HR Magazine Autumn Issue 2015

2015 AUTUMN

PUTTING PEOPLE FIRST If it’s important to HR, it’s in HR Magazine.

18

STRATEGIC 22 DRIVING CHANGE IN HR

COVER STORY Can traditional giants learn a trick or two from start-up HR?

32 INSIDE HR: Marriot Int. Inc.

Outsourcing to facilitate HR's transition from operational to strategic

Marriot's CHRO, APAC shares their talent attraction & retention strategies

Who's leading who in HR?

BIG HR vs.

SMALL HR

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

IN THE NEWS As Autumn sets in and leaves turn brown, there appears to be a spring in the step of employment figures which show positive growth in the last quarter providing plenty of opportunity. But it seems that not everyone is being truthful in getting those sought after positions—one survey has it that a quarter of all candidates have lied to get their job (page 6).

It seems equally important that employers continue to improve their brand to attract the best talent for recruitment, according to LinkedIn (page 4).

COVER STORY Start-ups, such as Google and Facebook, have taken the world by storm in recent years—but what are the crucial ingredients to their success? In this issue, HR Magazine examines the features of HR in start-ups and how that compares with traditional, corporate HR. With the focus on HR ever moving towards helping their companies become future-ready, it is worth looking at what start-ups do with their employees that makes them so productive—and importantly, makes them want to stay.

OTHER STUFF HR has traditionally played the role as a key administration and operations department—but with businesses now wanting HR to think more strategically, it is time to dump old operational habits. We examine HR partnerships in the US with Vocational Rehabilitation Counsellors and how they help build more inclusive workplaces (page 28). With job satisfaction levels plummeting to almost 30%, we investigate what HR needs to do to rebuild that engagement with employees (page 40) and also how to get employees on that leadership development journey (page 46).

Enjoy…

Paul Arkwright, Publisher & Editor-in-Chief, HR Magazine

HR MAGAZINE EDITORIAL Publisher & Editor-in-Chief Paul Arkwright

No part of this publication can be reproduced without consent from the Publisher. Copyright of all material is reserved throughout the publication.

Contributions are welcome but copies of work should be kept, because HR Magazine takes no responsibility for lost submissions. The views, conclusions, findings and opinions published in this magazine belong to those expressing such, and do not necessarily represent those of the Publisher, Editor-in-Chief or editorial staff.

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EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES Paul Arkwright Tel: (852) 2736 6318 paul@excelmediagroup.org ADVERTISING & SPONSORSHIP Dominic Evans Tel: (852) 2736 6339 dominic@excelmediagroup.org Hugo Yau Tel: (852) 2736 6862 hugo@excelmediagroup.org SUBSCRIPTIONS Ortencia Zhou Tel: (852) 2736 6375 Fax: (852) 2736 6369 subs@excelmediagroup.org

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CONTENTS 2015 AUTUMN

HR NEWS 04 10 12 14 15 16

Hong Kong News APAC News International News HR Events HR in Numbers HR Moves

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05

COVER STORY 18

BIG HR vs.

Big HR vs. Small HR Who's leading who in HR?

SMALL HR

HR FEATURES 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42

Driving strategic change in HR Headhunting reloaded Choosing the right contractor US Partnerships with Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors Breaking down patriarchal fortress Inside HR: Marriot International Inc. Manager mobility—motivation for change Employees prefer salary over worklife balance 5 Essential steps for talent mapping Can't get no satisfaction Widespread employee dissatisfaction with investment options and flexibility

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Driving strategic change in HR

24

22

Breaking down patriarchal fortress

30

HR TRAINING 43 44 46

Advocating L&D Winning a HKMA T&D Award Planning a leadership development journey

HR COMMUNITY 48 54 56

HR Conference—Digital HR—trials, tribulations & triumphs Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme (VHIS) HR Metrics & Analytics—what do you really need?

HR LEGAL 57 58

32

Is the employer hijacking the case?

Claims of harassment—how far can they go?

HR BOOKS 60 61

Leadership Coaching, The Handbook of Dealing with Workplace Bullying The Roles of Organisation Development, World of Workcraft

HR CLASSIFIEDS 62

Inside HR: Marriot International Inc.

HR Classifieds

HK NEWS

HK employers upbeat Q4 hiring plans

Employer brand essential to catch talent, says LinkedIn

Finance, Insurance & Real Estate Manufacturing

83% of Hong Kong talent is interested in speaking to a recruiter or headhunter—even though 76% are actually happy staying where they are. It comes as part of the findings from LinkedIn’s annual Talent Trends 2015 Report, which surveyed 20,000 professionals in 29 countries in order to ‘delve’ into the minds of talent at every stage of the job search journey.

Mining & Construction Services Transportation & Utilities Wholesale & Retail Trade 0

5

Seasonally Adjusted Outlook

The Q4 results of the 2015 Manpower Employment Outlook Survey indicate that Hong Kong employers are continuing to report positive hiring plans for the next three months.

Accounting for seasonal variations from the survey data, Hong Kong’s Net Employment Outlook stands at +15% with hiring intentions remaining relatively stable compared with the previous quarter and unchanged year-on-year.

19% of employers surveyed forecasted an increase in staffing levels in Q4 2015, while only 3% predicted decreases. 75% of employers

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15

20

25

30

Net Employment Outlook

surveyed anticipated no changes to their current employment rosters in Q4 2015.

Employers anticipate payroll gains in all six industry sectors during the next three months.

The strongest Net Employment Outlook of over +26% is reported in the Services sector and an active labour market is also expected

by Mining & Construction sector employers who reported an outlook of +21%. Employers report stronger hiring plans in three of the six sectors year-on-year. Services sector employers report the most noteworthy improvement of 4% points, while hiring prospects decline in two sectors, including the Wholesale & Retail Trade sector where employers report a decrease of 3%.

HK first in Asia for workplace inclusion Hong Kong tops the list in Asia for workplace inclusion and diversity, according to Randstad’s Workmonitor Q3 2015 released today.

Hong Kong workers reported an average of 19% of incidences of workplace discrimination, across categories including age, 26%; gender, 20%; race, 17%; religion, 17%; and sexual orientation, 16%. The city tied with Japan for first place, followed by China at 21%, but was well ahead of Asian neighbours such as India, 49%; and Malaysia, 30%.

Peter Yu, Director, Randstad Hong Kong commented, “As an international financial hub, organisations in Hong Kong need to promote an inclusive culture to attract local and overseas talent, while a diverse workforce can increase creativity, innovation, and business performance.”

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Ahead of many of its Asian counterparts, Hong Kong has anti-discriminatory laws in place for race, gender, family status and disability, which are enforced by the Equal Opportunities Commission. It also has a self-regulated code of practice for sexual orientation discrimination, and Asia’s first Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex Workplace Inclusion Index was recently launched in Hong Kong, marking a change in attitudes.

Yu added, “An inclusive environment requires employers to be supportive of the different circumstances employees from diverse backgrounds face and implement measures to meet these needs, for example providing flexible work arrangements for mature workers or mothers.”

The contradictory results showed that while those who are open to talking to recruiters was 5% higher than the global average, it is still a challenge to get Hong Kong talent to move around different firms. Eric Yee, Head of Talent Solutions—Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, LinkedIn puts this down to image, “Since most professionals in Hong Kong are less likely to proactively look for new job opportunities, your employer brand is essential to catching talent’s attention.”

According to the report, this brand must extend through word-of-mouth, which is still an important channel that 50% of talent finds opportunity from. In addition, it highlighted the importance of investment in online job boards as well as social professional networks—such as LinkedIn—as a means to catch attention.

Investment in attracting talent does not just end there­— some good-old human touch is also required to seal a deal, with 94% of talent saying that hearing from their potential boss can tempt them to accept the offer and get to work faster. It suggests that gestures such as making phone calls to candidates to give good news and ensuring they have a positive experience in interviews can have a significant impact on a company's image.

HK NEWS

Hong Kongers unhappy at work

AESC launches thought leadership library on executive talent The Association of Executive Search and Leadership Consultants (AESC) announced the launch of their newly re-designed website.

A noteworthy feature of the new website is a thought leadership library, in which AESC has compiled the world's largest archive of content related to senior executive talent.

According to the jobsDB Happy is a better job online survey, 62% of Hong Kong employees are not happy at work with 86% saying that changing jobs was a wise decision. It is a drastic contrast with Hong Kong’s major Asian competitor, Singapore, where 51% of people said they were happy at work—making it the happiest place to work out of the four APAC countries surveyed.

Salary, benefits and incentives came up as the number one reason why Hong Kongers are unhappy—accounting for 49% of those surveyed and also topped the list of reasons why employees quit their jobs in the territory. It was followed closely by working environment, culture and reputation, 46% of whom said this was a factor that

made them unhappy and 45% agreed their relationship with colleagues and/or their boss caused unhappiness.

Where Hong Kong people and Singaporeans agree is that, rather than salaries and benefits, their relationship with colleagues and/or their boss in fact comes out on top of reasons that make them happy—albeit 63% agreed with the statement in Hong Kong as opposed to 50% in Singapore.

AESC membership currently consists of 350 member firms in 70 countries. The new website provides a comprehensive list of AESC member executive search and leadership consulting firms—searchable by region and country, as well as an International Search Firm Directory— which board directors and talent acquisition professionals can access to identify strategic consulting advisors who can help them find talent for their organisation’s senior executive positions.

Executive talent acquisition professionals and board directors are invited to register for free with AESC to access the online directory of executive search and leadership consulting firms.

Commenting on the results of the survey, Justin Yiu, General Manager, jobsDB Hong Kong said, “Salary and working atmosphere, which include human relations and working environment, are the two major factors that make employees happier at work.”

Windows 10 gains traction after employee testing After the struggle of using the Windows 8 interface, 60% of enterprises in Hong Kong are already experimenting with Microsoft’s latest brainchild, Windows 10, which hit the shelves this summer. The latest operating system is already being hailed as possibly the best Windows yet—seamlessly integrating the best of both Windows 8 and former Windows packages.

Windows 10 provides a range of cutting-edge updates to make business in particular operate more smoothly within the technological sphere. Such features like Cortana, the personal digital assistant, helps the user to search for anything anywhere at the click of a button or via spoken command.

With that, Windows 10 also enhances employees' capability to take the likes of Word, PowerPoint and Excel on the go with

them. The addition of the new OneNote app is also a great help at meetings as a tool for digital note-taking. It precedes the launch of Office 2016 later this year, which is said to be optimised for a range of devices such as large screen PCs, laptops, tablets and even 2-in-1 devices such as Surface Pro. Further to this, the Microsoft Phone Companion App allows iPhones, Android and Windows Phones to connect with Windows 10 operating systems to ensure mobility.

In Hong Kong, more than three million Windows devices including Windows 7, Windows 8 and 8.1 are eligible for a free upgrade to Windows 10. Over 20 OEM manufacturers are now launching devices preinstalled with Windows 10 and Microsoft expects there will be more than 100 models of such devices on the market before the end of the year.

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HK NEWS

Quarter of candidates admit lying to get job According to First Advantage survey about background checks, nearly a quarter of job candidates admit to exaggerating the truth on their resume or in a job interview in order to land a position. While First Advantage's own domestic screening data does not register intentional versus accidental discrepancies, a review of employment screening records shows an average discrepancy rate of 21% in APAC, 23% in the UK and 46% in the US.

Michael Pilnick, Executive Vice-president of HR, First Advantage commented, "We have known for a while that employers generally appreciate the role that background checks play in protecting an organisation. What we haven't known, until now, is the level of support that background screening holds by the general public. We are encouraged to see that the public has also recognised the importance and value of background checks in providing a safer and more credible business environment."

The survey also found widespread support for background screening, with 82% of consumers saying that organisations should run background checks. When asked what benefits background checks provide—if any—nearly half responded it raises the credibility of the organisation. Respondents also said it makes their colleagues and the organisation more trustworthy and it makes them feel physically safer at work.

When employees were asked whether they had ever undergone a background check by an employer or potential employer, the results varied widely by region. While 82% of US respondents reported having gone through a background check, 61% of those in the UK responded the same, along with only slightly less than half in APAC. Within APAC, just 18% of consumers in Japan said that they have had a background check.

Steady increase in HK job vacancies

Compared to last year, Hong Kong has seen a 9% increase in job vacancies in Q2, according to figures released by Robert Walters in their Asia Job Index. This came slightly below the APAC average increase of 11%—but Matthew Bennett, Managing Director, Greater China, Robert Walters stated that this was largely due to the city’s diversified economy.

Commenting on the findings, Bennett added, “The slowdown in luxury retail and export trading led to a drop in hiring, particularly in sectors such as product and logistics operations as well as merchandising and purchasing. However the overall recruitment market outlook remained positive.”

Indeed amongst the strongest performing sectors to produce job vacancies were

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Accounting and Finance, and Sales—which saw a 21% increase on their previous figures last year. Robert Walters put this down to a desire to recruit new talent who have strong communication and stakeholder management skills as well as a more competitive environment within sales.

