINK SEASON PINK SEASON IS ALMOST HERE AGAIN. GET INVOLVED, GET INFORMED AND GET ENTERTAINED. From an HR perspective, Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) is a perennial golden thread running through everything involved in recruiting and retaining talent. Hong Kong’s senior leaders are constantly working to improve the local culture in relation to D&I, which requires the participation of companies of all sizes, non-governmental organisations, nonprofit organisations, and, of course, the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC). The guidance for boards and directors, issued across the region by Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX) in their Guidance for Boards and Directors makes a number of specific provisions, for example, paragraph 4.9, bullet point 2, recommending, “Commitment to diversity at all levels, including gender, age, cultural, and educational background or professional experience.”
Pink Alliance, who are behind the annual season of themed events, is a non-profit organisation run solely by volunteers, and although it has been around since 2009 under previous names, it was finally granted charity status by the government in 2017. Its purpose is simple: to advance dignity, acceptance and equal rights for LGBT+ people in Hong Kong through community engagement and public education. Pink Season achieves this purpose by creating a long season of mostly free events for everyone from any community.
“Its purpose is simple: to advance dignity, acceptance and equal rights for LGBT+ people in Hong Kong”
JIM POON SPOKESPERSON, PINK SEASON
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With the upcoming Pink Season of events across Hong Kong, HR Magazine sat down with Jim Poon, the Director of Pink Season, to talk about the charity’s work and the changes that still need to be made in order to create inclusive workplaces. Jim began by telling us about his background and how he became involved in campaigning for LGBT+ rights. After many years in the corporate world, he needed a break, and a couple of years ago the opportunity came to travel and
HR COMMUNITY get involved in volunteer work. He joined Pink Alliance in October last year, first helping out with their mentorship program, and more recently, taking over the running of Pink Season when the previous director decided to step down.
abroad. A small step on the road to equality, but it sends a strong signal on LGBT+ equality.
He talked about the challenges faced in educating employers to think differently. Instead of looking at equal rights as a cost, companies need to think of it for what it really is: an investment. By allowing workers to be themselves and offer them the same employment benefits as everyone else, it can open the doors to more future applicants as well as improving retention of top talent. The focus should be on empowering individuals rather than how much it is going to cost.
Jim acknowledged that Hong Kong has many more changes to make before the region can call itself inclusive. He talked about the need for changes in the law to accommodate LGBT+ workers more fairly, and further engagement with the Employment Opportunities Commission (EOC) to get them to push forward the political agenda and adoption of anti-discrimination laws that afford legal protections to minority groups in society. These are the sorts of things workers in other countries have had for years, but Hong Kong has found difficult to agree on.
Hong Kong has many legal barriers in place that are not common in most of the developed world. For example, same-sex marriage is not legally recognised, but thanks to a recent landmark court case, change is possible. In June 2019, the Court of Final Appeal granted equal spousal benefits and joint tax assessment to a gay Hong Kong civil servant and his husband who were legally married
On a positive note, there are organisations that are willingly putting in the effort despite not being legally required to do so. A lot of the multinational corporations (MNCs) in the region afford rights to workers over and above the statutory minimum. The effect of this is clear in their appeal to top talent and their ability to retain the best staff. Investing in a happy workforce brings long-term
Starting on 28 September 2019 is this year’s Pink Season, which runs through to 2 November. There are a number of events scheduled, most of which are free and many of which are relevant to those of us in HR who want to know more about the LGBT+ community in Hong Kong and what drives them. Of particular interest to LGBT+ staff would be the money forum, which will offer education and advice on areas such as wills, estate planning and the challenges same sex couples face with finances.
There are many other events that could form the basis for team building events, for example, a comedy night, a quiz night, live music, sporting events, yoga, a wine pairing dinner and even three free drag workshops! See the website below for the full listings. And, of course, it is not a festival just for LGBT+ people, it really is for everyone. After all, a little levity doesn’t hurt anyone, especially with the way things are in Hong Kong at the moment.
There will also be a career day with a recruitment fair and speakers from industry who are also in the LGBT+ community. A health forum and marriage equality forum will also take place, which could help to educate employers and employees about medical and legal considerations affecting them or their staff.
Overall, as employers, recruiters, HR managers and even workers with a stake in a better workplace, we should be asking ourselves, “Do we have a culture that is inclusive? Do we have a culture where people can be their true selves? If not, then what are we doing about it? Who are our champions for change?”
success in terms of productivity and public relations. The Community Business LGBT+ Inclusion Index is typically dominated by MNCs, which goes to show that local small and mediumsized enterprises (SMEs) are way behind in terms of their approach to diversity. Part of this could be down to funding, but according to Jim, you don’t have to spend huge amounts of money to start changing your workplace culture. When asked what companies can do to improve their image and recruit staff from more diverse backgrounds, Jim gave some tips to recruiters. A change in culture would be the best thing at first. Make it acceptable to talk openly about lifestyle and allow people to be themselves without fear of recrimination. Get involved in events and sponsorships to show the public that you are a welcoming, inclusive employer. Of course, the most important thing is education. If top managers and recruiters are not aware of the diversity knocking at their door—and what drives them—then superficial changes will not have a lasting impact.
Pink Season starts on 28 September 2019 and runs until 2 November 2019. Further information can be found on their website www.pinkseason.hk Keep an eye on HR Magazine’s website for more updates and in-detail looks at the events being held.
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HR COMMUNITY
Com
Regal Hongkong Hotel Causeway Bay, Hong Kong Friday 6 SEPTEMBER 2019 08:30 – 17:00
Delegates arrive eager to listen to speakers sharing their insights into Hong Kong’s young leadership
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YOUNG LEADERSHIP
HR Magazine’s quarterly conference, held on 6 September 2019, focused on young leadership and how these young leaders can help to heal Hong Kong. A long list of great speakers from a variety of backgrounds shared insights into what they, in their own companies, are doing to promote young leaders and develop and harness their skills. The conference also tackled issues such as legal potholes, recruitment initiatives and employee challenges in the current environment.
HR COMMUNITY
Creating effective future leader experiences Selection processes have become far more objective and scientific in recent years, and none more so than Schroder’s new Future Leader Experience. Susane Yan presented this new initiative to us, but was very clear to tell us, “This is not a programme; this is a six-month experience that we craft and design to provide something different to our younger generation.” Schroders partnered with Deloitte to come up with some of the most effective data-driven tools that could help them effectively assess individual candidates. The tools they use crunch a lot of data around leadership characteristics to come up with the Future Leader Readiness Indicator (FLRI). 155 candidates applied and entered onto stage one of the Experience. They were objectively assessed against the FLRI, and 40 were selected to enter the second stage, which was designed to dive deeper
into each candidate using even more data-driven tools, personality assessments and personal coaching. Susane explained how each experience is tailor-made, with the experience being driven by each candidate’s motivation. Relying on their self-assessment and self-reflection, as well as assessments from their key stakeholders, those suitable were then sent to the final stage at the Future Leader Lab in London, which gave further insight into the candidates to help shape their career path. This new approach did not come without its challenges for people like Susane. She said, “Breaking away from the traditional way of nomination is challenging. I personally received a call from a manager challenging on the selection criteria, and I had to explain further on the science and so on to convince them.”
SUSANE YAN Regional Manager, Talent & Development, Schroders Topic | Creating effective future leader experiences
LeaderSHIFT: our ceiling is the next generation’s floor Charles Caldwell explained how there is a shift in leadership styles taking place in the global workforce from a ‘Heroic’ style, top-down leadership style to ‘Post-Heroic’ bottom-up collaborative leadership style. Current problems of workplace leadership include a fixed mindset, ego, low emotional intelligence levels, and a failure nexus, or fear of failure culture. Heroic leaders operate in a more commanding and controlling environment and have a ‘top dog’ approach to achievement. In contrast, post-heroic leaders tend to be humbler and there to serve others. They are empathetic, trusting and more compassionate. The mindset of a heroic leader leans more towards a fixed mindset where talent and intelligence are fixed at birth; the growth mindset is adopted by a post-heroic leader, where intelligence and talent can continuously change. Adopting a growth mindset that considers worldviews of different generations, particularly Generations Y and Z, is crucial. Referencing demographics and the ever-increasing portion that Millennials and Gen Z take up in the workforce, he explained
that the younger generations have less tolerance for dictatorial leaders who lose their cool—which he called an Amygdala Hijack in the brain. Charles emphasised the need for young leaders to embrace a more empathetic, service-oriented leadership mantra to complete this leadership shift and predicted it would happen with 75% of the global workforce being comprised of millennials by 2025. Caldwell noted the leadership shift is at a crucial tipping point, saying, “The entire millennial group is really disenchanted,” later adding, “The risk of millennial disengagement is that they no longer feel empowered.” In order to reduce the threat of youths resigning, companies should adopt a growth mindset culture; providing and receiving open feedback, empathy, acknowledging the effects of fear and reward, and the effects of caring for other. Embracing such a culture comes from system and process alignment, encouraging speaking and listening, sensitivity towards the effects of stress, and creating a positive relationship with failure.