Meanwhile in China, merchandising and purchasing, and IT positions were highly sought after in Q2 as China continues to position itself as a global sourcing centre and the government pursues its ‘Internet Plus’ strategy. Both saw an increase of 28% and 24% respectfully. Though with the slowdown of the Chinese and European markets, exports in Hong Kong have been hit hard leading to a 9% drop in vacancies for product and logistics operations roles.

Flexible working key to keep older workers

84% believe that flexible working will keep older and more experienced workers in the economy—with the figure in Hong Kong slightly above the average at 86%. This, according to global workforce provider Regus, comes as the world’s population is ageing at a rapid pace with Hong Kong being no exception to the trend.

Figures from the Hong Kong Government’s Census and Statistics Department shows that one in five people in Hong Kong will be aged 65 or over by 2023—which will no doubt fuel the increasing retirement age trend, which in the Civil Service has already been raised from 60 to 65.

The prospect of continuing inflexible working hours and long commutes in Hong Kong will no doubt put off older people as they seek to spend more time caring for their families or try to deal with underlying health problems.

Though Michael Ormiston, Country Manager, Regus Hong Kong sees the support for flexible working in Hong Kong as a promising way to deal with these concerns.

“Flexible working is an ideal solution for those who want to remain in the workforce past traditional retirement age, but maintain control of their schedule and reduce lengthy commutes to and from work,” explained Ormiston.

He added, “Flexible working can also provide older workers with a ‘bridge’ into retirement.

Reports show that often the complete loss of professional work can leave retired workers feeling depressed and unmotivated, even to the point of affecting mental health.

Flexible working can help older workers delay retirement without giving up too much of their hard-earned freedom.”

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HK NEWS

2015: three biggest human capital challenges In the midst of significant economic developments taking place this year, employers in Hong Kong are faced with three pressing human capital issues—managing a multi-generational workforce, high talent mobility and critical talent scarcity.

Randstad Sourceright’s 2015 Talent Trends Report explored the top 25 global trends shaping the world of work and their implications for HR and talent management. The report surveyed 350 global HR and talent acquisition leaders, 62% of which have responsibility for countries in APAC. Doug Edmonds, Regional Director, Randstad Sourceright Asia Pacific said that against the backdrop of critical talent scarcity in Asia, businesses are under increasing pressure to upgrade their talent management strategies to combat the human capital challenges they face.

As the number of millennials entering the workforce grows, one of the most daunting of these challenges this year is managing an age-diverse workforce, according to more than two-thirds of HR leaders surveyed.

Edmonds explained, “Each generation of workers – from Baby Boomers to Generation Z – is significantly different in the way they communicate, how they use technology and what they expect from their colleagues and managers.

“To manage this multi-generational workforce, employers need to strengthen their employer brand by understanding what motivates each generation and develop incentives to attract, engage and retain them.”

The second human capital challenge, that is rapidly gaining momentum, is managing critical talent scarcity and the ‘talent war’. The report found that the shift from labour-intensive to more skilled work is contributing to a significant

shortage of professional and technical talent— explaining why 73% of HR leaders feel the war for talent still accurately reflects today’s talent environment. Rapid innovation is fuelling new jobs growth in sectors on the cutting edge of science and technology, changing the skills needed in today’s world of work and putting pressure on the available talent pools.

Edmonds opined, “Harnessing talent analytics and predictive workforce intelligence helps business leaders look ahead and anticipate staffing requirements long before they need it. This includes a data-driven approach to future workforce planning, forecasting potential talent gaps, spotting high-performers early on, and predicting when your workforce is considering jumping ship.”

He added, “Strategic solutions and approaches including recruitment process outsourcing and an enhanced employer brand will also play a role in helping organisations fill critical skills gaps and win the war for talent.”

Lastly, the report identified managing high talent mobility as one of the three major HR challenges of today. According to the report, the strong job market in Hong Kong serves as the number one risk to staff retention, with unemployment remaining low at 3.3%.

Edmonds commented, “Our research shows that nearly one fifth of employers plan to recruit from overseas because of talent scarcity.

That figure jumps to 26% for companies based in Hong Kong.

“However, employers can exploit mobility as a talent engagement tool and incorporate it into their employer brand, with assignments in different geographies being a big motivator for employees to develop skills and boost their careers. Employers also win— benefitting from the new skills.”

IBM Verse collaborative software work IBM pitched the benefits of its brand new $100 million office collaboration software, IBM Verse in Hong Kong. The platform integrates many of the communication and office-based tools into a single collaboration environment across multiple devices.

Speaking at a press conference, Sino Lum, Senior Manager Enterprise Social Solutions & Smarter Workforce Social Unit, IBM stated, “IBM included some intelligent features which means that you can help customers, prioritise your tasks, find out who are the most important people and what are the most important things for you today.”

Now, employees can connect with e-mail, calendar, to-do lists, social networks, IM, online meetings and documents in one platform. With this, departments such as HR can save the time on administration and have the ease of managing projects more effectively.

The roll out of IBM Verse has also provided a new interesting dynamic in training staff.

As Lum explained, “You usually have to set up the class and everyone comes in and prepares, brings in notebooks—but now there is no need. You create a community— place video files in folders and create video conferences time slots, allow them to join at any time and you can also ask questions to a specific e-mail account.” Such innovations include a dedicated ‘Teacher Trainer’ or ‘TT’ in each company trained by IBM and an ‘Ask Expert’ e-mail which employees can submit questions to.

With digitalisation being unavoidable, the roll-out of IBM Verse offers interesting food for thought about how HR can adapt to the new digital age and use it to their advantage to reduce time-consuming administration and think about new ways to train staff.

HK employers still ruining staff holidays Three quarters of Hong Kong employers expect their workers to be available outside of regular office hours—placing the SAR as the worst place in APAC for work-life balance.

The findings of the latest Workmonitor Mobility Index Survey from Randstad revealed that employees in Hong Kong are the most challenged when it comes to ‘switching off’ and it is

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employers who are most often to blame. The vast majority of employees, 77%, feel pressured to respond to work-related calls and e-mails while on holiday. This figure far outstrips other APAC countries, with much lower levels in China, 67%; Malaysia, 60%; and Singapore, 49%.

With almost half of employers already having a BYOD policy in place Paul Yu,

Director, Randstad Hong Kong cautioned HR, “Companies need to have a clear mindset that overworking does not result in productivity. If business is to remain competitive here, HR has to look beyond the competitive salaries and perks to retain talent. Employers need to promote work-life balance, as this produces a more satisfied and productive workforce.”

HK NEWS

More mums bring business boost, but need flexibility New research by Regus has revealed that 32% of businesses in Hong Kong are planning to hire more returning mothers in 2015 than in 2014. The figures are significantly higher than the global average of 26%.

According to the survey, returning mothers play an important role in the overall economy by contributing to boosting GDP through increased female participation in the labour force. This is particularly true for cities like Hong Kong where the workforce will start to shrink in the next three years, from an estimated 3.71 million workers in 2018 to a projected 3.52 million in 2031, according to the Hong Kong Government’s latest statistics.

Against this backdrop, bringing mothers back into the workforce has become an imperative for Hong Kong businesses. According to a 2012 government census survey, the city has about 500,000 stay-at-home mothers, of

whom 8%—about 40,000—said that they would consider returning to work if the right support was given.

The contrasting demands of motherhood and work are one of the main reasons women drop out of the workforce. To combat this phenomenon, respondents in Hong Kong and around the world emphasised the important role that flexible working plays in attracting female talent— in fact, 83% of respondents believe that flexible working is key to attracting and retaining female workers.

The research also highlights the fact that returning mothers are particularly valued by businesses globally because of their experience and skill set, as well as reliability and excellent time management. Additionally, returning mothers are seen as less likely to change jobs, saving firms the cost of recruitment and

retraining. Previous Regus research further confirms that 57% of businesses think that retaining working mothers helps improve productivity as training costs are lower than hiring new employees.

Michael Ormiston, Country Manager at Regus Hong Kong commented, "There is a vast amount of untapped potential among skilled and experienced mothers who are unable to work due to family commitments. Flexible working enables companies to tap into this workforce and offer returning mothers a path back into the workforce."

The benefits to businesses are clear—less staff turnover, lower hiring and training costs and access to talented staff. But businesses warn that in order to retain these valuable employees, it is critical that firms offer some level of flexible working, such as the possibility to work closer to home.

GLOBAL HR SEARCH & RECRUITMENT

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APAC NEWS

Healthy hiring numbers in APAC

Job vacancies rose by 21% year-on-year in Q1 2015 compared to Q1 2014, according to the Morgan McKinley Asia Pacific Employment Monitor. The number of professionals actively seeking new roles was up 18% quarter-on-quarter from Q4 2014 to Q1 2015, while compared to the previous quarter, job vacancies rose by 34% between Q4 2014 and Q1 2015 Richie Holliday, Chief Operating Officer, Morgan McKinley Asia Pacific commented,

"As many organisations moved into a new financial year and released fresh recruitment budgets, we saw the expected uplift in new mandates. The uplift on a year-on-year basis has also been encouraging."

The employment outlook in Asia Pacific equally looks positive according to Morgan McKinley’s data for the first quarter of 2015.

Despite mixed economic results (leaning to the negative, in some places), the APAC

BASF Grand Winner in Asia Recruitment Awards

Employment Monitor data shows no slowdown in hiring. This indicates that the economies of the nations that make up the Asia Pacific region could be changing for the better, following the seasonal dip in the fourth quarter of 2014.

Similarly, the results of the 2015 Manpower Employment Outlook Survey indicate that Hong Kong employers continue to report upbeat hiring plans for the next three months (see HK news page 4). After removing seasonal variations from the survey data, Hong Kong’s Net Employment Outlook stands at 15%— stable when compared with the previous quarter and unchanged year-on-year.

21% of the 700 employers surveyed forecasted an increase in staffing levels in the third quarter 2015, while only 4% predicted decreases. Employers in all six industry sectors expect to grow staffing levels during the third quarter 2015. The most optimistic hiring intentions are reported in the Services sector with a Net Employment Outlook of over +26%.

Beer-driven learning storms India India’s Praj Industries, global process engineer and solutions provider, ran a five-day technical training diploma in association with the UK’s Institute of Brewing and Distilling (IBD). IBD-PRAJ Diploma in Brewing – Module 1 Training 2015, which was accredited at level 4 by City & Guilds in the UK, and was the ‘first-of-its-kind’ to customise current Brewing training offered in the UK to the Indian Beer Market.

The Grand Winner of the 2015 Hong Kong Asia Recruitment Awards went to BASF— picking up “Best Career Website”, “Best Employer Brand Development” and “Best Use of Recruitment Technology”. It was the first time these awards were held in Hong Kong.

The awards acknowledge the work of in-house talent acquisition groups across the private and public sectors as well as non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Hong Kong—dedicating 24 different awards to recognise those who are leading the way in recruitment excellence. This year’s judging panel consisted of representatives

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from 14 top firms in APAC—including Cigna, DHL, American Express and Societe Generale— who were scoring the challenges faced, the strategy implemented and the execution and results of the competing programmes.

With the spell of intense hot summer weather in India this year, beer consumption has witnessed good growth in the first quarter of 2015 and the past few quarters have seen more international investors taking an interest in the Indian beer markets—particularly at a time when India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi is encouraging new business investment in India.

BASF was rewarded mainly for the work it has put into its global employer brand movement “The Power of Connected Minds”. The centrepiece of this initiative is the new career website which offers jobseekers a worldwide job search function and a live chat application to connect with BASF employees which helps them get greater insight into the work environment.

The diploma comes at a time when such interest requires India’s Beer Industry to come into line with global beer practices. Speaking about the programme, Sanjay Sapru, Executive Vice President, Praj Industries stated, “From a long-term perspective, this is good for the Indian Beer market as we will be taking the quality of beer produced to the next level.”

APAC NEWS

Taiwan grabs Hong Kong and Macau Talent Soon, it will be easier than ever before for residents of Hong Kong and Macau to resettle in Taiwan to work. Under plans

by Taiwan’s Ministry for the Interior, residents from both territories will be allowed to apply for full citizenship after five consecutive years of living and working in Taiwan—this, depending on fulfilling certain requirements.

It comes at a time when the island is struggling to retain key talent. Higher wages in other countries, as well as the cultural roadblocks to recent innovation, have seen high-skilled workers grab attractive

opportunities overseas, which is leaving an increasing gap in the local workforce.

Gen Z jobseekers turn to social media

The proposal, which is yet to be approved by the Executive Yuan and Ministry of Economic Affairs, seeks to lay one foundation to reverse this trend. It aims to improve incentives for entrepreneurs to come to Taiwan as combing international and local resources is vital for creative and active business, and fundamental to build momentum for economic growth. By drawing upon the increasingly frustrated and overworked employees of Hong Kong, it is hoped that their expertise can play a crucial role in making the island competitive again.

Singapore­—best companies to work for

Facebook has been winning in the war for social media job-seeking platform of choice amongst people born in 1995 onwards (Generation Z)— this according to the latest results of Resource Solutions’ Asia Talents Insight Survey. The annual report looks at the movement trends of talent in Asia—particularly focusing on how they find their new careers.