CHARLES CALDWELL Human Resources Director, ESF Topic | LeaderSHIFT: our ceiling is the next generation’s floor
Charles supported his talk with examples of neuroscientific studies into effective and ineffective leadership practices that reinforced other in-depth leadership studies illustrating how ‘post-Heroic’ leadership styles produce better results in organisations and increase employee engagement.
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HR COMMUNITY
Insights from Philip Morris Asia Limited It is impossible for a company to reach its maximum in terms of having good HR policies because there is always room for improvement. Philip Morris Asia Limited (PMAL) has gone through a major HR transformation journey, not only in terms of the workplace, but also in a broader sense—a business transformation. The risky decision to move from harmful products to less harmful products has created a demand for talented leaders. Brett Cooper, General Manager Hong Kong and Macau, PMAL shared, “When we recruit, we look at learning agility, communication and collaboration. The ability to progress into a future career, leave a good impression and get along well with people are crucial ingredients to help move the company forward.” Cooper stressed the importance of employee drive and motivation, stating that while PMAL supports
employees by providing training and different opportunities, at the end of the day, employees own their careers and it should come from within. Following Cooper, two young leaders—Corina and Ka Wai, shared their experiences working at PMAL and how they got to their current position. Corina found her dream job doing an international assignment in Japan at PMAL and Ka Wai met his wife at the company. Both young leaders raved about how amazing the company has been to them. Corina said, “They helped me realise my potential and skills I didn’t even know I possessed.” From the tremendous level of autonomy employees are offered, to the generous 4.5 workdays, PMAL is certainly making big strides in HR transformation.
BRETT COOPER General Manager Hong Kong & Macau,Philip Morris Asia Limited (PMAL) Topic | Insights from Philip Morris Asia Limited
Walking the tightrope; addressing employee challenges amidst disruption The recent social unrest in Hong Kong has raised some legal challenges for employers in Hong Kong. Helen Colquhoun, in her role as an employment lawyer, highlighted that there are a number of different legal obligations for employers to consider. She maintained the need for clarity amongst staff, saying, “As a general guideline, it is recommended to have clear communication setting out what is expected of them.” She talked about companies’ legal duty of care to provide a safe workplace for
employees, including their travel to and from work. We heard about specific regulations which may come into play around asking employees to take unpaid leave or use up accrued leave. Helen also discussed the key steps to follow in the event that any disciplinary issues arise, reminding employers of the need to investigate any concerns and avoid knee jerk reactions. She said, “As a starting point, you should treat these disciplinary issues the way you would treat any other disciplinary issues outside of the context of these protests.”
HELEN COLQUHOUN Partner, Head of Employment Hong Kong, DLA Piper Topic | Walking the tightrope: addressing employee challenges amidst disruption
Speakers enjoyed listening to what others had to say about aspects of young leadership
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Delegates engage with panelists as they answer questions put to them by the audience
PANEL DISCUSSION TOPIC: YOUNG LEADERSHIP Facilitator: PAUL ARKWRIGHT, Publisher & Editor-in-Chief, HR Magazine
Panelists: RORY BUCHANAN, Group HR Director, Caravel; NIKKI DAVIES, Director, Head of Campus Recruitment, Diversity and Inclusion APAC, Credit Suisse; CHARLES CALDWELL, Human Resources Director, ESF; and MABEL WONG, VPHR, Lane Crawford The panel looked into questions about current processes and operations of organisations to nurture current and future young leaders. Panellists pointed out that one of the main differences of today’s young leaders is their confidence to discuss ideas with senior managers. Rory Buchanan asserted, “In the past, leaders felt like they had to be experts on everything; the answers needed to come from them and in a directive style. This didn’t encourage independent thinking and ideas from lower down.” Nikki Davies added, “Younger employees are a lot more volunteering to put their hands up, step forward and jump in.” Company values were cited as crucial for both Mabel Wong and Charles Caldwell. According to Wong, “As an organisation, we need to define who we are and contextualise how to help society,” and an important part of this is identifying the company’s purpose. Caldwell further expressed, “An organisation’s values are what younger generations are looking for and sensing. Companies need to earn loyalty, which can easily be lost.”
The question of the extent of organisational changes to be made by the organisation rather than youth, Davies expressed the move away from the previous culture of younger employees completing a process simply because previous generations have done the same. Buchanan added that flexibility can be implemented through robust performance processes and mechanisms from those who know the company. Caldwell explained that it is extremely important for employers to get to know their workforce in order to avoid generational stereotypes. He remarked, “It’s categorising generations that creates bias and stops dialogues.” Once a group or an individual has been labelled, they are separated and made distinct from others; instead, employers should look into personalisation of individual employees regardless of their generation. Wong suggested a company focus on the strengths of each generation to work together, explaining, “Once you get into the momentum of focusing on each other’s strengths, processes will run smoothly.” This also enables staff from all levels to come together and listen to each other, even the management.
“The sooner a mistake is highlighted, the better it can be controlled and contained.” On the subject of enabling youths to feel more comfortable with mistakes, Buchanan affirmed, “Companies can’t have a blame culture, it needs to be about fixing things.” Caldwell also explained that a fear of failure translates into a risk that employees feel suppressed in terms of innovation. Ensuring a positive relationship with failure, viewing a mistake as a learning experience, and thus maintaining trust and transparency, is essential. As noted by Davies, “The sooner a mistake is highlighted, the better it can be controlled and contained.” Modern workplaces need to move towards a culture of listening rather than telling, trying to shift thought processes to create alignment between youths and employers, promoting company CSR and sustainability, and earning loyalty from young leaders through trust, honesty and transparency.
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HR COMMUNITY
Empowering, engaging and building confident young leaders With over 34,000 employees around the world, Sun Life’s purpose is to help clients achieve lifetime financial security and live healthier lives, applying this same purpose to its people. One of the Group’s key pillars in driving this purpose is its Talent and Culture. This means leveraging a strong collaborative culture while building confident, strategic young leaders and decision makers. Debbie Mannas, Head of Organization Development and Talent, Asia, Sun Life Asia explained, “Building confident leaders means creating an environment where individuals can take risks with real business issues and be exposed to different businesses and functions in the organisation. It also means putting them in front of senior leadership and having those leaders give them feedback, guide and coach them.” Mannas said this aspect of the program was designed to build strategic acumen, decision making and innovation. Creating an environment where teams are encouraged to innovate is a bit more challenging in Asia, where hierarchical and traditional management styles still operate. Children learn from an early age to show respect and not speak up, while seniors often
have to overcome the belief that leadership is a question of age and experience. Nonetheless, Sun Life Asia prides itself on steering in the opposite direction. Mannas shared, “We want to create an environment where we have a strong pipeline of young, confident leaders who are engaged, motivated and innovative and feel a sense of belonging. As they say, ‘it takes a village’. We are creating a culture of senior leadership participation in the growth of our young leaders through feedback, coaching, mentoring, being reverse mentored and learning themselves from diverse teams.” Mannas highlighted the series of programmes branded ‘E-cubed’—creating experiences, ‘Experience the Sun’, ‘Enlighten’ Mentoring and ‘Empower’ coaching to help young leaders live up to their potential. Backed by senior decision-makers in the company, the programme strives to create an environment where people can shine. Mannas said, “I’m proud to witness senior leaders leading by example, inspiring young leaders to become better people leaders themselves.”
DEBBIE MANNAS Head of Organization Development and Talent, Asia, Sun Life Asia Topic | Empowering, engaging & building confident young leaders
Updating organisational leadership from directive to collaborative Rory Buchanan, Group HR Director, Caravel, highlighted that while a directive leadership approach may be critical in certain scenarios (such as onboard ships where safe operating procedures are critical), it can stifle feedback and innovation in office-based environments. Employing an effective listening strateg y is, therefore, essential to foster an environment of feedback and creativity. Buchanan outlined that feedback was a critical component to enable HR to align people related processes and systems in driving the three pillars of workforce success— clarity, capability and commitment. Buchanan described his work to build
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on existing HR approaches by leading collaborative cross-functional teams. Buchanan stressed that in order to achieve progress on strategic HR areas, the operational work within HR needed to be done more effectively by harnessing solutions such as digitisation, outsourcing and upgrading of talent. In closing, Buchanan observed, “With the increasing level of disruption across all industries it is essential that HR becomes the epicentre of change initiatives within the workplace, and that HR lead the way to more effective team working, this is what will set the best organisations apart as we move into the next phase of corporate evolution.”
RORY BUCHANAN Group HR Director, Caravel Topic | Updating organisational leadership from directive to collaborative
HR COMMUNITY
The presentations from speakers provided advice, statistics and examples of what they and their organisations are doing to encourage and embrace young leaders
Insights from Richemont The luxury retail business is not protected from change or the new styles of next-generation leaders. Generation Z is pushing at the door for the opportunity to lead. Michelle Loong, Associate HR Director, Talent Acquisition & Development, Richemont talked about young talent today and how they do not react well to the old ways of autocratic management. She said, “One staff member came to me and asked why their manager had given them a certain task, which was menial and boring. It was resolved when the manager fully explained the reason for the task and its importance in the bigger picture. Young talent doesn’t like to be dictated what to do.” With that in mind, Richemont has created a new programme to identify its next generation of top leaders. Like Schroders, as demonstrated in the day’s earlier talk by Susane Yan, Richemont is also encouraging
their young talent to self-identify, self-assess and put themselves forward, rather than be selected by their line managers or HR teams. Michelle explained their programme, which will only accept the best 15 candidates a year. This year was its first run, and the application process made use of gamification techniques to pick out the attributes suitable to future leadership. Those 15 individuals were then plucked from their current roles and thrust into a new one, in another brand, in another country and given the challenge of running a successful area of business for six months. The first cohort of candidates has just completed their ‘mission’. It will be interesting to hear their feedback, and to receive updates about the success of the programme.
MICHELLE LOONG Associate HR Director—Talent Acquisition & Development, Richemont Topic | Insights from Richemont
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HR COMMUNITY
jobsDB: Hospitality Laws of Attraction
Delegates discuss key roundtable questions The hospitality industry is both thriving and extremely important globally, and in particular in Hong Kong. Recently, jobsDB hosted an event presenting data from their Laws of Attraction (LOA) study referring specifically to this industry. Hospitality is not immune to the mismatch of expectations between hirers and prospective employees, and this industry continues to grow. Furthermore, individuals themselves differ in terms of their demographics, personality and gender, amongst other factors.
that there will be a 3% increase in this industry in the coming years. Shao said, “Hirers are facing difficulties to hire and retain good young candidates, and the young are facing the challenge of settling into a job and accessing their true potential. This is impacting hirers and the future of our society.” As such, the need to address this challenge is crucial. Shao pointed out that the jobsDB LOA study aims to use corporate social responsibility to solve the mismatch of young careers and individuals. There is also more to consider about a candidate besides their Isaac Shao, Country Manager, jobsDB Hong qualifications and experience. Their values Kong Limited began by highlighting that and attitudes are equally as important, and hospitality by tapping contributes to into the 5% of Hong skills of an “Hirers are facing difficulties to hire Kong’s GDP individual, and employs youths and retain good young candidates, more than and hirers and the young are facing the 250,000 staff can work in Hong Kong. together challenge of settling into a job and Furthermore, to unlock accessing their true potential.” it is predicted and truly develop potential. Rose Lam, Head of Hirer Marketing, Seek Asia identified that in Hong Kong, there are 4.8% of vacancies that need to be filled in the hospitality sector, and subsequently, job advertisements are increasing. Also, in Hong Kong, there is a 23% increase in the number of hotel rooms in the city, and therefore, a greater number of hotels and jobs associated Isaac Shao, Country Manager, jobsDB Hong Kong Limited
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Rose Lam, Head of Hirer Marketing, Seek Asia Limited with this industry. As a result, competition in hospitality for top candidates is growing. Finding the right candidates for the right roles is absolutely crucial, argues Lam, as for these right candidates, what may be unattractive to some will be perfect for others. In hospitality, colleagues and co-workers are one of the most important drivers for an individual. 75% of Gen Zs, Lam highlighted, are currently in a full-time position according to the LOA data. Career development opportunities within a role are also one of the top three drivers for candidates. By considering the differences in drivers and put offs between generations working in hospitality, hirers can adjust their advertising of roles, and evaluate how best to promote their company benefits to the optimal pool of candidates. The event featured a blind date between a job-seeking candidate and three potential employers, and the candidate was given the opportunity to ask questions to the employers. Bernard Kam, Director of Human Resources,
HR COMMUNITY
Mediated by Paul Arkwright, Editor-in-Chief, HR Magazine, the blind date panel with job seeking candidate, Meghan Jacques; Kenneth Wai, Director of HR, Island Shangri-La; Thomas Tseng, Assistant Director of HR, Wharf Hotels; and Bernard Kam, Director of HR, Sheraton Hotels
Sheraton Hotels; Thomas Tseng, Assistant Director of Human Resources, Wharf Hotels; and Kenneth Wai, Director of Human Resources, Island Shangri-La, were on the panel as the ‘blind’ prospective employers. The questions focused on employee compensation for irregular working hours and working on public holidays, opportunities for self-development and career progression, expectations from an employer for new joiners to a company, and workplace culture. Culture, according to all three employers, is centred on people, openness and a demand for doing a good job. Flexibility options, on the other hand, was answered differently by the panel, ranging from flexible job locations being cited to the necessity for an individual to prove themselves as a priority ahead of flexibility. Employee benefits were also discussed by the panel with perks identified such as the benefit of being able to stay in the company hotel for a designated number of nights per year, and training opportunities or the potential for candidates to enhance their performance. Eventually, the decision of the most suitable employer to the candidate was based on a combination of company culture, learning opportunities, and flexibility.
The audience gained insights from industry speakers and employers about the trends of the hospitality industry Attracting the right talent and determining what will motivate and drive them in their search for a new role is an absolute priority of hirers, and especially for a locally thriving and growing industry such as hospitality. As hospitality is particularly significant in Hong Kong, and a large number of younger generation employees and Gen Zs work within this industry, bringing in and retaining the best available talent is extremely important. This attraction cannot be left to candidates alone, but the responsibility is increasingly on the shoulders of hiring teams to adjust their policies and hiring processes. Identifying and reflecting on the findings of what appeals to a candidate will increase the likelihood that they will stay and will subsequently benefit employers, the industry and the candidate. The days of standardised recruitment procedures have now passed.
Audience member gives feedback from the Roundtable Discussion
Blind date discussion between job seeker Meghan Jacques and potential ‘blind’ employer Kenneth Wai
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HR TECHNOLOGY
Technology to reduce employee burnout Letting AI take the strain from HR
About half of employees worldwide, according to a recent study by Service Now, struggle to get answers to basic questions from HR or the IT help desk. These issues, often referred to as ‘speed bumps’, drag down the employee experience and sometimes make a job impossible to enjoy. Too many of these speed bumps and employees will become unhappy, less productive and profits will suffer. Finding the answer to a simple question often takes too much time, which not only distracts us from our work but significantly lowers mood, too. Robert Half conducted a study that showed 96% of managers are seeing signs of burnout amongst their employees. The potential for
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exhaustion at work is even putting people off high-paying roles. Another recent study has demonstrated that nearly three-quarters of job-seekers would avoid an employer whose staff seemed worn out. The same survey showed that workers these days are doing their due diligence on potential employers with almost a third going as far as to contact current employees.
If burnout is the problem, then what is the answer? According to some, the answer is medical. As mentioned in our news section, there is currently research being Nearly three-quarters of undertaken that may lead job-seekers would avoid to anti-burnout an employer whose staff medication. seemed worn out. That solution,
alongside its ethical considerations, is also a long way off, so we need to address the problem in more presently available ways. One such presently-available answer appears to be through the use of our ubiquitous friend: Artificial Intelligence (AI). Many companies, large and small, are turning to AI-assisted employee experience solutions. Deloitte introduced such a system in 2016, called ConnectMe, and was designed to improve the situation in two main ways. First, ConnectMe uses chatbots, which were themselves trained via machine-learning algorithms, to provide immediate answers to almost any question. Second, the software is able to take over the repetitive tasks of most jobs, so that people can spend their human talent on more complex, interesting work.
HR TECHNOLOGY
With ConnectMe handling the routine data-gathering, data-entry and number crunching, humans can turn their attention to more personal tasks. Brian McMahon, Managing Director, Personal Wealth Planning, Deloitte, said, “We’ll be able to spend a lot more time meeting one-on-one with our clients. That’s the fun part.”
go a long way to creating a more pleasant working life for staff and can prevent that frustrations and disengagement that lead to burnout. Workers want access to information at work to be as easy to get as information when they’re at home. That means always-available portals with mobile-optimised tools and communication channels other than email. Software is the answer, but only when properly designed and implemented.
Many organisations forget that good employee experiences are as important as good customer experiences. The data shows No matter what kind of AI tools and systems that employees expect to be able to access companies put in place, humans are still an information essential piece in the quickly workforce puzzle. Kristine User friendly tools go a and easily, Dery, a research scientist long way to creating a with 77% at MIT, said, “Managers saying that will need to spend more more pleasant working they expect of their time teaching and life for staff. access to coaching, to help people information in develop new habits and one central location. User friendly tools new ways of working in a digital world. That’s a
very different role than they’ve had before.” Dery firmly believes that humans are necessary, and need to be on board with new technology, for it to work effectively. A good synergy between tech and talent is “much more effective at creating better employee experiences than making huge investments in AI alone,” she concluded. It appears, as I’m sure you would assume, that nothing can fix the problem of staff burnout by itself. A pill, some software, extra AI and automating job roles in isolation will never remove the stress that staff are put under—or put themselves under—so it’s down to good human managers to implement the right policies and practices that can support staff in all circumstances. An eclectic approach, whereby any and all ideas are brought into the workplace to help boost productivity and staff wellness must be adopted if an organisation wants to retain its top talent.