The findings showed that amongst Generation Z, 81% have previously used social media—such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc—to look for jobs. The figure easily surpassed the 54% of Generation Y— born between 1980 and 1994—who said they used social media for job-seeking purposes.

In both cases, Facebook was surprisingly rated strongly amongst generations.

19 companies were recognised as the Best Companies to Work for in Singapore at an ceremony held in July. AIA Singapore PTE Limited, Harley-Davidson Asia Pacific PTE Limited and Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel were amongst those to receive the honour.

As part of the combined results of the HR Asia Employee Input SurveyTM and HR Asia Workplace and Employee Engagement SurveyTM , an independent panel of industry experts, academics, journalists and government representatives judged the heart, soul and mind of candidates as well as evidence of workplace excellence and employee engagement.

William Ng, Group Publisher and Editor-in-Chief, Business Media International, who organised the event, stated, “Many of the winning companies have workplace practices that are the best in the world, with most employees enjoying job satisfaction and believing they are providing value to their companies and being appreciated for their contributions.”

One of the winners, Nataraian MM, Vice President—South Asia, Arrow Electronics remarked, “We are delighted to see a high level of employee engagement and satisfaction in the employee survey. The award inspires us to set higher standards and further motivate us to excel.”

It comes as the turn to social media as a tool to find a job has increased noticeably in APAC over the past year. In 2014, the majority of respondents stated they did not use social media, 57%—but this year it has flipped with the majority, 54%, stating that they do utilise social media in this way—though it appears clear that Generation Z is leading this charge.

Simon Bradberry, Managing Director, Resource Solutions commented, “Our results clearly show that the trend towards social media usage for job hunting is increasing with each generation – a clear signpost for talent attraction strategies in the future.” He added, “We are seeing increases in the usage of social media to look for a new position across all age groups, but this year’s survey was the first time that we saw responses from millennials (or Generation Z).”

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INTL NEWS

Compliance headaches for US federal contractors It is now more important than ever for US federal contractors to take the necessary steps to ensure compliance with new regulatory changes—this, according to Berkshire Associates.

Its white paper, OFCCP’s VEVRAA and Section 503 Enforcement: What Federal Contractors Need to Know, outlines the changes to hallmark Affirmative Action legislation, the US Rehabilitation Act and the US Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), and what steps contractors must take to guarantee compliance.

Brought into force on 24 March 2014, the new regulations introduce measures to ensure stronger accountability and to nurture a better record-keeping culture. Berkshire Associates encourages federal contractors and subcontracts to take ‘a proactive approach’ to implementing the changes sooner rather than later.

Amongst the changes being introduced, they include: •

• •

• • •

Establishment of a 7% utilisation goal for qualified Individuals with Disabilities New record-keeping requirements Hiring benchmark in the Protected Veterans (PV) affirmative action plan (A AP) Job posting language requirements EEO tagline Requirement of contractors to invite applicants to voluntarily self-identify Source: Berkshire Associates Inc.

The white paper can be downloaded from our website: www.hrmagazine.com.hk

HR tech vendors join forces Corporate Renaissance Group—an enterprise performance technology provider—and Synerion—a Mississauga-based leading workforce management solutions vendor— announced that they have joined forces to provide complete HR technology solutions.

This strategic partnership will combine the current capabilities of emPerform, CRGroup's employee performance management suite and the scalable workforce management solutions offered

by Synerion. The alliance aims to provide

integrated performance and human capital management platforms for effective planning, monitoring, scheduling and assessment of talent and performance.

Kris Kyritzopoulos, Director of Business Development & Partner Relations for emPerform, CRGroup commented, "This partnership brings two leading solutions together. We are thrilled to be able to offer Synerion's workforce management solutions to accompany the functionality already present in emPerform."

KPMG acquires Towers Watson’s HRSD Practice KPMG acquired Towers Watson’s Human Resources Service Delivery (HRSD) practice in under an agreement made by the two giants. The deal sees industry-leading HR consultants from the United States, United Kingdom, China, Hong Kong, Singapore and the Philippines join the KPMG team.

The HRSD practice has been described as a leader in HR transformation with a particular edge in HR service delivery. Notably, it has kept up with the pace of change worldwide, as technology has played a more prevalent role, highlighting the importance of cloud-based solutions and developing cutting-edge technology skills. As a result, the practice has won several awards including Workday Consultant of the Year in 2009 and 2010, and recently was named to the Winners Circle in the inaugural HfS Blueprint Report for Workday Services.

Commenting on the acquisition, Mark Spears, Global Head of People and Change and Leader of the Global HR Centre of Excellence, KPMG said, “Globally we are making tremendous progress in HR transformation and this is being recognised by clients and analysts alike. This acquisition significantly increases our capacity and ability to serve our global clients in all geographies.”

As part of the deal, KPMG will continue to invest in Towers Watson’s long-standing HR Service Delivery and Technology Survey. The survey is delivered to HR and technology leaders globally at the Towers Watson HR Service Delivery and Technology Forum, a feature the firm will also continue to invest in.

Ukraine crisis hits employment figures As the crisis in Ukraine drags on, figures from the State Statistics Service of Ukraine reveals that 9.6% were unemployed in the first quarter of 2015 compared with 7.6% the year before. The areas most affected by the fighting have seen above average unemployment with Donetsk seeing 14.4% out of work and Lugansk having a rate of 15.3%. This compares unfavourably with the year before which saw unemployment at 9.1% and 8.4% in both areas respectfully.

Antonio Graziosi Director—Central and Eastern Europe Decent Work Team Country Office, ILO Image courtesy of ILO

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It comes as volatility in Ukraine as well as strained relations with Russia have caused Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to fall as much as 17.2% in the first quarter of this year. It

has lead to fears of 1.3 million people being internally displaced—a quarter of whom are of working age, which the International Labour Organisation (ILO) believes is harming its much-needed economic reform.

Speaking about the crisis, Antonio Graziosi, Director—Central and Eastern Europe Decent Work Team Country Office, ILO stated, “It is the opinion of the ILO that active labour market policies improving labour market information, skills match and labour mediation should be complemented with stronger attention towards the overall impact of economic and fiscal reforms on the quantity and quality of jobs.”

INTL NEWS

Family business tops Google and Twitter as best place to work in US for millennials Great Place to Work and Fortune magazine asked Gen Y employees where they are happiest—and the result is the 2015 list of the 100 Best Workplaces for Millennials in the U.S. Millennials' top picks include some names that are to be expected—Google and Twitter rank in the top three, for example—but the financial services and insurance, professional services and construction industries also have a strong showing, with family-owned Power Home Remodeling Group taking the top slot. The list is based on the anonymous responses of nearly 90,000 millennials to The Trust Index, Great Place to Work's employee assessment survey.

Michael Bush, CEO, Great Place to Work commented, "Business leaders know that a great culture—for employees of all ages—is a

crucial competitive advantage in the emerging Great Workplace Era. Leading organisations are constantly monitoring and analysing their employees' workplace experiences and then taking action to improve them. Ranking on this list is a great indicator that these companies' efforts to create great workplaces are resonating with millennials."

Bush emphasised that it was now more crucial than ever for HR to take note. Millennials are starting to reach their early thirties, meaning that they will be coming into their own as business leaders and market influencers. In the next 10 years, they will dominate the workforce, making up 75% of the US employee population. If companies want to hit the top 100 workplaces for this generation, HR needs to facilitate an environment that attracts and retains them effectively.

Strong job opportunities for business school grads

85% of the Class of 2015 business school students believe that their degrees will provide them with a competitive edge in the job market—this, according to the 2015 GMAC Global Management Education Graduate Survey (GMEGS).

In its survey of over 3,000 soon-to-be graduates, the Graduate Management Admissions Council® (GMAC) revealed that a graduate management degree is seen as a worthwhile investment with nine in 10 rating their business school degree as ‘good to outstanding value’. It is a view shared by HR as the survey reports early job offers prior to graduation for full-time MBA students now stands at a three year high at 59%.

Bob Alig, executive vice president, GMAC expressed delight saying, “A graduate management degree is an outstanding investment in the personal, professional and financial aspirations of these students.”

Other findings included: • 78% believe their degree introduced them to new job opportunities.

• 86% felt it will help them find a career that meets their expectations.

• 33% of recent graduates plan to continue working for their current employers and expect significant job benefits as a result of earning their degrees.

Exec. pay cuts forced by struggling market More than three quarters of companies are making changes to their executive pay programmes as a result of difficult market conditions, according to Mercer’s latest Financial Services Executive Compensation Snapshot Survey. The most common planned changes are the strengthening of bonus-malus and clawback conditions, strengthening the link between performance management and compensation, and increasing the use of non-financial measures in reviewing performance.

The survey reviewed the pay practices of 55 global financial services companies— banks, insurers and other financial services companies—based in 15 major countries in Europe, North America and Asia. The report is intended to provide an update on key global changes and practices in financial services compensation programmes.

Vicki Elliott, Senior Partner, Mercer commented, “Financial services HR teams and remuneration committees are being challenged to find ways to structure pay to engage, motivate and retain high-performing staff while being mindful of regulatory requirements and public pressure. Since 2008, we’ve seen a steady change in approach as companies actively tie rewards more closely to risk and multi-year performance.”

Broadly, most organisations have a mandatory bonus deferral in place with nearly all banks and almost half of insurance companies having these plans as well. However, interestingly, 42% of North American organisations do not have a mandatory deferral programme in place, whereas EU regulation has been more prescriptive on the issue.

Dirk Vink, a Mercer consultant specialising in executive remuneration and manager of this survey explained, “The clearest trend since the EU bonus caps is the increase in fixed compensation. However, reducing the amount of variable incentive pay weakens the link between performance and pay. As a result, there will also be less pay that can be deferred and aligned with the risk time horizon of the business.”

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HR EVENT

HR Events September

November

1/09/2015

3/11/2015 – 5/11/2015

China Conference 2015—Managing the "New Normal" —What does it mean for business?

BSR Conference 2015: Resilient business, resilient world Organised by

Organised by

AmCham

Location: Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2530 6922 Email: msimpson@amcham.org.hk Website: www.amcham.org.hk/events/

8/09/2015 Paradigm of the Career Women Organised by

Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong

Location: Hong Kong Email: Colin_Li@cancham.org Website: http://www.cancham.org/events/event_list.asp

October

16/11/2015 – 19/11/2015 18th Annual Asian Shared Services & Outsourcing Week Organised by

Global Workforce Symposium 2015 Organised by

Worldwideerc

Location: Boston, U.S. Website: www.worldwideerc.org/Events/Pages/GWS2015.aspx

IQPC

Location: MAX Atria @ Singapore Expo, Singapore Tel: (65) 6722 9388 Email: enquiry@ssonetwork.com Website: http://bit.ly/1LmeoMV

24/11/2015 – 25/11/2015 35th HKIHRM Annual Conference & Exhibition Organised by

7/10/2015 – 9/10/2015

BSR

Location: San Fransisco, USA Website: bsr15.org

HKIHRM

Location: Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2837 3817 / 2837 3822 / 2837 3823 Email: project@hkihrm.org Website: www.hkihrm.org/index.php/pe/annual-conference

25/11/2015 – 26/11/2015 Reputation Management

8/10/2015 Working with multi-generational and diverse workforces • • • • • •

Managing multi-generational teams Challenges & solutions to leveraging diversity Engaging Gen Y to drive business goals Multi-cultural workplaces and workforces The business case for fostering LGBT cultures Change management in diverse teams

Location: Cliftons, Central, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2736 6399 Email: sydnie@excelmediagroup.org Website: http://hrmagazine.com.hk Fee: FREE ENTRY for HR Magazine subscribers, non-subscribers HKD 1,200

19/10/2015 – 21/10/2015 4th Annual Global HR Excellence

Organised by

February 3/02/2016 – 4/02/2016 LEAD 2016 Conference Organised by

marcus evans

Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Tel: (60) 3 2723 6745 Website: www.hrexcellence-lse.com

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HR.com

Location: Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. Website: www.lead2016.com

16/02/2016 Southeast Asia HR Summit Organised by

Organised by

trueventus

Location: Goodwood Park Hotel, Singapore Tel: (603) 2775 0000 ext 510 Fax: (603) 2775 0055 Email: karenl@trueventus.com

marcus evans

Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Tel: (357) 22 849 400 Email: WebEnquiries@marcusevanscy.com Website: http://hrsea.marcusevans-summits.com/

HR IN NUMBERS

HR in Numbers

1 in 4

1 in 5

Number of respondents who admit to having exaggerated the truth to get hired.

Number of people who will be aged 65 or over by 2023 if the current trend continues.

Source: First Advantage international consumer sentiment survey about background checks, 5 August 2015

Source: Hong Kong Government’s Census and Statistics Department

19%

85% Percentage of Class of 2015 business school students who believe that their degrees will provide them with a competitive edge in the job market.

Source: 2015 GMAC Global Management Education Graduate Survey (GMEGS)

Percentage of employers who are forecasting an increase in staffing levels in Q4 2015.

Source: 2015 Manpower Employment Outlook Survey

42%

9%

Percentage of companies who have recruited more women into technology roles during the last five years.

Increase in job vacancies in the second quarter of 2015 in Hong Kong.

Source: Robert Half survey

Source: Robert Walters Asia Job Index Q2 2015

77% Percentage of Hong Kong employees who feel pressured to respond to work-related calls and e-mails while on holiday.

Source: Workmonitor Mobility Index Survey

10 - 15% Average salary increase for IT professionals in Singapore, due to talent shortage.

Source: ZW HR Consulting Singapore IT Salary Guide for 2015/16

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HR MOVES

HR Moves Stephen Kai-yi Wong takes over as Hong Kong Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data With personal data protection of staff records high on the agenda for HR, Stephen Wong steps up as Hong Kong’s new Privacy Commissioner. In his new role, he will oversee the territory’s Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (PCPD)—which has been at the forefront of promoting the protection of privacy for individuals, and ensuring monitoring and supervision of compliance with the Personal Data Ordinance.

A long-time public servant in Hong Kong, Wong has an impressive career portfolio. He has served in the Department of Justice and its predecessor, the Attorney General’s Chambers, between 1986 to 2007 as Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions and Deputy Solicitor General. Following this, he joined the Law Reform Commission of Hong Kong as its Secretary and has also spent time as a privately practising barrister.

As an expert in Human Rights law, he is seen as an ideal fit for a role that will take on many challenges— particularly as the rapid development of technology is changing the way personal data and privacy is being viewed. Speaking about his ambitions in his new job, Wong commented, “I will work with all the stakeholders to protect personal data privacy rights, with a view to ensuring proper protection of individuals' rights while at the same time facilitating the free flow of information in the best interests of the community as a whole.”

Kristina Keneally becomes MSGM’s Director for Gender Inclusion The Hon. Kristina Keneally will join The Macquarie Graduate School of Management (MSGM) as an Adjunct Professor and its new Director for Gender Inclusion. She will oversee MGSM's Women in MBA Programme with the goal of building it to over 100 recipients, as well as developing and delivering the mentoring component for that programme.

"Professor Keneally was the first female Premier in New South Wales and is among Australia's leading crusaders for the importance of diversity in leadership," said Professor Alex Frino, Dean, MGSM. He added, "As a mother, she also acutely understands the challenges faced by women in balancing work and family life."

First elected to the New South Wales Parliament in 2003 as the member for Heffron, Professor Keneally served as the 42nd Premier of the southern Australian state from 2009 to 2011. She was also Minister in the portfolios of Planning, Infrastructure, Disability Services, Ageing, World Youth Day and Redfern Waterloo. Speaking about her appointment, Keneally stated, "I am very much looking forward to commencing work at MGSM on this important programme which—by growing the number of female MBA's—has the potential to grow the number of women moving from middle management into senior management roles in Australia's leading organisations."

DLA Piper announces 2 new employment partners DLA Piper added 44 new partners in 2015—two of whom, Alessandra Garzya (pictured right) and Lawrence Carter, are focused on employment. The promotions were made across a wide spectrum of practice areas throughout ten countries. Jay Rains, Global Co-CEO, commented, “Our ability to develop the next generation of talent is a key component of our global strategy and a linchpin of our ongoing growth and service delivery to clients. Each of our new partners is an integral part of that and we look forward to their contributions and leadership in the coming years.”

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HR MOVES

Nick Neal appointed to lead Harvey Nash Recruitment Harvey Nash has announced the appointment of Nick Neal as Associate Director, Finance Practice, Hong Kong. Neal will be responsible for growing and developing the CFO and Finance Practice within Harvey Nash Recruitment and will focus on establishing the mid-level recruitment arm of Harvey Nash’s business in APAC. With over 18 years of experience working with major multinational firms in the accounting and finance sectors, Neal brings a wide network of contacts and expertise across numerous markets. He joins Harvey Nash from Robert Walters where he held various leadership positions in Indonesia, Dubai and Hong Kong.

Speaking about his appointment, Neal commented, “I am looking forward to leading the Harvey Nash’s recruitment service and shaping the future of the Finance practice.”

Dual appointment for Accor’s Goran Aleks AccorHotels has appointed Goran Aleks to take over both positions as Vice President of Operations for South China and General Manager of the Sofitel Macau at Ponte 16 Hotel. He will oversee the operation and development of over 40 locations across southern China—which includes the luxury Sofitel, Pullman and MGallery by Sofitel brands, as well as Grand Mecure and AccorHotels in Hong Kong.

Aleks is a prime example of someone who earned his stripes through developing his career through one organisation—having spent 20 years at AccorHotels. First starting out with the firm in Germany in 1995, he has helped to significantly expand the company’s luxury hotel brands in Thailand, France, The Philippines and Indonesia.

The hotel chain employs 180,000 employees in 92 countries worldwide—with Aleks taking significant responsibility for company’s operations in the world’s largest emerging market. Commenting on the projects ahead, Aleks stated, “AccorHotels has a wealth of key openings in this region including Sofitel Kunming, Sofitel Sanya Leeman Resort, Pullman Guang’An Resort and Pullman Dongguan Dalang all by 2015 - plus 11 other projects in the pipeline to be opened by 2017. Together with my team, I look forward to driving the future growth and positioning of AccorHotels across South China.”

Michael Robinson becomes BSC Chief Executive Michael Robinson will take up the post of Chief Executive for the British Safety Council (BSC) in September.

The not-for-profit Council is known for its contribution to workplace safety and has educated millions of workers about health, safety and environmental management.

Robinson brings with him nearly 20 years’ experience of leading international businesses. He has experience of the maritime services sector having worked in a Private Equity-backed business he co-founded and prior to that he was Chief Executive of the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office, a maritime-related Trading Fund within the Ministry of Defence. He has also had a career in Financial Services.

It comes at a time when the Board of Trustees are looking to continue with the BSC’s ‘change journey’ and are hoping that Robinson will lead the organisation through a comprehensive programme of business improvement.

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COVER STORY

BIG HR vs.

SMALL HR Can start-up HR provide a radical new HR strategy?

Start-ups are taking global markets by storm. No longer are they one-off ventures in fresh fields, instead they are becoming the biggest players in their respective markets—and they are bringing with them new ways of working with employees. A crucial question many in traditional companies are asking is: what is it start-ups do with their workforce to get them engaged and help drive business success? Can this working culture enhance business performance in larger and more traditionally-run organisations too? HR Magazine finds out.

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COVER STORY

Working nine ‘til five with a liberal smattering of overtime, following company guidelines, reaching targets and meeting deadlines, seeing if something’s not quite right—all are part and parcel of a traditional workplace routine.

For many, this has been the work culture throughout their career and has the benefit of history to show for its success.

In recent years, the likes of Amazon, Google, Facebook and Uber have hit the headlines with their global success stories—but lift the lid on their internal mechanics and one finds a setup and culture that differs in many ways to that of traditional corporate human resource strategies.

The difference comes down to these companies embracing a ‘start-up approach’. In one sense, these are relatively young companies that have sprung up and began buzzing with new ideas—but more accurately, such start-ups have brought a new and exciting working culture that appeals to the digital natives of the Internet era.

Transparency Start-ups place a lot of emphasis on their level of transparency. It is not uncommon that start-ups release information to employees that include company performance week-to-week, what made the company begin a new arm of business, changes in business plan(s), how the company progresses and its reaction to competitors. Moreover, leadership in start-ups tends to reveal organisational plans and ask for active feedback from staff before implementing any changes, as opposed to the top-down decision making processes that are currently in place in many companies.

Leo Widrich, co-founder, Buffer for example surprised many by making the salaries of Buffer’s employees and the formula behind them transparent to the world. He claimed to have done this because they believe transparency is helpful on every level building trust with employees and helping retain key talent.

In contrast, big corporations are still facing challenges in becoming more transparent.

According to Transparency International’s 2014 Transparency in Corporate Reporting Survey, they found that out of a set score of 100%, only 34 of the 124 largest trading companies in the world scored marks over 50% for transparency—with the average organisational transparency rate standing at 39%.

The likes of Microsoft, Pfizer and McDonald’s were amongst the lowest scoring companies at only 13%, and US companies are seeing the

What is a start-up?

The definitions of a start-up vary considerably. While Merriam-Webster defines it as simply ‘a fledgling business enterprise’, it has increasingly become associated with a certain culture, especially in the high-tech sector.

Neil Blumenthal, co-CEO, Warby Parker—an online eye-and sunglasses retailer— described it as, “A company working to solve a problem where the solution is obvious and success is not guaranteed.” Meanwhile, Alexander Kaymer, co-founder and Managing Director, KAYRO Solutions—a Hong Kong international business consulting firm—told HR Magazine, “Their business operations primarily utilise new media, Internet and online topics while traditional companies deal more with physical goods, traditional trade and supply chains.”

Many now agree ‘start-up’ is a ‘state of mind’—or as Jan Koum, CEO, WhatsApp put it, ‘A feeling—where traditional hierarchical structures are broken down and bursts of fast-paced innovations change the course of business’.

Adopting some of these novel principles has the potential to significantly enhance staff engagement and unleash the full power of HR as a strategic business partner. lowest transparency rates at an average of 24%.

While the start-up culture seems to promote such transparency, the process has not been so smooth for some companies famed for this culture—including Google and Amazon—who in the same report were at the bottom of the list for organisational transparency as well.

Jumping around culture Transparency is just one part of the story that helps start-ups to be attractive places to work.

Speaking exclusively to HR Magazine, Adam Kingl, Executive Director of Learning Solutions, Executive Education, London Business School spoke about the changing expectations of millennials, “Gen Y do not expect linear job progression. They think of their careers as a portfolio of opportunities and experiences rather than climbing a career ladder. If companies want to retain this generation, they should give them challenging projects to work on and training opportunities more quickly.”

Jumping around different portfolios is something Joel Gascoigne, co-founder, Buffer has picked up on, “In Silicon Valley, there’s a culture of people jumping from one place to the next. That’s why we focus on culture.

Doing it this way means we can grow just as fast—if not faster—than doing it the ‘normal’ cut-throat way. We’re putting oil into the engine to make sure everything can work smoothly so we can just shoot ahead and that’s what we’re starting to see.”

With Gen Y in particular jumping around, what culture anchors them to a company?

For start-ups generally, the trend appears to be giving employees more responsibility.

Commenting on the culture her start-up company offers, Caoimhe Keogan, VP People,

Soundcloud stated, “We do this by giving people a purpose and making sure they are clear on what their role is and what they’re expected to do. We just give people the tools and freedom to do their jobs. What draws people to internet start-ups is the fact that they can make a real impact and take on a lot of responsibility there.”

Google has embraced giving people freedom to make a real impact with its ‘20% time’ initiative. It means that one day a week, employees are allowed to go away and work on a project that they are passionate about—the result of which has seen pet projects turned into actual products that Google now offers— and customers worldwide rely on.

Flexible working Flexible working is another very important aspect for companies looking to modernise.

Working from home at irregular hours is becoming more common in companies all over the world. Although, while it is not a new concept by a long shot, it is a feature widely thought to be taken up by start-up culture.

It features prominently at SoundCloud and Keogan agreed that flexible working is an incredibly important perk for employees and business nowadays, especially in the start-up scene. She explained, “We believe in flexible working— we don’t have a strong opinion on where people work, it is all about getting the work done. So wherever people best do, this is fine. It really depends on the individual personality, but people are generally social animals, so we do like having a space where people come together in the office. If people need to do intense or detailed work, sometimes it’s easier to do that alone outside the office.”

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COVER STORY Flexible working is even gaining senior level support worldwide—according to the latest research by Regus, which surveyed over 44,000 senior business people across more than 100 countries. In fact, John Tsang Chun-wah, Financial Secretary, Hong Kong SAR Government recently encouraged employers in Hong Kong to introduce more flexible working arrangements in his Budget Speech in February.

HR as an afterthought While these tactics might support and foster innovative business models and improve staff engagement as well as talent recruitment and retention, there are many aspects of HR that are often overlooked in young companies and actually form a very strategic part of doing business that big corporations have learned long ago not to ignore.

Shanley Kane, founder and CEO, Model View Culture—an independent media platform with a focus on technology, culture and diversity— has witnessed numerous practices in start-up HR that she considers ‘toxic’, and suggests younger companies have a lot to learn. Some of these include a lack of diversity efforts, relationships with early employees becoming too close—thus leading to issues such as bias and favouritism—and HR being defensive, not proactive, in its strategies.

HR, in many cases, is seen as an afterthought with employees who lack qualifications and experience getting promoted within HR. She commented, “It is incredibly common for HR departments at start-ups to be created by promoting early operational employees with absolutely no background, experience or training in HR to the role.” She writes that the ‘ill-fated’ recipients of these promotions are often general personnel who have filled a variety of roles in the initial build phases, only to

20 | HR MAGAZINE

take on the roles and responsibilities of HR as an afterthought when the company grows.

She added, “First, having had no experience or formal training in HR, the newly-appointed HR lead lacks the requisite training, background, professional support system and body of experience to effectively perform the job.