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HR TECHNOLOGY
Talent and tech-crucial combo to attract millennial customers
n , HR must target staff training and adopt broader technologies to maintain a competitive edge in the retail sector.
work in retail and making the industry more attractive to prospective employees are high priorities.”
technologies, is essential not only to customer experience but also to Millennials setting their sights on careers in the industry.”
A shortage of workers and a high staff turnover rate are among the major challenges Hong Kong retailers face in an industry in need of transforming to win over customers and prospective talent. KPMG and the Hong Kong Retail Management Association (HKRMA) identified these as the two main challenges in their recent report, Minding the Retail Gap: Hong Kong’s talent challenges and future strategies.
A majority of surveyed industry leaders expect, in the next two years, the undersupply of talent to lead to: • lower customer service quality; • slower or negative sales growth; and • diminished staff morale and productivity.
In the Report, customer service in Hong Kong was rated the same as it was two years ago and still shows room for improvement. However, if
Those challenges—both linked to workforce issues—trailed only high rent, 79%, as the biggest hurdle cited in a survey of almost 300 retailers based in the city. Alice Yip, Partner and Head of Consumer and Industrial Markets—Hong Kong, KPMG China explained, “The retail industry is a pillar of Hong Kong’s economy, and its workforce is vital to its continued success. Retaining those who
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Each of these three effects is anticipated by over 50% of those surveyed. The most difficult roles to hire for are frontline customer service staff and retail salespersons, at 72% each. They were followed by technicians supporting retail technologies/digitalisation/e-commerce, 64%; and supervisors or managerial grade staff, 63%. Retailers also recognise they need a technologically savvy workforce to lure customers and prospective talent. Annie Yau Tse, Chairman, HKRMA, said, “The new era of retail, enabled by the latest
“The next generation of talent in Hong Kong needs to be nurtured...if traditional businesses stand still, they are finished.” the retail talent shortage persists or worsens, customer service could suffer, affecting Hong Kong’s image as a shopping destination. This lack of talent could also frustrate the industry’s ability to transform technologically, further hindering its competitiveness regionally and globally. Anson Bailey, Partner, Head of Consumer and Retail for Asia-Pacific and Head of Technology for Hong Kong, KPMG China, said, “The next
HR TECHNOLOGY generation of talent in Hong Kong needs to be nurtured, and we need to up-skill at all levels. If traditional businesses stand still, they are finished.” Reinforcing staff training was identified as the top strategy that retailers would consider in the next two years at 64%. This priority was followed by providing higher staff incentives, 57%; adopting technology-enabled service/automation, 53%; highlighting career possibilities associated with their brand, 52%; and hiring more mature staff, 52%. The Greater Bay Area (GBA) initiative represents a significant source of opportunity for retailers. Despite opinions about the vast economic development plan being mixed, industry leaders expressed optimism it could help address Hong Kong’s talent challenges. Prospective customers should also be cultivated in light of the GBA. Tse concluded, “The bulk of visitors to Hong Kong are Millennials from mainland China. Most of these people are tech-savvy, so embracing technology will be vital to meeting the wishes of shoppers from across the GBA.”
“Retailers also recognise they need a technologically savvy workforce to lure customers and prospective talent.”
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HR TECHNOLOGY
Why HR keeps buying bad software TMS solutions: black holes of time and money Even with the fear that AI and automation are going to replace human labour with robots, the reality is that humans are still needed in the workplace and in organisations. Managing people in almost any 21st-century workplace means using people management software, and that is an industry by itself. The talent management software (TMS) industry grosses around USD 12 Billion annually, and shows no signs of slowing down. Some products cost just USD 1 per month, while others cost the equivalent of USD 500 per month to run. A saturated market of products can cause even the most cautious buyer to pick the wrong product, and that leads to unexpected and unnecessary costs further down the line.
“The reality is that humans are still needed in the workplace and in organisations.�
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Before jumping into a complicated new system, how did most businesses deal with their HR management needs? Research showed that new users fall into three categories: 1. Those who used nothing at all or had a paper-based system (43%). 2. Those who used non-HR software such as CRM (Customer relationship management software) (23%). 3. Those who used another dedicated HR product and decided to switch (39%). (These numbers had overlap due to customers using more than one method). Mistakes cannot simply be put down to picking the first product that appears and is available. 45% of purchasers spend 10 months researching and choosing the software they
“45% of purchasers spend 10 months researching and choosing the software they buy.” buy. Unsurprisingly, the data shows that cost has risen to the number two spot for reasons a product was purchased. When choosing something as important as an organisation’s integral IT product, saving money at the checkout can prove to be a false economy. As the market became more saturated, TMS vendors began to create and cater products towards more the more frugal small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). This meant making cheaper, less complicated and easier-to-use products, which inevitably leads to features being
cut. In heavily regulated industries such as education, finance or healthcare, it is critical that a product caters to the plethora of compliance requirements for staff. Finding out that the software a company has invested in does not meet the needs of the organisation can lead to a multitude of problems, including unexpected ongoing expenses, time lost on using fragmented systems, and even having to start the process all over again. Most, if not all, of the big software providers are putting their services into the cloud, which means relying less on the local computing power and network, and more on internet speeds and remote servers. In simple terms, this means that even if the software is easy to use, staff can lose a lot of time just waiting for it to load and refresh. By calculating the number of staff and how long each individual will need to wait due to server downtime or slow responses, the losses can easily be worked out in pure dollars. As with other considerations, it might be worth investing a few dollars more in the product if it saves time in the office. Carefully study all the options and weigh up each element—cost, ease of use, ongoing technical support, future-proofing, cloud services, integration with other products— and there is little doubt that higher costs in the short term may lead to peace of mind in the long term. The financial cost of lost time, staff frustration and fragmented products may be incalculable, but there can be a sense for when something is working a team.
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HR LEGAL
What’s New in Employment Law 2019 by lus Laboris, Global HR Lawyers. Contributing authors: Desmond Wee and Jonathan Cham of Singapore Law firm, Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP; Kathryn Weaver of Hong Kong Law Firm, Lewis Silkin Hong Kong and Singapore are anticipating some changes over the coming year regarding employment law. Lawyers from member firms of Ius Laboris, the world’s largest global HR and employment law firm alliance summarise the recent key developments. HONG KONG
Looking back
Labour Tribunal empowered to order compulsory reinstatement and re-engagement The Employment Ordinance 2018 (Amendment— No.2) came into effect on 19 October 2018 and applies to dismissals of which notice is given on or after 19 October 2018. Under it, the Labour Tribunal may now order compulsory reinstatement or re-engagement of an employee if the termination is both unlawful and unreasonable, where it is reasonably practicable to do so.
Immigration Department policy change for same-sex partners Following a policy change effective from 19
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September 2018, the Hong Kong Immigration Department now permits the other party to a same-sex marriage/partnership to apply to join their same-sex partner, who has been admitted into Hong Kong (e.g. through an employment visa), for residence in Hong Kong as a dependant.
Extension to statutory paternity leave Legislation gazetted at the end of 2018 extended statutory paternity leave from three to five days. Male employees who meet certain requirements and who have a child born on or after 18 January 2019 are now entitled to five days paid paternity leave.
Increased tax deductions for MPF voluntary contributions and annuity premiums A new law came into operation on 1 April 2019 that allows taxpayers to benefit from an aggregate maximum of HKD 60,000 per year in tax deductions for contributions paid into tax-deductible MPF voluntary contributions accounts and qualifying deferred annuities premiums. Previously, the aggregate maximum was HKD 36,000 per year. Male employees who meet certain requirements and who have a child born on or after 18 January 2019 are now entitled to five days’ paid paternity leave.
HR LEGAL Looking ahead
Changes to anti-discrimination laws
Proposal to increase statutory maternity leave Hong Kong’s Chief Executive, Carrie Lam, flagged a proposed increase to statutory maternity leave at the end of 2018. The current proposal will involve an increase in statutory paid maternity leave from ten to 14 weeks, with the Government subsidising the final four weeks, up to a statutory cap. A bill amending the Employment Ordinance is expected to be introduced to the Legislative Council in late 2019.
The Discrimination Legislation (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill 2018, the first and second reading of which took place in 2018, proposes changes to the four Hong Kong Discrimination Ordinances, which cover sex, disability, family status and race, to enhance protection against discrimination and harassment. Employers should keep an eye on developments and make adjustments to their policies accordingly, should this bill be passed.
SINGAPORE
Singapore employment law has seen significant changes over the last six years and the country continues to take steps to improve employees’ rights while balancing the needs of businesses. However, 2019 would seem to be the most radical in terms of such legal developments.