Having novice, pseudo-HR professionals with no training or experience in sexual harassment, discrimination and employment law is obviously dangerous not only to the company but to marginalised employees who are not offered a competent human relations arm in which to seek recourse.”

Most HR professionals dedicate their career to avoiding the ‘anti-patterns’ Kane describes but they have been trained extensively by companies who value their existence and benefit directly from having a large employee pool managed proactively and inline with corporate values. This leads to large HR budgets and salaries for creating HR departments that stimulate, guide and support the entire company—resources that start-ups often do not have in the early stages and often neglect in the later stages.

Gender imbalance Moreover, issues such as diversity and gender imbalance are largely neglected in the IT and tech industries, especially in start-ups.

Karen Farzam, co-founder, W Hub said female students made up only a third of those studying technology-related subjects—and role models were severely lacking for those women that did try to buck the trend and join the male-dominated industry.

The winds however do seem to be changing.

There are efforts to get female employees into these industries with the likes of The Women’s Foundation in Hong Kong running a series

of mentorship and workshop programmes to promote technology among girls, with volunteers from big corporations such as Goldman Sachs taking part.

“It’s a good thing for more girls to get into the tech industry, because right now I would say it’s still very, very much male-dominated and we appreciate the variety of people joining.

It’s a huge struggle,” said Victoria Li, 26, a recent graduate of educational start-up General Assembly’s 12-week web development course.

Companies that provide volunteers in these programmes, such as Goldman Sachs, set a great example for start-ups to tackle gender imbalance and diversity in the workforce. It is issues such as these that ‘traditional’ HR has been aware of and has been tackling for a long time. Taking a cue from best practices employed by established corporations can help HR get a foothold in young companies—where it’s often sorely needed.

That is not to say these patterns cannot be remedied. Companies that started out as start-ups such as Amazon and Google and have now grown into behemoth organisations often highly value their employee happiness and the budgets they provide for quality HR reflects that.

For these companies, however, the line between a start-up and a corporate entity is severely blurred and one might even consider them corporate entities completely in their own right.

Job satisfaction On the flip side, start-ups are doing certain things more effectively than traditional companies. In spite of the uncertainty that often comes with joining young companies, job satisfaction remains high. This may be because start-ups stand for culture and fun, just as much as work, with 93% feeling valued within their team and by company founders, according to a survey by the American Psychological Association.

COVER STORY Recent research in APAC from Microsoft recently showed how small and medium-sized businesses (SMB) in the region are meeting employees’ expectations in being more productive, collaborative and innovative in a mobile-first, cloud-first world. The study showed that as many as 74% of employees in APAC considered themselves as mobile workers, with 69% in both Hong Kong and Singapore, ahead of employees in other mature markets.

In what Microsoft has dubbed the ‘New World of Work’, companies—young and old—embrace new principles of doing business, a lot of which can be said were pioneered by start-ups. Horace Chow, General Manager, Microsoft Hong Kong commented, “Over the last decade, globalisation and technological innovations have brought the world closer and fundamentally changed the way people live and work. SMBs make up over 90% of business in Asia, and 98% of total business enterprises in Hong Kong—they contribute significantly to economic growth.”

While the study indicated Hong Kong is among the top in the region, there are three key areas which there could be more development—flexible working and work-life balance, more democracy in choice of technology, and technology optimisation. Microsoft claims that the ‘New World of Work’ presents four clear benefits for SMBs today—a more productive workforce, a more collaborative workforce, a more innovative workforce and a happier workplace.

Quality candidates from referrals Start-ups are also seemingly reaping the benefits of approaching talent in less conventional ways. In Hong Kong, according to LinkedIn’s Talent Trends Report, 50% of employees find their opportunities through word-of-mouth—which ranked as the third most popular means of getting a job. It compliments findings by Resource Solution’s Talent Insights Survey 2015 which revealed that 20% of its respondents in APAC got their current job through a referral—ranking as the second most important way of getting a job.

While HR in bigger, well-known corporations have had no problem getting applications from talent, start-ups have appeared more actively in-tune to branding and exploiting personal networks to snatch away some of the brightest up-and-coming talent.

One such start-up, which has made recruitment by referral central to their business, is RecruitMyBuddy.co.uk. According to this start-up, if someone refers a friend and they get hired, they earn GBP 500 paid by the company who hired them. A one-off fee for the perfect candidate seems like the perfect HR headache cure—both for corporate HR and for start-ups—so how well does it work?

Marc Wareing, founder, RecruitMyBuddy, reflected that “The feedback we have received so far has been extremely positive. If you speak to a great deal of HR managers, many of them will agree that internal referrals are usually great hires—they just aren’t getting enough of them. RecruitMyBuddy takes that concept and expands it—it gives companies an incentive to advertise with us and gives referrers an incentive to recommend good quality candidates.”

As a start-up themselves, the people behind RecruitMyBuddy have a keen eye on saving cost, without having to sacrifice quality.

The value of referrals is well-known to HR, but outsourcing recruitment can be a time-consuming and costly endeavour– something that both established HR departments and hatchling companies can struggle with on occasion.

Coming from a HR and recruitment background himself, Wareing found that often the best quality hires came from internal referrals. Oftentimes, this is limited by how many employees the business has, what incentive those staff members have and the scale of their networks.

He commented, “Our main focus is always on the quality of the candidate. Recruitment

agencies will often be an expensive route to go down, and they may have only a limited understanding of your industry simply because they don’t work in it. On the other hand, our referral network sits on the opposite side of the fence; they have already seen candidates in a work environment and are therefore far better placed to spot good candidates.

He added, “However, referrers are effectively ‘mini’ specialist recruitment consultants who will be doing it as a secondary form of income, which greatly reduces the cost for the business involved.”

So while this still does not address the issue of recruiting completely externally—consultancies and agencies will likely dominate that market for the foreseeable future—it certainly showcases how the start-up mindset can innovate HR and cut costs while doing so.

Best of both worlds Companies like Google have risen far beyond the start-up model they started out with but they remain one of the top companies to work for, according to numerous institutions and surveys year-on-year. Google retains its ‘unique’ position by incorporating the best of both worlds.

Both start-ups and established companies can achieve amazing engagement, recruitment and retention rates through a myriad of ways—as evidenced by the sheer variety in most ‘best places to work’ lists—so saying there is such a thing as a golden key to HR, or even that we are on the wrong track would be inaccurate. It should be noted, however, that by implementing some innovative HR tactics from start-up pioneers or listening to tried and tested HR practices from the business world can make any company’s HR even just a little bit better.

By employing established HR principles and combining that with things like flexibility, transparency and engagement, HR can unleash the start-up spark in any corporation, young or old—big or small.

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HR FEATURES

Driving strategic change in HR Outsourcing to facilitate HR’s transition from operational to strategic

They say that old habits die hard—but Intertrust, a company who provides specialised administrative services to multinational corporations and high-net-worth individuals worldwide—asserts that it is imperative that HR departments need to shift their focus away from traditional operational work to strategic functions.

Speaking exclusively to HR Magazine, Christian Heinen, Managing Director, Intertrust Greater China shares advice on why change is crucial for businesses to excel and why HR needs to be at the forefront of driving that transition.

HR’s transition The transformation of HR from a traditional back-office operational role into a strategic function, with an increasing presence at the board table, is well documented. Over the last decade, it is not just the roles of HR that have grown substantially, the expectation of what HR should be delivering has also risen dramatically. As well as fulfilling all the traditional duties such as hiring and payroll, HR are now also increasingly expected to lead on training and development, retaining key employees, building a sustainable talent pipeline, as well as driving strategic HR and change initiatives. As part of this journey, a seat at the board table is no longer ‘preferable’ in HR. It has become ‘essential’ to enable proper strategic

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input directly linked to the business objectives.

Unfortunately, in many organisations, the time and resources afforded to the HR team are somewhat lagging leaving many HR departments stretched to—and in some cases beyond— breaking point. This has grave implications not only in terms of HR capability but also from a wider business perspective.

Heinen noted this overburdening of HR presents numerous challenges to the business as a whole. The overburdening of HR means that businesses are not able to function at their optimum. By being underequipped, HR does not have the time or resources to drive strategic initiatives, support

business development and complete core administration tasks at the same time. As a result, senior management gets sidetracked from core tasks when they have to deal with these problems because HR is overwhelmed.

Outsourcing to free up HR The job of any successful HR team is reliant upon empowering line managers and department heads to continuously interact with frontline staff, and understand the skills and tools they need to carry out their duties. By garnering feedback in this way, HR is then best positioned to provide input as to future strategic development of the organisation, in the best direction forward for talent management. The

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challenge is achieving all of this with limited time and resources. To meet this challenge, it is now becoming the ‘norm’ for HR to outsource certain functions within their remit to reduce operational burdens and free up greater resources for them to focus on more strategic tasks that better drive business success.

Leading the way in strategic HR One area where many in HR are already sourcing external help relates to their payroll systems—where complex logistics and compliance issues can often soak up a huge amount of time for HR. Heinen explained some of the benefits to HR in outsourcing payroll systems, “The classic arrangement is that the client outsources the payroll to us and we maintain the system—but there are two potential extra layers to this. On one level, you can open this system to make it available to the HR department 24-hours a day, seven days a week. And on another level, we can also open the system up to individual staff members so they can self-access their personal records— indeed the trend is going this way.”

A payroll system, such as FlexSystem’s FESA Human Resources, offers the flexibility for HR, and indeed employees, to access records when and how organisations want, without the costs of the organisation having to establish and maintain a Human Resources Information System (HRIS) itself.

As part of the ‘next step forward’, HR should now be looking to work together with competent external partners who can assist them from a number of angles. Firstly, in

analysing the whole business system and advising on which functions are best kept in-house and provide input on the most effective ways forward in terms of future HR strategy. Secondly, in terms of saving money—by reducing the need to purchase, upgrade and maintain HR systems. Thirdly, in terms of saving time and resources by not having to train up and allocate talent to perform operational HR tasks. Heinen noted that with this external help, “HR can focus on core strategic functions like getting the best talent in place, developing them and planning succession.”

Inspiring cultural shift Outsourcing HR functions does not come without its own challenges as it often involves overcoming internal inertia to bring about the cultural shift required. Heinen emphasised the importance of proper Change Management.

He compared it to trying to quit smoking, “People know smoking shortens your life, but people continue to do it despite knowing they will live five years less. Smokers know that to stop smoking would be good for them, but despite this, it is difficult to change habits.

Implementing a new system or way of working is a bit similar. It is clear that it has advantages but it requires a first effort.”

He added, “It is more than simply making a nice sales pitch to future users. It’s about inspiring and convincing that, in the end, change will make the company more effective, less risky, more efficient, more future-proof and provide a greater return on investment. This message should not only come

from a few low-level advocates—it also needs to come from management.”

Technical and operational considerations Initiating change is not only about understanding and managing cultural shifts—it also frequently involves highly technical processes that require expert knowledge, skills sets and professional acumen. HR must also help facilitate the operational shift, particularly where new technology is involved. Migration of data and conversion of the data into a suitable format can be a thankless task. Inevitably, questions arise around expectations and what is expected from a new HR system and where the organisation wants to be after implementing change.

Once a suitable partnership with an external consultant has been established, this can give access to a raft of external expertise which is invaluable to HR. For example, having experts who are up-to-date on regulations and trends in HR helps ensure the most suitable business practices are implemented right from the get-go—saving time and massively reducing the risk of making mistakes legally and having to deal with resultant litigation.

With operational HR taken care of by external partners, not only does this save time and resources, it also unties HR’s hands leaving them free to do what they do best.

The freedom outsourcing brings, allows HR to focus on strategic direction and on working with the C-suite to have proper HR policies and practices and cultures in place to future-proof the entire organisation and drive the bottom line.

It’s about inspiring users that, in the end, change will make the company more effective, less risky, more efficient, more future-proof and provide a greater return on investment.

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Headhunting reloaded

As use of social media for recruitment continues to grow, passive candidates still prefer the personal touch

Results show that 54% of prospective employees turn to social media to look for a job— but yet it ranks 7th out of 8th of where such talent turns first. If social media is not the answer, how do organisations best reach out to talent?

Chart Title

Have you previously used social media to look for jobs?

Yes 54%

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NO 46%

HR needs to think carefully about optimising passive and active sourcing strategies and invest in targeted personalised channels—this, according to findings recently released by Resource Solutions in their Asia Talent Insights 2015. While social media networks are gaining more traction, the research indicates that they are a more effective tool for passive candidates and may not yet be the first choice in APAC amongst candidates actively seeking work.

The social media conundrum Speaking to delegates in Hong Kong, Simon Bradberry, Managing Director APAC, Resource Solutions stated, “Candidates are using social media much more in general — it is a clear trend we can identify both in looking for jobs and following organisations.” But yet the results found that this is not the first place that active candidates go to look for jobs—in fact of all the options, social media came seventh out of eight. Bradberry added, “This demonstrates active candidates are not rushing to social media to look for a job despite the fact that social media is such a hot topic.” Even with the rise of career social media giant, LinkedIn, its use in APAC is inconsistent, particularly with more junior jobseekers, with 47% of

below-management level respondents being at best infrequent users (once a month or less).