Amendments to the Employment Act Significant changes to the Singapore employment law landscape were introduced with recent amendments to the Employment Act (Chapter 91), effective from 1 April 2019. Perhaps the biggest change is the removal of the monthly salary cap of SGD 4,500 for professionals, managers and executives (PMEs). Before the amendment, PMEs in receipt of a monthly salary exceeding SGD 4,500 per month were not entitled to key statutory benefits under the Employment Act. With this change, nearly all employees in Singapore (with the exception of public servants, domestic workers, and seafarers) will be entitled to key benefits under the Employment Act including minimum days of annual leave, paid
outpatient sick leave, hospitalisation leave, reimbursement of medical examination fees, and protection from wrongful dismissal.
very persuasive and will serve as a reference for mediators and adjudicators at the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM) and Employment Claims Tribunal (ECT) respectively.
Guidelines on wrongful dismissal The changes to the Employment Act have also significantly increased the pool of potential claimants against employers for wrongful dismissal cases. However, the Employment Act does not define what constitutes wrongful dismissal. On 1 April 2019, the Tripartite Alliance, which includes, among others, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), published tripartite guidelines on wrongful dismissal (the Guidelines), which aim to provide guidance to employers and employees on what constitutes wrongful dismissal. The Guidelines clarify, among other things, that dismissals with notice (or payment of salary in lieu of notice) are presumed not to be wrongful as both parties to the employment contract have a right to contractually terminate with notice. While the Guidelines do not have legal force, they are
Changes to the employment dispute resolution framework The dispute resolution framework for employment-related disputes in Singapore has also been restructured through amendments to the Employment Claims Act 2016. Before the Employment Claims Act was amended, wrongful dismissal claims were adjudicated by the MOM, while salary-related disputes were mediated at the TADM and if unresolved, were escalated to the ECT. With the amendments to the Employment Claims Act, the ECT will be empowered to hear wrongful dismissal cases in addition to salary-related disputes. Accordingly, the ECT offers a one-stop service for employment dispute resolution, as employees are no longer required to go down two different routes to resolve their employment disputes.
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HR BOOK REVIEW Career Coach: how to plan your career and land your perfect job By Corinne Mills The primary goal of this book is to provide a user-friendly route to career coaching, making it accessible to anyone who wants to proactively manage their career. It provides a framework to assess personal value in the marketplace, so the reader can see what they have to offer prospective employers. At the same time, it offers guidance on exploring career options and making positive career decisions. Topics include self-reflection, identifying individual skills and workstyle, identifying available options, identifying barriers to progression and the art of self-promotion. Alongside detailed coverage of these topics are almost 50 exercises to complete that help to put what they have read into something more tangible. These exercises really help the reader personalise the advice they have read, and actively self-assess and plan for their future. It is a bit like having a personal life coach to guide the reader through the process. Overall, this book is for people who are considering a change in their career and need a few pointers on how to make themselves more attractive to employers in today’s crowded job market. Alternatively, it can be used as a practical guide to developing a career plan that could lead to promotion.
What Employers Want By Karen Holmes This handbook by Karen Holmes breaks down the skills, attitudes and behaviours that modern employers are looking for. Aimed at school leavers and young entrants into the workforce, the focus is heavily practical and realistic. It tells readers what to do, how to do it, and why it is important. The book contains 12 chapters, most of which are dedicated to providing short and simple advice. There are, thankfully, no long chapters to get bogged down in. Instead, the writing is split into succinct topics and contains a lot of bulleted lists to give jobseekers the basics. Later chapters move into the more subjective areas of self-management and problem-solving. These topics are dealt with nicely, providing the opportunity for the reader to assess their own personality and skills. Realistic examples are interspersed throughout and the end result is a very easy to read, useful book. Activities, case studies, practical exercises and action plan templates combine with the plethora of advice to create a compact, easy-to-read book that could help anybody tick the right boxes with new or prospective employers.
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HR BOOK REVIEW She’s Back—Your Guide To Returning To Work By Lisa Unwin and Deb Khan Based on empirical data collected by the authors, this book aims to show that women are both keen to return to the workplace and a necessary component of it. Prior to writing the book, the authors conducted research on 2,000 women resulting in answers to a cumulative total of 40,000 questions. That data was processed, leading to the results in their book. She’s Back is not just a book of statistics; it also offers a lot of practical advice based on both women’s personal experiences and those of others gained through workshops and candid discussions. There are three sections split into 17 chapters detailing the steps one needs to take in order to get back into, and remain inside, the modern workplace. Starting with mindset, then moving into the practical tools of LinkedIn, CVs and networking, the book eventually details the tactics and strategies an individual needs to successfully stay back in the workforce once they’ve obtained that shiny new job. Although aimed at women who want to return to work, the book is actually 300 pages of useful advice for anyone looking to enter today’s workforce. Don’t ignore it just because your gender does not match the cover.
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HK CLASSIFIEDS
HR Classifieds Index Business Process Outsourcing | 59 Education / Corporate Training | 59 – 60 Employee Wellbeing / Insurance | 60 HR Consulting | 60 HR Technology Solutions | 61 Leadership Development | 61 Legal / Employment Law / Tax | 62 Management Consulting | 62 MICE Venues / Event Organisers | 62
Photography / Videography | 64 Recruitment / Executive Search | 64 Relocation / Logistics | 64 Serviced Apartments / Hotels | 65 Staff Benefits | 66 Talent Management | 66 Co-working Space | 66 Gender Equity | 66
BUSINESS PROCESS OUTSOURCING TMF Group helps global companies expand and invest seamlessly across international borders. Its expert accountants and legal, HR and payroll professionals are located around the world, helping clients to operate their corporate structures, finance vehicles and investment funds in different geographic locations. With operations in more than 80 countries providing managed compliance services, TMF Group is the global expert that understands local needs.
TMF Hong Kong Limited 36/F, Tower Two Times Square, 1 Matheson Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
Tricor Business Services draws on our diverse professional expertise, backed up by the latest technologies and systems, to provide a comprehensive range of services, including but not limited to: Business Advisory; Accounting & Financial Reporting; Treasury & Payment Administration; Human Resource & Payroll Administration; Tax Services; Trade Services; Trust Assets Administration; Fund Administration; Governance, Risk & Compliance; and Information Technology Solutions.
Tricor Services Limited Level 54, Hopewell Centre, 183 Queen’s Road East, Hong Kong
Our work processes and controls in the rendering of accounting and payroll services are externally audited by Ernst & Young Hong Kong and accredited each year in accordance with the International Standard on Assurance Engagements (ISAE) 3402.
Tel: (852) 3589 8899 Fax: (852) 3589 8555 info.apac@tmf-group.com www.tmf-group.com
Tel: (852) 2980 1888 Fax: (852) 2861 0285 info@hk.tricorglobal.com www.hk.tricorglobal.com
EDUCATION / CORPORATE TRAINING As a trusted international organisation and a global leader in English training, the British Council has over 70 years’ experience in English assessment. We develop and deliver English language programmes for businesses in Hong Kong. Aptis, British Council’s English testing tool, is a robust four skills test used by corporate businesses, government organisations and educational institutions. It provides an accurate and affordable way to benchmark language levels of employees for recruitment or career advancement purposes. With results available in as little as 24 hours, Aptis assesses ability in the areas that HR want to focus on – in individual skills or combinations of speaking, writing, listing or reading.
British Council 3 Supreme Court Road, Admiralty, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2913 5100 aptis@britishcouncil.org.hk www.britishcouncil.hk/en/exam/aptis
Dew-Point International Ltd. is a leading provider of training and management consulting services throughout Asia. We assess the specific needs of our clients and respond with customised, practical training programs and consulting services. Established in 1973, we combine in-depth knowledge with genuine enthusiasm and highly dynamic training techniques to create productive and effective learning experiences. Dew-Point enhances organisational and individual effectiveness by building the capacity within organisations without the need of continued outside help. Through assessment, skills training, team facilitation and executive coaching, we have ensured the long-term success of countless clients.
Dew-Point International Ltd. 21/F., Ritz Plaza, 122 Austin Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong
The PTI Group is a consulting, training, and publishing group. In conjunction with the internationally-renowned professional association, International Professional Managers Association (IPMA) of UK, we offer online pure distance learning courses (PDLCs). IPMA’s website: http://www.ipma.co.uk/conferences.php
The PTI Group 20/F. Wellable Commercial Building, 513 Hennessy Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
Our “Financing & Capital Raising Professional™ (FCRP™)” and “Environmental, Social & Governance Expert™ (ESGE™)” programmes seek to enhance candidates’ practical & international knowledge in raising funding for companies (bank financing, IPO, private equity etc.) and ESG respectively. Upon qualification, candidates can use respective professional designation, awarded by IPMA.