The majority of the 56% of people in APAC who use the networking site once a week or more are made up of those in management grades or higher—and the number of people using it that frequently in Hong Kong is even lower—only around 42%.

Understanding passive talent So how to attract the right talent? One recommendation, according to Bradberry is that, “HR will probably have to do a bit more passive candidate searching if they want to find the people they want and keep the quality high because they are not actively coming forward quite so easily as they used to.” While over 75% of those surveyed were actively job-hunting at the time of their interviews, HR could be missing a larger pool of potential talent. 82% of those surveyed stated that they would be looking for a new position in the next 12 months—a sign, Bradberry believes, that a significant amount in the talent pool are passive job searchers.

Getting this talent is no longer as easy as throwing a job advert onto the Internet or

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waiting for them to approach organisations under their own steam. While job boards remain the top way to grab such potential, the survey showed a decreasing trend in their use this year—down almost 5% from the previous year to a shade over 25%. The number of job seekers actively approaching employers slid from 19% to just over 15% in the same period.

While these figures do not indicate a drastic need for change in strategy, HR does need to think hard about how to tap more effectively into the passive 82%.

Being more proactive The answer to HR in APAC may come in the form of a more proactive approach to headhunting. What is particularly striking about the results is that there has been an increase in passive talent who were headhunted, jumping from 9% in 2014 to almost 14% in 2015. Equally when asked about how they wished to be contacted about job opportunities, the APAC passive talent opted for more personalised methods with 56% and 51% ranking personal phone calls and personal e-mails, respectively, as their number one preference. This is all the more impressive when compared to messages via LinkedIn, 18.3% and other social media platforms, 9.6% which indicates that, despite the rise of such channels, they do not seemingly have the same impact as traditional phone calls.

Hammering this point home, Bradberry shared insight from his company, “We refer to what we call ‘The Buzz’ amongst our

own team which is basically people making phone calls—the number one way to get passive talent onboard.” As such, to attract more high-performing individuals will require investment not only in HR’s Internet presence but also the personal efforts of a dedicated team of in-house headhunters.

Indirect headhunting Branding an organisation as an employer of choice requires not only an online presence, but marketing and investment in dedicated headhunters. Whether through personal experience or from word-of-mouth, a company’s recruitment and retention practices can directly affect the perceptions potential candidates have of the organisation.

From the personal perspective of talent, 77% stated that a bad recruitment experience would impact their view of the organisation—indeed in Hong Kong and Singapore alone, 50% of respondents have already had such bad experiences. This is not only damaging from a recruitment perspective but also from a business perspective—with over 81% of respondents in APAC stating a bad recruitment experience would influence them on whether to buy goods or services from that organisation later on.

Once HR has established a rapport with the wider talent pool, it has to then follow through and ensure interviews and recruitment methods contribute to a positive candidate

Breakfast briefing at the Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong on Asian Talent Insights 2015

Simon Bradberry, Managing Director, Asia Pacific, Resource Solutions

experience and help to further enhance the reputation of their organisation.

HR also needs to be vigilant as to how current employees also view their organisation. Word-of-mouth referrals from in-house staff is a powerful tool—with 99% of respondents saying they would seriously consider a recommendation from a friend or colleague in other organisations.

Such recruitment efforts need to work hand-in-hand with retention strategies to help reduce the effort required in directly marketing to new talent who are unfamiliar with the organisation. This ‘indirect headhunting’ can be encouraged with referral rewards for incumbent staff members. As of 2015, however, almost 38% of employees are still not aware of their company’s referral schemes. A figure, which Bradberry opined was far too high and could be remedied with a bit of simple internal marketing.

Investment and innovation in both direct and indirect outreach can be hugely beneficial to HR in APAC. The world of social media is growing and HR must keep a close eye on it—but equally should not fail to ensure personalised gestures, calls and messages are made to help capture key talent. Recruitment strategies should always be multifaceted—but in APAC in particular, personal rapport still counts for an awful lot.

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Choosing the right contractor Contracting out has become popular across many disciplines, providing organisations with the support they need at short notice, particularly within the HR market, where positions can be filled within the areas of Human Resources Information System (HRIS) projects, compensation & benefits, recruitment, HR business partners, payroll and talent management. Organisations often require HR contractors to support the business in different projects during peak periods and in doing so can provide companies with more flexibility, as they can choose to extend the contract or move contractors onto another project when needed.

Ensuring the right contractor is hired, however, is crucial for companies, whatever the department, and to find out what to look out for when searching for the perfect fit, HR Magazine spoke with Carly Adams, Associate Director, Shared Services & IT Contract Division, Robert Walters Hong Kong.

Commitment from contractors According to Adams, one of the most important things to consider when sourcing a contractor is commitment to the job. She explained, “Contract positions normally arise due to a number of reasons, such as special projects, interim cover for maternity or medical leave, or simply a lack of headcount. The length of the positions varies, however one thing is common—organisations want to hire someone who can commit to the full contract period. This is particularly critical for project-based openings as it is important to have the same person to work on the project from beginning to end.”

Level of participation Organisations need to know that the contractors will work to the best of their ability,

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just the same as they would in a permanent position. Adams advises organisations to spot candidates with a positive attitude and willingness to work. She added, “Although this is not easy to tell during interviews, hiring managers can look out for certain qualities, such as the candidate’s drive, enthusiasm and passion to be part of the business.”

Reasons for contract work Adams believes that another important factor to consider when hiring is the reason why candidates are open to working on contract positions rather than on more permanent, fixed terms. She noted that some candidates enjoy the flexibility and better work-life balance of working in different contract roles while others choose contracting in order to gain more exposure and advance their CVs by working in different companies and on different projects.

Adams explained, “Taking the HR industry as an example—this year, some organisations have turned permanent positions into contract roles to access a wider pool of candidates, as there is a shortage of talent in positions such as recruitment specialists, HR business partner and HR projects. This has helped to attract candidates who prefer to work on contract roles for the flexibility, such as returnee mums back from maternity leave, or those looking to explore a different area of work.”

Guaranteeing commitment Adams observed that there are also cases where candidates are open to contract roles whilst they are looking for a permanent position. This is particularly common in the first and fourth quarters of the year since there are normally fewer permanent openings as professionals wait for their bonuses to be paid out. However, she warned, “There is a higher risk that these type of candidates will leave before their contract finishes when they secure a permanent position. Offering good benefits as well as a completion bonus will likely help to gain more commitment from candidates and incentivise them to complete the contract.”

Making the most of their time Once the contractors are on board, organisations will want to ensure they can make the most of their time as well as providing them a rewarding and fruitful experience. Adams offered some tips on how companies might achieve this: • •

• •

•

Offer full training and handover that is as clear and detailed as possible.

Make them feel part of the team by treating them the same as a permanent member of staff.

Give them responsibilities and make them accountable for tasks to challenge them.

Provide guidance and feedback throughout the contract, such as the tasks they are doing well, the areas they can improve on, and the challenges they are facing and how they can be rectified.

Incentivise the candidates—offer attractive benefits and a completion bonus.

She concluded, “By offering contractors attractive benefits that are above statutory, treating them as a permanent member of staff, offering support, guidance and challenging tasks along the way as well as recognition, organisations can attract more quality candidates who would be interested in and committed to working in contract positions.”

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Creating and maintaining a culture of diversity and inclusion remains a top priority for HR professionals and their organisations. Over the years, the categories under the umbrella of diversity have expanded from race, religion and ethnicity to include, for example, age, sexual orientation and disability. An area of diversity that continues to develop and mature concerns the employment, inclusion and retention of individuals with disabilities in the workplace.

HR professionals typically lead the diversity charge for their organisations. They have long recognised the strategic value of building collaborative partnerships within the profession, their organisations and the larger community to enhance their diversity efforts. Facilitating and nurturing these partnerships has become an increasingly important HR responsibility. Perhaps one of the best-kept secrets for HR is the value-added benefit of creating partnerships with Vocational Rehabilitation Counsellors (VRCs) which is gaining popularity in the US. Synergistic outcomes can be realised when VRCs and HR professionals work together to advocate for the employment, inclusion and retention of individuals with disabilities in the workplace.

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Building a diverse talent pool In the US, HR professionals who are seeking individuals with disabilities as part of a talented applicant pool can utilise VRCs to assist them with this. VRCs have access to local, state and national networks of qualified applicants with disabilities who are ready to work and the resources to support the employment process. VRCs work with HR and other hiring managers to understand their specific employment needs. In addition, they are skilled in career assessment, career planning and vocational counselling to assist employers in finding the right people for the right positions.

Diversity training An integral part of inclusion is training on diversity topics that go beyond mere compliance. VRCs can also provide information on disability etiquette, customised resources and support, available financial incentives, and an inclusion perspective on disability-related legislation.

While HR professionals are best positioned to handle the complexities associated with employees who acquire disabilities during employment, VRCs are skilled in job analysis, job coaching,

and job modification. Working in tandem with HR professionals, VRCs can help design alternative ways for performing what might have been routine tasks. From simple low-cost solutions to harnessing the advances in assistive technology, working together HR and VRCs can help significantly enhance retention of valued employees.

Useful resources on hiring talent with disabilities The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)—Disability Employment Resources provides a range of resources in this area including: toolkits, success stories and specific ways for employers to get involved in the employment, inclusion and retention of individuals with disabilities. SHRM is also part of a US programme entitled What Can You Do? – The Campaign for Disability Employment. This campaign is a collaborative effort to promote positive employment outcomes for people with disabilities by encouraging employers and others to recognise the value and talent they bring to the workplace.

National Employment Team (NET) The NET consists of vocational rehabilitation and business professionals

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US Partnerships with Vocational Rehabilitation Counsellors Lessons in enhancing the work of HR professionals in building an inclusive workplace

from over 80 public vocational rehabilitation programmes across the United States. This resource has a pool of qualified applicants along with a US-wide system for sharing resources and evidence-based practices. Of particular use to HR professionals is that services are also available at the state and local levels free of cost to the employer. HR professionals can connect with a local VRC through The NET. National Organisation on Disability (NOD) The NOD website includes a resource section for business that includes a Disability Employment Tracker that enables companies to measure your company's employment practices and discover leading practices and industry trends, webinars related to disability employment topics and disability employment survey research findings. In addition, consultation is available for individualised planning related to disability.

Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) The US Department of Labor's ODEP has a mission to develop and influence

policies and practices that increase the number and quality of employment opportunities for people with disabilities. ODEP sponsors five research and technical assistance resources including the Job Accommodation Network (JAN), a recognised source of information on workplace accommodations and disability employment technical assistance.

Navigating through the maze of legislation, policies and practices can be a daunting task. HR professionals do not have to go it alone, however.

According to Kathy West-Evans, Director of Business Relations and founder, The NET, “The National Employment Team was developed with business partners and we work with customers across the country. The NET delivers talent and support services to businesses through a network of VR experts working as business consultants in every US state, the territories and the District of Columbia. Serving over one million customers with disabilities annually, the NET/VR is connected to the largest talent pool of candidates with disabilities in the country.�

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Breaking down patriarchal fortress A seemingly perennial challenge for HR is how to bring about greater gender diversity to our organisations, particularly at the board level. It is hard to believe but more than century on from the original women suffrage movements, the higher echelons of most organisations are still very much a man’s world.

core values. On its website, for example, Goldman Sachs states, “Diversity is at the very core of our ability to serve clients well and to maximise return for our stakeholders.”

It adds, “Diversity supports and strengthens the firm’s culture and reinforces our reputation as the employer of choice in our industry and beyond.”

Speaking at the Women Corporate Directors (WCD) Global Institute this summer, Susan Stautberg, the organisation’s CEO spoke on what could be done to help bring more female talent to the boardroom and to break down existing ‘patriarchal fortresses’. Stautberg stated, “Diverse boards can make a difference, not only around that table but in the world and for the world.”

Some, however, are more sceptical about such claims.

Lelia Konyn, Consultant, People Strategies for Business Performance pointed out that although statements of gender diversity and diversity programmes are steps in the right direction, in many organisations, the results may be somewhat lacking. In one of the MNCs analysed by Konyn, the senior management team had white American males accounting for nine out of 10 of its executive officers—with only one female African American present.

Further to this, its 35-strong management committee only had five women on it and 10 out of 12 of its board directors were male. Konyn commented, “There probably is equal opportunity at the organisation—it is just more equal for men than for women.”

Gender diversity—more than words Lack of gender diversity is a point that progressive organisations are taking on board—literally and metaphorically. The likes of Goldman Sachs and McKinsey have not merely accepted the need for gender diversity but proactively champion it as part of their

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Positive movement There is some evidence that the situation is beginning to improve in this respect and one of the key statistics that emerged from the Family Business Governance Institute, which runs in parallel with the WCD, was that while in 1992, women only made up 2% of all CEOs in family businesses, today the figure stands at 11-12%. The increase, while encouraging does still show a huge gap in terms of equality in the workplace and speaks volumes of the problem of the patriarchal culture which still pervades many organisations.

In terms of getting women promoted to the board, at the Global Institute, Maggie Wilderotter, Executive Chairman, Frontier Communications and Board Member at Xerox, Procter & Gamble and Juno Therapeutics spoke about the need to get women prepared for board service—taking risks on them and giving them room to develop.

Practical measures Speaking to HR Magazine after the WCD event, Stautberg suggested some tips for HR to help increase gender diversity, “Nominating committees can ensure that their director slates include diverse candidates beyond the ‘usual suspects’. CEOs and other individual directors—men and women—can champion women they know for board opportunities.” She highlighted that board succession needed to be a top priority—focusing attention on getting the most qualified directors who can bring diverse perspectives needed for success.

was not in favour of quotas: only 39% of women directors supported the use of quotas—and only 18% of male directors we surveyed.” She added, “Quotas have been popular in certain countries, but they are certainly not the answer across the board.” In fact, she pointed to development as being the key strategy, “Building the pipeline of talent and developing that talent pool of qualified women is essential.”

Getting onto the board is one thing but sometimes even just turning up as a woman in business can be particularly challenging.

Speaking to delegates, Dr Herta von Stiegel, Founder and Executive Chair, Ariya Capital, shared her pleasant surprise while in Africa at the representation of women in East African governments. But despite this progress, she added, “It’s still a very, very patriarchal environment. If you show up as a woman in business, you’re still often thought of as ‘Plan B’ or ‘Plan C.’ But women are progressing—they are moving forward. There is a sense of ‘we need to be at the table’.”

Matrix mapping Fortunately, the idea of women as a ‘Plan B’ or ‘Plan C’ is not universal. According to research

Breaking down the patriarchal fortress needs more than just quotas—and website statements— it requires a cultural shift. Nurturing women for leadership positions is one thing but boards need persuading to change their attitude too. “As companies compete with everyone, everywhere, for everything, they need the best ‘people’, not their best ‘friends’ for boards,” Stautberg stated.

It is a challenge HR must take on. Many women possess vital talent needed to see business progress—and it is from arguing the business angle that change can begin.

11% Men

7%

Women

Pipelines not quotas This strategy certainly has weight but would the WCD go as far as to call for set quotas globally?

Stautberg disagreed, “In the last global board survey we conducted in 2012, our membership

conducted by the Pew Research Center in the US earlier this year, 80% of respondents agreed men and women make equally good leaders. But yet, the patriarchal fortress remains standing—a mere 25 companies from the Fortune 500 are run by women. For Stautberg, dealing with this is not just about making up numbers, she argued it can hold business back, “Companies should develop a matrix of skill sets needed and then find qualified board members to map against these needs of the company. There are women everywhere qualified in strategic talent, IT, global branding, financial literacy, emerging markets, and more – and the companies that recognise this are the ones who will leave others behind.”

PROPORTION OF RESPONDENTS WHO THINK MEN OR WOMEN MAKE BETTER BUSINESS LEADERS Source: Pew Research Center

80% Equally good leaders

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Inside HR: Marriot International Inc. Talent attraction and retention is a hot topic within the HR community.

We spoke to Regan Takitsadaporn, Chief Human Resources Officer Asia Pacific, Marriott International Inc., to get his take on these issues and what his firm’s strategies are.

While attracting and retaining staff is a challenge faced by all HR executives, it is particularly challenging in the hospitality industry where employers face high workforce turnover—one that is mobile and in high demand.

One of the strengths Marriott has over other organisations, according to Regan Takitsadaporn, is collaboration between disciplines—“We have to collaborate to succeed”. In this manner, he considers communication and engagement with staff to be one of the key strategies Marriott uses for talent retention—pointing to the example of Hong Kong where Marriott office employees had a say in the design and layout of their department’s workspace area. In addition to consultation, Marriott has strived to form a strong bond with its employees by launching initiatives such as ‘Associate Appreciation Week’ which involved cooking classes, community service and a family day.

Human Capital Strategies Marriott has grown from one hotel in Asia 25 years ago to 177 currently, a number expected to double by 2019. That level of growth will

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bring its own challenges and human capital strategies as Marriott prepares for that growth.

A key part of that strategy has involved placing greater emphasis on growing talent from within and allowing mobility within the organisation. Such is the importance of this that now parts of hotel management’s bonuses are measured according to the mobility of talent within the group. As of December 2014, 64% of management positions in the APAC region were filled internally.

But developing talent does not just involve moving around. Enriching human capital while staff members work is taken seriously with every staff member at Marriott joining an ongoing development programme from day one of joining the company. This includes a ‘Voyage’ programme for graduates that fast tracks them on to supervisory management positions within 18 months of joining.

A key way in which Marriott may be seen to differentiate itself is through the use of technology to work smarter at both the front and back end of the business. While

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hotel check-ins can now be made from a mobile—even from your Apple Watch— behind the scenes online learning plays an important role for staff development. Online learning modules are available—such as on performance feedback and a wealth of other resources that staff can use free of charge to develop themselves.

A lot of this stems from the fact that, as Takitsadaporn noted, “People are looking for a career rather than just another job”. He explained that, at a recent hotel opening, he had a housekeeping member of staff ask how they could grow their career, which he felt was illustrative of the calibre of people they wish to recruit.

Mobilising Gen Y Adapting to the needs of the younger generation is also seen as highly important.

Hence, Marriott put a lot of effort into the human capital planning process with a yearly review starting at the hotel level to identify staff with exceptional potential. This knowledge is shared within the group to identify possible career moves within the organisation.

The process of developing the younger generation is not merely top-down. As Takitsadaporn added, “We are always thinking about what innovation we can use for our Voyagers (graduates). There

is a platform where they can interact with other Voyagers around the world – a kind of internal social networking”.

The relationship with technolog y does not end there. Social media platforms are used within the group to recognise accomplishments and share career and culture stories as well as for hiring purposes. It does not merely boost PR but it seen as way to boost morale and serve as a means to inspire younger workers in particular to be ambitious in their goals.

Retaining competitive talent Marriott faces stiff competition in talent retention, not only from other hotels but also particularly the airline/pleasure cruise industries that are hiring people with similar competencies and backgrounds with competitive packages. As hotels never close, staff do not always get Sunday off or get to spend holidays with family.

These challenges are addressed partly by salary and benefits but Takitsadaporn sees the Marriott culture of putting people first as one of the keys to successful talent retention. At every hotel, before every shift, there is a meeting, ‘the huddle’, as it is commonly known, in which an element of the firm’s culture is discussed.

There are also ‘rap sessions’ to enhance communication where the General Manager

of the hotel meets with employees to discuss what they are doing well, what they are not doing well and what customer feedback they are getting.

This engagement and two-way communication of ideas or issues flowing upstream to management—such as my uniform is old and tattered—and taking care of the little but important things day-to-day help build a satisfied workforce.

“After all,” says Takitsadaporn, “Often a hotel is like an employee’s home – they spend most of their day there.”

Three key points Takitsadaporn felt any HR executive should bear in mind were firstly to fully understand the business and know where you need to focus to gain credibility with stakeholders. Second, for HR to remind themselves part of their role is to be there as an advocate for employees. Hence, there is a need to be at the top table to remind management of the people side of the business. Finally, there is a need to constantly develop talent whom will become the next generation of leaders.

Ultimately, with Marriott International recently picking up nineteen workplace excellence awards within four months across APAC, it seems these strategies are bearing fruit.

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Manager mobility—motivation for change Despite being amongst the busiest workers in APAC, a recent study regarding the aspirations of Asian professionals to relocate found Hong Kong is doing better than most in keeping its workers happy. This, as professionals in this day and age are not only more likely to have more employers during their careers than earlier generations—but are also more likely to look globally for opportunities with cultural exposure—seen as key to boosting performance.

Mobility snapshot Hong Kong managers are the most content in Asia to stay put, with other territories reporting high intentions to relocate. In Taiwan, over 60% report an intention to actively pursue a move to another city, region or country. This, according to the MRIC Group’s 2015 Talent Mobility Briefing compiled with the results of its fifth annual Talent Survey. It gave an insight into the intentions of more than 4,500 mid-to senior-level managers and professionals working in Greater China and Singapore.

Motivation for change Across age brackets, industries and markets, the number one motivation for professionals to uproot and relocate is in pursuit of a job promotion. The second incentive in all age brackets is international exposure. Beyond this, those aged below forty stated their priority would be to attain a better quality of life, followed by proximity to loved ones.

to 50 was the desire to move to seek a healthier environment, not a top consideration for those either side of the range.

JB Aloy, Senior VP, Ipsos commented, “The search for a better quality of life is actually disconnected from family life as illustrated by the fact that single professionals are particularly looking for this relocation benefit.”

Preferred destinations Although North America was found to be the preferred destination, with half of the professionals surveyed willing to relocate there.

This represents a shift from the 2012 Talent Report, moving up one space. Singapore came a close second as a destination of choice for 48% of respondents. In joint third came Europe and Shanghai, with 45%, followed by Hong Kong at 41% and Australia/New Zealand at 37%. Now at number 5, Hong Kong has dropped from third place in the previous survey.

Interestingly, for those aged fifty and above, the third key motivation to move is to position themselves in a centre of excellence for their industry, business or profession, before a better quality of life, in fourth position. Present in the bottom spot of their top five for those aged 31

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Particularly among Hong Kong respondents, an improved quality of life was a key consideration.

Mainland Chinese participants indicated that their third most important reason for relocating would be seeking a healthier environment.

Professionals under 30 were found to now prefer Europe and North America over Shanghai and Hong Kong. Those aged under 40 are increasingly interested in Australia and New Zealand.

Mainland China shaping rankings The overall rankings were logically influenced by Mainland Chinese preferences, due to the job market size and their weight in the survey sample. It was found that Mainland Chinese respondents are seeing Singapore as more attractive—moving from fifth place to third—though it remains as attractive to Hong Kong respondents and Taiwanese respondents. Shanghai has become less attractive to the Mainland Chinese respondents—moving from first place to fourth—and Beijing has become far less attractive dropping from sixth to eighth.

Its popularity also fell in Hong Kong—from sixth to ninth, in Singapore from ninth to eleventh and in Taiwan from sixth to ninth.

HR FEATURES

Top reasons to relocate by market More moving from China than to China Twice as many people relocated from China rather than to China in 2014, according to the International Movers Study released

by UniGroup Relocation. The study tracks customers’ global moving patterns over the course of the past year.

The US is both the top destination for people moving from China and the top origin country for those moving to China. However, moves from the US to China decreased by more than 22% compared to 2013. At the same time, fewer people moved from China to the US in 2014 than 2013.

Hong Kong experienced a trend similar to China. Despite the MRIC Group findings regarding Hong Kong professionals being keen to stay put, more people relocated from Hong Kong than to Hong Kong in 2014. Hong Kong and Singapore are the top Asian regions on the lists. Hong Kong is ranked number two on the list of top origin regions, while Singapore is ranked third on the list of top destination countries from China and fourth on the list of top origin countries to China.

Quan Heng, Research Professor, Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences commented, “One important factor that affects international movers is the economic development and structural changes of origin and destination countries. One reason for the decrease in moves between China and the US is the robust economic recovery in the US in 2014, bringing business opportunities and a positive outlook.

The drop in moves to the US also relates to China’s reform and potential growth rate.”

In terms of mainland China professionals’ preferences, the destination ranking used to be dominated by Shanghai and Hong Kong—it is now more international with very positive ratings regarding Europe and Singapore.

There are some minor changes when it comes to mainland cities: Beijing remains the number 2 destination in China but the capital city is distanced by Shanghai. Guangzhou, Zhuhai and Foshan are slightly up in the ranking, whereas Qingdao, Tianjin and Ningbo are slightly down.

Returning Malaysians According to the latest annual Global Salary Survey from Robert Walters, the employment market in Malaysia is likely to remain largely candidate-driven in 2015, with top performing

China

Singapore

Hong Kong

Taiwan

#1

Job promotion

Job promotion

Job promotion

Job promotion

#2

International exposure

International exposure

Better quality

International exposure

#3

Healthier environment

Center of excellence for my industry, business or profession

Center of excellence for my industry, business or profession

Better quality of life

#4

Better quality of life

Better quality of life

Closer to husband/ wife/partner

Healthier environment

#5

Closer to husband/ wife/partner

Closer to extended family (parents, adult children)

Healthier environment

Center of excellence for my industry, business or profession

NA

Europe

50﹪

45﹪

MEA LATAM 7﹪

5﹪

BJ 23﹪ JP 22﹪ SH 45﹪ HK 41﹪ TW 26﹪ SG

48﹪

Australia NZ 37﹪

professionals commanding multiple job opportunities as well as counter offers.

Local companies have also increasingly shown keen interest in hiring overseas nationals due to their global exposure and knowledge of the domestic business culture. This was largely a result of strong initiatives from the Malaysian government agency TalentCorp—which actively engaged with local talent working overseas under its Returning Expert Programme. In 2014, these skilled candidates were particularly in demand within the IT, finance and banking sectors. A prevalent awareness for returning Malaysians is expected for 2015—which will widen the local talent pool.