Tel: (852) 2730 1151 Fax: (852) 2730 0164 info@dew-point.com.hk www.dew-point.com.hk
Tel: (852) 3511 9288 info@the-pti.com www.the-pti.com
Raise your colleagues’ ability to add value through practical & international knowledge by enrolling in our PDLCs.
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HK CLASSIFIEDS The Vocational Language Programme Office aims at offering quality vocational English, Chinese and Putonghua training for working adults to meet their language needs at work. We have run various courses for public organisations and private corporations before, such as HKSAR Water Supplies Department, Hospital Authority and Pizza Hut Hong Kong Management Limited. With the support from the Language Fund, the QF-recognised Vocational English Enhancement Programme is on offer for enhancing the practical English skills of the Hong Kong workforce. Individual corporations can enjoy great flexibility by having the VEEP courses operated at their training venues and preferred schedule. On completion of the course, learners can receive 60% of the course fee reimbursement and obtain certificates issued by the Vocational Training Council and LCCI.
H.R. Solutions specialises in training in leadership, performance management, sales and general skills development including negotiating, project management, presentation skills and communication skills. We are official partners of Think on your Feet® and engage-universe, and accredited DISC and MBTI® facilitators. Based in Hong Kong, we work regionally with local languages delivery as required. Our workshops incorporate simple frameworks and processes to provide effective, structured learning, supported with tailored experiential exercises, cases and role-plays. Our long-term development programs combine classroom training with on-the-job learning, ongoing coaching and on-line resources as appropriate. We aim to ensure participants can apply the skills immediately in the workplace for better team performance and superior business results.
Vocational Language Programme Office, Vocational Training Council Room 437, 4/F, Academic Block, 30 Shing Tai Road, Chai Wan, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2595 8119 vlpo-veep@vtc.edu.hk www.vtc.edu.hk/vlpo
H.R. Solutions (Int’l) Ltd. H. R. Solutions (Int’l) Ltd. Room 2802, Tower Two, Lippo Centre, 89 Queensway, Admiralty, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2573 0501 abrophy@hrsolutions.com.hk www.hrsolutions.com.hk
EMPLOYEE WELL-BEING / INSURANCE Hong Kong Adventist Hospital — Stubbs Road is one of the leaders in medical services, providing organisations with comprehensive health assessment packages to choose from. The hospital works closely with HR and Benefits specialists to design tailor-made programmes to satisfy your staff’s unique requirements. The checkups not only assess staff’s health status and identify the risk factors, it also provide preventive programmes to help clients fine-tune their lifestyles for healthy living. All the services are supported by experienced professional staff using advanced equipment in modern facilities.
Hong Kong Adventist Hospital— Stubbs Road 40 Stubbs Road, Hong Kong
Major Compare is a leading international employee benefits consultancy, risk management advisory and business insurance brokerage firm. They work with companies of all sizes both in Hong Kong and around the world to advise and implement customised employee benefit plans with the goal of retaining and attracting employees. Through industry specific due diligence Major Compare also help reduce HR overheads with policy management and by ensuring your company is fully and properly insured with the guarantee of the lowest premium(s). All services provided by Major Compare are completely free to their clients.
Major Compare 1/A, 128 Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong
Pacific Prime Insurance Brokers is a leading international health insurance brokerage specialising in providing comprehensive coverage options to individuals, families, and companies throughout the Asia-Pacific region. Working with over 120,000 clients in 150 countries, Pacific Prime can deliver advice in more than 15 major languages. With offices strategically located in Shanghai, Singapore, Dubai, and Hong Kong, Pacific Prime is able to provide immediate advice and assistance to policyholders located around the world. Pacific Prime works with over 60 of the world’s leading health insurance providers, giving customers unprecedented access to the best medical insurance products currently on the market.
Pacific Prime Insurance Brokers Ltd. Unit 1 - 11, 35/F, One Hung To Road, Kwun Tong, Hong Kong
Tel: (852) 3651-8835 Fax: (852) 3651-8840 www.hkah.org.hk
Tel: (852) 3018 1353 www.majorcompare.com.hk
Tel: (852) 2586 0731 Fax: (852) 2915 7770 info@pacificprime.com marketing@pacificprime.com www.pacificprime.com
HR CONSULTING Flex Human Resources strives to provide small and medium-sized Hong Kong businesses with comprehensive, reliable and cost-effective HR outsourcing and consulting services. Our services include recruitment and selection, headhunting, payroll processing, benefit administrations, performance management, training and development, employee surveys, HR analytics and projects, etc. With strong talent databases, we also provide staff leasing and outsourcing for companies in Hong Kong, China and overseas.
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FLEX Human Resources Unit 705, 7/F, Tamson Plaza, 161 Wai Yip Street, Kwun Tong, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 3466 5279 info@hroutsourcing.hk www.HRoutsourcing.hk
HK CLASSIFIEDS HR TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS COL, based in Hong Kong with over 40 years of experience, is a leading IT services subsidiary of WTT. COL is the vanguard of HRMS providers, crowned Excellent HR Information System Provider of HR Excellence Awards 2014 by the Hong Kong Institute of Human Resource Management (HKIHRM). COL offers a comprehensive IT services portfolio, including application development and implementation, Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), IT infrastructure, etc. With domain expertise in business applications, we deliver the best practice Human Capital Management (HCM) solutions ranging from award-winning HRMS, web-based employee self-service portal to outsourcing services for MNCs, enterprises and SMEs.“Doc:brary” Document Management System is another flagship application in our HCM product portfolio that securely manages HR related documents including employees P-file, appraisal records, training materials, etc.
COL Limited Unit 825 - 876, 8/F, KITEC, 1 Trademart Drive, Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2118 3999 Fax: (852) 2112 0121 colmarketing@col.com.hk www.col.com.hk
COL is an Avaya partner, a Cisco Gold partner, an EMC Velocity Partner, a Juniper Networks Elite Partner, an Oracle Gold and ISV Partner, a TmaxSoft ISV Partner and a VMware Partner. COL was CMMI Level 3 assessed in May 2005.
With strategic offices in Hong Kong, China, UK and US, DaXtra is a world leading specialist in high-accuracy multilingual CV parsing, semantic search, matching and process automation technologies. Our solutions are compatible with most leading recruitment ATS and CRM systems and are designed to bring efficiency and automation, while dramatically reducing the overall ‘cost of hire’. Over 1000 organisations globally use DaXtra products every day – from boutique recruitment firms to the World’s largest staffing companies, from corporate recruitment departments to job boards and software vendors.
Daxtra Technologies (Asia) Ltd. Unit 401, OfficePlus 93-103 Wing Lok Street Sheung Wan Hong Kong
SuccessFactors, an SAP company, is the leading provider of cloud-based Business Execution Software, which drives business alignment, optimises workforce performance, and accelerates business results. SuccessFactors customers include organisations of all sizes across more than 60 industries. With approximately 15 million subscription seats globally, we strive to delight our customers by delivering innovative solutions, content and analytics, process expertise, and best practices insights. Today, we have more than 3,500 customers in more than 168 countries using our application suite in 35 languages.
SuccessFactors 35/F, Tower Two, Times Square, 1 Matheson Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
Tel: (852) 3695 5133 asia@daxtra.com www.daxtra.com
Tel: (852) 2539 1800 Fax: (852) 2539 1818 info.hongkong@sap.com www.successfactors.com
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT MDS Company Listing For over 20 years MDS has been the market leader in talent development, leadership training, sales effectiveness and executive coaching, producing great results for global companies in the Greater China and APAC regions.
Management Development Services Limited 1701 – 3 Kai Tak Commercial Building 317 – 319 Des Voeux Road Central Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
MDS is the certification centre and distributor of leading personality and leadership assessments for talent development programmes including the MBTI® and FIRO® , Leadership Effectiveness Analysis (LEA360™) and GMI® , Strong Interest Inventory ® for career planning, Sales Performance Assessment™ (SPA™) for sales development, and TKI® for negotiation skills.
Tel: (852) 2817 6807 Fax: (852) 2817 9159 mds@mdshongkong.com www.mdshongkong.com
From MDS offices in Hong Kong, Singapore, Beijing, Shanghai and Taipei we manage an outstanding team of international trainers and executive coaches delivering a vast collection of leadership and sales programmes including the Miller Heiman products. In 2016, MDS launched the Smith-MDS partnership with University of Maryland Robert H. Smith School of Business. The partnership draws on a world-class faculty, facilitators and executive coaches to deliver leading edge executive development solutions.
ACT is a corporate L&D consulting and training company based in Hong Kong & Singapore with over 15 years’ experience in people training and development that partners with forward-thinking organizations and leaders who understand the importance of their greatest asset - their people.
Asia Corporate Training Ltd. 13B, Shun Pont Commercial Building, 5-11 Thomson Road, Wanchai, HONG KONG
The acronym for the company name, ACT, simply and powerfully represents the philosophy of taking ACTion: to understand how one’s belief will lead to specific behaviours which will result in specific outcomes. ACT believes that selfawareness of how we think and act is critical for personal growth, to translate into leadership effectiveness, contributing to greater corporate success as a result.
Tel: (852) 25756470 contact@act-asia.com.hk www.act-asia.com.hk
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HK CLASSIFIEDS LEGAL / EMPLOYMENT LAW / TAX WTS is a tax and business consulting firm providing assistance in the strategic planning and management process of intercompany assignments’ cost and compliance. Our Global Expatriate Service specialists advise on expatriate issues relating to corporate tax, personal tax, social security matters and process consulting across Asia. Our expertise therefore enables us to identify assignment related risks at an early stage and optimise tax and social security payments for companies and their employees while keeping the administrative burden to a minimum. In conjunction with our international network, we can assist you in almost 100 locations worldwide.
wts consulting (Hong Kong) Limited Unit 1004, 10/F, Kinwick Centre, 32 Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2528 1229 Fax: (852) 2541 1411 claus.schuermann@wts.com.hk www.wts.com.hk
MANAGEMENT CONSULTING atrain is a premium consultancy in leadership assessment, talent management and organisation development. Headquartered in Germany, we have offices in Europe, United States, South America and Asia. 90% of our consultants are business psychologists; we bring together the best of business strategies and the psychological approach to develop solutions tailor-made to your requirements. We explore and research on innovative concepts, and help you to cultivate the company culture you envisage.
atrain Limited Unit 1201-3, 135 Bonham Strand Trade Centre, 135 Bonham Strand, Sheung Wan Tel: (852) 2522 9018 info@atrain-apac.com www.atrain-apac.com
Our international presence and culturally diverse teams enable partnerships with multi-national corporate clients for their business growth and success. Put us to the challenge—you will not be disappointed.
The Hong Kong Management Association (HKMA) was established in 1960. The HKMA is a non-profit making organisation which aims at advancing management excellence in Hong Kong and the Region, with a commitment to nurturing human capital through management education and training at all levels, the HKMA offers over 2,000 training and education programmes covering a wide range of management disciplines for approximately 48,000 participants every year.
Hong Kong Management Association 14th Floor, Fairmont House, 8 Cotton Tree Drive, Central, Hong Kong
Tricor Consulting Limited is a member of Tricor Group dedicated to creating value for clients and strengthening their organization capabilities through:
Tricor Consulting Limited Level 54, Hopewell Centre, 183 Queen’s Road East, Hong Kong
• • • • • • •
Strategic Management—Shaping your future and making it happen Organization Structuring—Aligning organization structure with strategies HR Consulting—Maximizing performance and return on investment of human assets Talent Management—Cultivating talents to create competitive advantage Director Remuneration and Board Evaluation—Ensuring appropriate remuneration of senior executives and building an effective board Training Resources Consulting—Maximizing business impact of training with on-demand scalable resources Change Management—Partnering with clients to drive and enable organization transformation
Tel: (852) 2526 6516 / 2774 8500 Fax: (852) 2365 1000 hkma@hkma.org.hk www.hkma.org.hk
Tel: (852) 2980 1027 Fax: (852) 2262 7596 john.kf.ng@hk.tricorglobal.com www.hk.tricorglobal.com
MICE VENUES / EVENT ORGANISERS
AsiaWorld-Expo is Hong Kong’s leading exhibitions, conventions, concerts and events venue, yet it is also an ideal venue for annual dinners, world-class conferences, cocktail receptions, media luncheons and sumptuous banquets. With Hong Kong’s largest indoor convention and hospitality hall, AsiaWorldSummit which seats up to 5,000 persons, together with a full range of meeting and conference facilities, award-winning chefs and attentive hospitality staff, AsiaWorld-Expo is definitely your choice for an unforgettable event.
Rockbird Media is an events management expert who aims to organize best-quality events that will bring impact to its clients’ business growth. We aim to spread this principle in Asia and the Pacific, and even globally. We don’t just organize events. We create the kind of experience that people talk about, the ones they cannot get enough of. It’s who we are. Website: https://rockbirdmedia.com/
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AsiaWorld-Expo Management Limited AsiaWorld-Expo, Hong Kong International Airport, Lantau, Hong Kong, China Tel: (852) 3606 8888 Fax: (852) 3606 8889 fnb@asiaworld-expo.com www.asiaworld-expo.com
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HK CLASSIFIEDS PHOTOGRAPHY / VIDEOGRAPHY I’m an independent videographer based in Hong Kong, specialising in event videos, interviews, brand videos and many more. My love of watching films and tv shows intrigued me to discover all the intricacies within filmmaking. I believe a good video requires a great team and careful attention to detail which leads to an effective video.
Paul Fukushima Tel: 6356-1700 Email: fukushimapaul@gmail.com https://fukushimapaul.wixsite.com/ home
RECRUITMENT / EXECUTIVE SEARCH Headquartered in Switzerland, Adecco is a Fortune Global 500 company with around 5,000 offices in over 60 countries and territories around the world. We possess the skills and global intelligence to develop human resource strategy for the highest levels, yet remain close to clients, local markets and needs. Adecco Hong Kong has over 30 years of experience in the region, with a comprehensive service offering that includes permanent placement, temporary & contract staffing, recruitment process outsourcing, HR consulting & assessment services, employment contract services, recruiting projects & overseas search, payroll outsourcing & administration services, and training.
Adecco Personnel Limited 12/F, Fortis Tower, 77-79 Gloucester Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong
Established in 1996, Frazer Jones is a Human Resources Recruitment Consultancy. Contact us to find out how we can assist you in your next Human Resources hire or if you are looking for a change in your HR career. As part of The SR Group, Frazer Jones has wholly owned offices in Singapore, Sydney, Melbourne, Dubai, London, Düsseldorf and Munich and has access to the best HR talent around the world.
Frazer Jones 1918 Hutchison House, 10 Harcourt Road, Central, Hong Kong
Headquartered in the Netherlands, Randstad is a Fortune Global 500 Company and the second largest recruitment & HR services provider globally, with operations spanning across 39 countries with over 29,700 corporate staff that help talented people develop their career potential and provide companies with the best people to reach their business goals. Founded in 1960 by Frits Goldschmeding, our Asia Pacific operations reaches across Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, China, Japan, India, Australia and New Zealand. Randstad Hong Kong was established in 2009 and specialises in permanent and contract recruitment across specialized areas including Accounting & Finance, Banking & Financial Services, Construction, Property & Engineering, Information Technology & Telecommunications, Sales & Marketing, Supply Chain & Logistics.
Randstad 5/F, Agricultural Bank of China, 50 Connaught Road, Central, Hong Kong
Tricor Executive Resources has for the past 28 years built an unrivalled reputation for integrity and professionalism in the executive search business. Our team of specialist consultants and researchers provide a range of practical and innovative solutions to help you search for the right talent to meet your business needs. We utilize in-depth research, intense resourcing and a highly focused approach in the identification of qualified candidates in the appropriate industry sector. Our clients consists of multinationals, publicly listed and private companies as well as family-owned and start-up companies.
Tricor Executive Resources Limited Level 54, Hopewell Centre, 183 Queen’s Road East, Hong Kong
We also provide advice on HR best practices to enhance your human capital. Our HR Solutions can help drive your business performance through the effective use of talent. These include Compensation and Benefits Benchmarking; Soft Skills and Management Development Training; Performance Management Systems; Talent Assessment Centre; Human Resource Outsourcing; Career Counselling and Talent Transition Management and Employee Engagement Surveys.
Tel: (852) 2895 2616 Fax: 2895 3571 hongkong@adecco.com http://adecco.com.hk/
Tel: (852) 2973 6737 info@frazerjones.com frazerjones.com
Tel: (852) 2232 3408 www.randstad.com.hk
Tel: (852) 2980 1166 Fax: (852) 2869 4410 fiona.yung@hk.tricorglobal.com www.hk.tricorglobal.com
RELOCATION / LOGISTICS
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Asian Tigers, has provided international relocation and moving service to the Hong Kong market for more than 40 years. We move people internationally, regionally, and even within Hong Kong itself. Our experienced, multilingual staff enables Asian Tigers to deliver low-stress relocation services. Perhaps you are responsible for coordinating your office move and would like to know more about ‘low down-time’ office relocations. Whatever your needs, wherever you are headed, Asian Tigers can help facilitate and streamline your relocation. Give us a call and find out how we can assist you.
Asian Tigers Mobility 17/F, 3 Lockhart Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Crown Relocations, a worldwide leader of global mobility, domestic and international transportation of household goods, and departure and destination services, has over 180 offices in more than 50 countries. From preview trip and immigration assistance to home and school searches, orientation tours, intercultural training, partner career programme, and ongoing assignment support, Crown offers the best relocation solutions to corporate clients and transferees across the world.
Crown Relocations 9 - 11Yuen On Street, Siu Lek Yuen, Sha Tin, New Territories
Tel: (852) 2528 1384 Fax: (852) 2529 7443 info@asiantigers-hongkong.com www.asiantigers-mobility.com
Tel: (852) 2636 8388 hongkong@crownrelo.com www.crownrelo.com
HK CLASSIFIEDS SERVICED APARTMENTS / HOTELS Four Seasons Place, the epitome of luxury and elegance, Four Seasons Place creates a relaxed and homely living environment amidst the surrounding opulence. With 519 serviced suites designed by internationally renowned designers, guests can choose from a range of stylish accommodations from studios and 1/2/3-bedroom suites to penthouses that open up to spectacular views of Victoria Harbour. It also features a rooftop heated pool & jacuzzi, sky lounge, gymnasium, sauna and multi-purpose function room to meet business and recreational needs. Heralding a comfortable, hassle-free living experience, all guests are pampered with personalised hotel services from VIP airport pickup to 24-hour multi-lingual concierge services.
Four Seasons Place 8 Finance Street, Central, Hong Kong
GARDENEast is prestigiously located at the heart of Queen’s Road East, Wan Chai, boasting 216 luxurious units in 28 storeys.
GARDENEast Serviced Apartments 222, Queen’s Road East, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Each of our luxurious units is subtly unique. Spacious studio, studio deluxe, deluxe 1-bedroom, executive suite and twin-beds in selected rooms, with their sizes ranging from 395 to 672 square feet, are comfortably-appointed with an all-encompassing range of fittings and furnishings. The landscaped gardens offer a relaxing lifestyle, peace and tranquillity of green living and a diverse choice of dining and entertainment is right on your doorstep.
at the ICC megalopolis
Tel: (852) 3196 8228 Fax: (852) 3196 8628 enquiries@fsphk.com www.fsphk.com
Tel: (852) 3973 3388 Fax: (852) 2861 3020 enquiry@gardeneast.com.hk www.gardeneast.com.hk
The HarbourView Place is part of the Kowloon Station development, located at a key harbour crossing point. Located atop the MTR and Airport Express Link at Kowloon Station. The junction of major rail lines, three minutes to Central, 20 minutes to the Airport, a mere 30 minutes to Shenzhen and 60 minutes to Guangzhou. It is a place for the best view of Hong Kong and Kowloon and is an icon property at Harbour Gateway. Located next to International Commerce Centre, the fourth tallest building in the world, The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong and W Hong Kong, guests can enjoy a premium luxury living with the large shopping mall Elements and Hong Kong’s highest indoor observation deck Sky100.
The HarbourView Place 1 Austin Road West, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Conveniently nestled in the East of Hong Kong, Kornhill Apartments is one of the biggest apartment blocks in town, featuring a total of 450 units with a variety of unit configurations designed to suit every need imaginable.
Kornhill Apartments 2 Kornhill Road, Quarry Bay, Hong Kong
Notable for cozy and contemporary décor, as well as superior amenities and services, the complex is located next door to Kornhill Plaza where you can relish a wide array of shops and entertainment choices.
Tel: (852) 2137 8101 Fax: (852) 2568 6256 kornhillapts@hanglung.com www.kornhillapartments.com
The apartments are an excellent choice for corporate clients who cater for visits by expatriate colleagues. Units include studio, one to two-bedroom suites and deluxe three-bedroom suites.
Tel: (852) 3718 8000 Fax: (852) 3718 8008 enquiries@harbourviewplace.com www.harbourviewplace.com
Vega Suites, is the stylish suite hotel in Kowloon East. Located atop the MTR Tseung Kwan O Station, Island East and Kowloon East are only 3 MTR stops away. The integrated complex becomes a new landmark creating a comfortable, relaxing and home like living space for guests. The allencompassing landmark development comprises two international hotels & luxury residence The Wings. Situated directly above the trendy PopCorn mall, connected to one million square feet of shopping, dining, leisure and entertainment. There is a lustrous selection of units – ranging from Studio, 1-Bedroom, 2-Bedroom to 3-Bedroom with flexible staying terms.
Vega Suites Atop Tseung Kwan O Station 3 Tong Tak Street, Tseung Kwan O Hong Kong
V is a collection of award-winning hotels, serviced apartments and private residences in Hong Kong.
V Hotels and Serviced Apartments Unit 5702, Cheung Kong Centre 2 Queen’s Road Central Hong Kong
Bringing our philosophy of eat, shop, live easy, each V is nestled in a plethora of restaurants, amidst excellent shopping hubs and surrounded by an extensive transportation network. V Wanchai and V Wanchai2 are minutes walk from HKCEC, whilst the Lodge connects to 5 railway systems. Each V is urban, contemporary, but calm and quiet. Our two Causeway Bay properties host penthouse and terraced apartments for families and elegance entertaining, whilst V Happy Valley features an outdoor water garden.
Tel: (852) 3963 7888 Fax: (852) 39637889 enquiries@vegasuites.com www.vegasuites.com.hk
Tel: (852) 3602 2388 Fax: (852) 2891 1418 reservations@thev.hk www.thev.hk
Each V carries a different design motif, yet shares one critical ingredient – we deliver a high standard of comfort and good honest service.
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HK CLASSIFIEDS STAFF BENEFITS Atrium HR Consulting is a joint venture between Alliance Group International and RamsaySmith, bringing together extensive experience and a wealth of specialist knowledge. Atrium’s aim is to help businesses achieve the highest possible level of performance by maximising efficiency, cost savings and results.
Atrium HR CONSULTING. 22/F OVEST, 77 Wing Lok Street, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
Atrium’s services are used and trusted by more than 25% of the Fortune Global 500. Building upon their current client base, resources and an established global infrastructure they work to deliver a professional customer-focused service around the world.
Contact person: Pauline Williams Tel: 852 2891 8915 info@atriumhr.com www.atriumhr.com
Today Atrium supports clients across 180 countries with their recruitment, training, employee benefits and wellness programmes.
Nespresso provides a range of machines dedicated to professional use that meet the different needs and expectations of our customers. Zenius is the one of the latest innovation in the professional machine range by Nespresso and comes at an affordable price. It is intuitive to use, reliable and integrates the latest technological advances by Nespresso. Zenius is the ideal machine for small and big companies looking for quality and simplicity. At Nespresso we want to make it possible for you to make the same full-bodied espresso offered by skilled baristas. Your business can benefit from years of Nespresso expertise in premium Grands Crus coffees, innovative machines and excellent customer support.
Nespresso, Division Of Nestlé Hong Kong Ltd. Unit 505, Manhattan Place, 23 Wang Tai Road, Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong
Korn Ferry is the pre-eminent global people and organizational advisory firm. We help leaders, organizations and societies succeed by releasing the full power and potential of people. Our nearly 7,000 colleagues deliver services through Korn Ferry and our Hay Group and Futurestep divisions. At Korn Ferry, we design, build, attract and ignite talent. Since our inception, clients have trusted us to help recruit world-class leadership. Today, we are a single source for leadership and talent consulting services to empower businesses and leaders to reach their goals.
Korn Ferry International (H.K.) Limited 15/F, St. George’s Building, 2 Ice House Street, Central, Hong Kong
Tel: 800 905 486 Fax: 800 968 822 CRC.HK@nespresso.com www.nespresso-pro.com
TALENT MANAGEMENT
Tel: (852) 2971 2700 Fax: (852) 2810 1632 General inquiry: kornferry.hongkong@kornferry.com Leadership and Talent Consulting: ltc.hongkong@kornferry.com www.kornferry.com
Through our vision, research and tools across 80 offices and 3,400 employees, we convert potential into greatness. Our solutions range from executive recruitment and leadership development programs, to enterprise learning, succession planning, and recruitment process outsourcing (RPO).
CO-WORKING SPACE
Organisations around the world trust Korn Ferry to manage their talent – a responsibility we meet every day with passion, expertise, integrity and results.
cozy event space is your ideal venue for corporate and private events, ranging from training sessions, team building, seminars, meetings, conferences, workshops, parties… the possibilities are endless.
cozy event space 17/F Skyway Centre, 23 Queen’s Road West, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
Our versatile multi-purpose space may accommodate up to 50 seats in a seminar setting, and the layout may be freely configured according to your requirements.
Phone No.: +852 5741 6863 E-mail: cozy@werkspace.com.hk
We are located in a brand new premium office building in Sheung Wan, and is the only tenant of the floor, which are attributes well appreciated by corporate clients that prefers a prestigious, modern and private venue. To meet the flexibility required by many businesses, the space may also be rented in weeks or months for temporary office use for up to 20 staff members, with two rooms that may be used as meeting rooms or managers’ rooms. Contact today to schedule a site visit or to obtain a quotation!
GENDER EQUITY FLEXImums stands for mums & women who want to work! FLEXImums was established with the vision to empower and connect working mothers and mothers returning to work with full-time and part-time jobs. FLEXImums’ portfolio of clients extends across all sectors, from public to private and SME’s to large multinationals.
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FLEXImums info@fleximums.com Tel: (852) 6540 0526 www.fleximums.com www.genderequityconference.com