The Survey suggests that, on average, professionals who secure new positions will expect a 10–20% salary increment in 2015.

However, if demand continues to exceed supply, candidates are likely to receive counter offers which will drive salaries up further.

Sally Raj, Country Manager, Robert Walters— Malaysia commented, "Malaysia enjoyed healthy growth due to expansion within the shared services industry and the entrance of multinational hubs. This was largely attributed to the government's policies which allow ease in setting up business operations. As a result, we also saw more intense competition between organisations for top talent. To address the demand for quality Malaysian professionals in a limited candidate pool, companies have turned their attention to attracting local overseas talent to strengthen the domestic workforce."

It looks likely that the mobility of professional workers in Asia and globally will only increase as travel becomes cheaper and easier, developing economies grow stronger and employers worldwide expect more exposure and experience on CVs. What remains to be seen is whether the ‘turtle’ phenomenon of returning to the homeland will continue or if the concept of nationalism will be forever changed.

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HR FEATURES

Employees prefer salary over work-life balance Firms in Hong Kong are set to increase their workforce in the next six months with CPA Australia revealing that nearly 44% of their senior members will increase their company’s headcount—this, according to their annual 2015 Hong Kong Human Capital Survey. But the report—which gauges the views of professional accountants on business human capital issues in Hong Kong—is not without its warning label: lack of appetite to change jobs, increasing demand for pecuniary rewards and outdated recruitment methods are likely to hamper companies’ efforts.

Salaries reign supreme While it may come as little surprise that with an increase in workforce there will be increased labour costs, it seems that employees are now more concerned than ever about the salaries they receive. Traditionally, the top concern was appeasing employees’ concerns of work-life balance in Hong Kong—indeed

36 | HR MAGAZINE

according to Randstad’s Workmonitor Mobility Index Survey last quarter, employees in Hong Kong felt the most challenged when it came to ‘switching off’.

But CPA Australia’s figures show 36.3% of their respondents believe that salary is the most important consideration when looking for a new role—topping the 27% of people who ranked work-life balance as most important.

It is perhaps understandable when, according to 2015 Asia Pacific Benefit Trends by Towers Watson, employers believe that only 10% of their employees highly value the benefits they receive—all lending itself to the suggestion that companies will have no choice but to give in to demand and invest in salaries to expand their workforce.

Though Kenneth Chen, Divisional President – Greater China, CPA Australia cautioned against companies purely focusing on raising salaries,

HR FEATURES

adding, “It is good practice for employers to link increased salaries with improvements in productivity and to consider other financial and non-financial benefits for employees.”

Stability during robust growth This is not putting off companies looking to hire. CPA Australia’s survey reveals that the next six months provides the best employment outlook for Hong Kong since it began in 2012—fuelled by robust growth of existing business and supporting business growth in mainland China according to 23.8% and 16.9% of respondents respectively.

Despite this, employees do not feel the incentives to switch jobs. 63.4% of those asked were not looking to change their job in the next six months—a huge increase from the 39.4% who said the same in 2014. Confidence in the status quo extends to Hong Kong generally with 64% saying they would not relocate away from the city in the next 12 months compared to 52.6% in 2014.

Chen puts this down to increasing investment from China as well as a positive local economic

outlook but also adds, “The survey findings also show that staff turnover rates, average weekly working hours and the number of respondents planning to change jobs in the next six months have all declined. The workforce of many local companies is therefore more stable, which should add to the growth potential of those companies in the medium term.”

Recruitment challenges Though how to increase the workforce headcount? According to CPA Australia, this remains a huge challenge despite the strong growth in employment expectations.

It finds employers face the problems of a lack of applicants with relevant experience, 28.5%; the remuneration expectations of applicants being too high, 25%; and a poor level of workplace competencies such as communication skills, 18%.

For Chen, this requires improvement on both sides of the business-prospective— employee divide. Speaking specifically about the finance and accounting sector, he commented, “Companies may need to offer more attractive salaries and benefits

to compete in the market for the same top candidates. To fill the skills gap, we believe accounting professionals will need to enhance their risk management and compliance skills.”

Though it is not only what both sides can offer but how they can communicate in the first place. The world has moved on dramatically from the days of newspaper adverts and CVs in the post to the world of jobs available through social media and the ease of sending off an application at the touch of a smartphone screen. When looking for employment, 35.5% of respondents to CPA Australia’s survey use social media to seek a job, with LinkedIn, 88.5% being the most popular platform.

If HR is to fill the gap, it is means like this that they must explore to attract new talent at a time when the sun is shining for business development. Improving the salary and benefit packages on offer and connecting through social media appear to be key findings that will remove the roadblocks to a free-flow of talent across the market.

From left: Ivan Au, Kenneth Chen, Jeffrey Chan & Patrick Yeung at CPA Australia 2015 HK Human Capital Survey Press Conference

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HR FEATURES

5

Essential Steps for Talent Mapping

By Karyn Law, APAC Senior Consultant, atrain Limited and Angelo Puglisi, APAC Head of HR and Marketing, Benteler Automotive

Growth has become the foremost objective of most companies nowadays but over 50% of executives confess that they do not have clear measures in place to meet their growth targets. At a recent HR conference in Shanghai with over 7,000 attendees, Karyn Law, Senior Consultant, atrain Limited and Angelo Puglisi, APAC Head of HR and Marketing, Benteler Automotive came together to share their views on Talent Mapping as the first and critical step to business growth.

1 “Talent management is like building a skyscraper, you need to lay down a good foundation. You cannot afford to make mistakes that cost you money and time.”

2 Selecting materials that best fit your needs 38 | HR MAGAZINE

Master Plan: Understand your business needs The first step is always to understand your future business needs and set your talent management direction.

Talent management is like building a skyscraper, you need to lay down a good foundation. You cannot afford to make mistakes that cost you money and time. Benteler has recently introduced a new competency model that is applicable across affiliates and functions. The new model informs all the key Talent Management Processes. As a global solution partner, atrain tailors its services by adopting Benteler's global competency model, providing active support across recruitment and development initiatives.

Benteler is very unique in its organisational structure which has implications for the kinds of people they look for. The job description often only provides the basic information which is not enough to reflect the current and future needs for businesses entirely. Conducting a ‘needs analysis’ is essential to explore, discuss and align a promising profile with consideration of your future business objectives and challenges.

Acquiring: Scout the right talents for your master plan A company's recruitment process reflects its brand—it needs to be fair, systematic and effective. As an example of such practice, Benteler has implemented customised Assessment Centres (ACs) for the interview process, which involves candidates analysing business case studies and taking part in simulated situations that reflect the challenges of the role. Through these activities, Benteler has been able to observe how the candidates react to critical situations with peers, subordinates or customers. ACs have been proven to better judge a candidate’s performance than having a job interview alone.

HR FEATURES

3 Determining resource allocation

4 Quality check to reinforce your infrastructure

5 Ongoing maintenance to hold the pieces together

Identifying: Allocate your resources to the right people In the new era of talent management, decisions about people are based on potential. Knowing what one is currently capable of is not sufficient, given that we are now living in an ever-changing world. Employees need to show the ability to learn quickly and adapt to changing trends. In our potential framework, we focus on five areas that have been found to predict further growth and development, for example, curiosity and drive. The five areas can be assessed through simulations and natural job observations and help organisations channel the right development resources to the right people.

See more from atrain's presentation on Assessing Potential

Developing: Ensure your people are growing Hiring the best-fit candidate with ability and potential is only the start of the talent management process— businesses then need to put emphasis on developing them. At Benteler, they developed the two-year ‘Managers of Tomorrow’ development programme and atrain has played a large part in designing and implementing Development Centres (DCs) as the initial step. By utilising DCs as a platform, the emerging leaders are able to identify their key strengths and development areas which facilitate subsequent action planning for development.

In our DCs, participants receive real-time feedback from atrain facilitators as well as their own senior leaders. The approach aims to provide feedback from multiple perspectives, foster talent engagement and maximise senior leader buy-in.

Engaging: The ultimate way to find meaning in an employee's career Engaging is the last but an important component of ‘building a skyscraper’—it is a huge assumption that talents are highly engaged. If they leave, businesses will not be able to harvest the results of their investments. Career coaching supports talents in finding meaning in the workplace. atrain psychologists provide professional support in assessing employees' motivations, beliefs and values. This helps companies in increasing their employees' level of awareness. As a result, talents are more engaged and ready to drive their own career development.

Advice to HR Professionals Perfect candidate The important part about attracting talent is not to think about getting the perfect candidate. In fact, it is best to always look for one with a 70% best fit—the rest is up to the company to ensure they are ready to move up into more senior positions. You do not want someone who is hired and ready to move on to his/ her next role—it will not create enough challenge and stimulation for that person.

@

How to get buy-in from business leaders?

Selling a new process to the C-suite is a common problem. However, HR’s way of functioning is no different from other business units—you need to sell your programme. It is important that key stakeholders know that this is not purely an HR initiative but a programme to ensure future business growth. In short, there needs to be a sense of a shared goal. Involve business leaders in the process, invite them to be observers in ACs and DCs. Through participation, they get to better know their people and understand the importance of ensuring an adequate and sustainable talent pipeline.

Email for inquiry: info@atrain-apac.com | 39

HR FEATURES

Can’t get no satisfaction Global employee engagement stagnates while job satisfaction levels plummet almost 30%.

While employee engagement levels have plateaued, employees’ overall work experience is deteriorating—particularly their perceptions about the resources and programmes that enable them to grow and perform. This according to the latest findings in Aon Hewitt’s Trends in Global Employee Engagement which represents the perspectives of more than nine million employees at over 1,000 companies in 164 countries.

In 2014, global employee engagement levels reached 62%­— up just 1% from 2013. Employee engagement across the countries with the world’s 20 largest economies and labour pools remaining flat at 61%. Despite modest increases in engagement, the study shows that employees’ net satisfaction with their work experience plummeted 28% in 2014.

Dr Ken Oehler, Global Engagement Practice Leader, Aon Hewitt commented, “As GDP growth continues, we expect to see organisations make greater investments in people, which could result in an increase in employee engagement. However, any improvements in engagement could be

40 | HR MAGAZINE

offset by increasing employee dissatisfaction with many of the work-related resources and programmes that enable them to effectively do their jobs. Employees who are engaged, but not empowered, are more likely to be frustrated, burnt out and become disengaged, which puts organisations at risk of having suboptimal productivity and higher-than-average employee turnover.”

Global engagement drivers The study found that career opportunities— the top driver of engagement—dipped 3%.

Other top engagement drivers: reputation, pay, employee value proposition and innovation also show opportunity for improvement, with about half of the global population dissatisfied with these key engagement priorities. Work experience indicators that saw the most significant decline in employee perception worldwide include: • • •

Enabling tools, resources and people programmes (-7%) Employees feeling valued (-6%) Customer focus and responsiveness to customer needs (-5%)

HR FEATURES Senior Leadership

5%

Brand Alignment

3%

Manager

2%

Innovation

1%

Recognition

1%

Work/Life Balance

Region

2012

2013

2014

Globally

60%

61%

62%

North America

63%

65%

66%

1%

Europe

57%

57%

57%

Benefits

1%

Asia Pacific

58%

61%

64%

Communication

0%

Latin America

74%

70%

71%

Co-workers

0%

Africa / Middle East

53%

61%

67%

Learning & Development

0%

Managing Performance

0%

Organisation Reputation

0%

Pay

0%

Work Processes

0%

Physical Work Environment

-1%

Autonomy/Choice

-1%

Safety

-1%

Sense of Accomplishment

-1%

Work Tasks

-1%

Source: Aon Hewitt’s 2015 Trends in Global Employee Engagement

Diversity

-3%

Career Opportunities

-3%

Customers

-3%

BU/Division Leadership

-5%

Customer Focus

-5%

People/HR Practices

-5%

Valuing People/ People Focus

-6%

Resources

-7%

Net Employee Work Experience -28%

Oehler added, “There has been significant emphasis on increasing engagement over the last several years, but many organisations are overly focused on diagnostics and not on the holistic solutions that address the specific challenges they are facing. The best way to rapidly address low engagement levels is to ‘fix the basics’ in areas like safety or the systems, processes and resources needed to get work done. Beyond these areas, top organisations will create a culture of engagement by focusing on performance, growth and engaging leadership.”

GDP growth and improved engagement and work experience indicators across all key engagement drivers. However, we also see the dynamics of low engagement in Japan—although improving, deteriorating engagement and work experience indicators in China, and increasing engagement and work experience indicators in South Korea. A combination of strong market growth without the resources to deliver on demand and customer expectations can create engagement risks for markets like China.”

Regional engagement levels Aon Hewitt’s report shows significant regional variations in engagement levels. Latin America continues to be the region with the highest engagement levels, with approximately seven out of ten employees engaged. The African and the Middle Eastern region is seeing the greatest positive trajectory, with engagement rising 14% since 2012 to 67%.

In North America, engagement reached near pre-recession levels at 66%. APAC has seen a 9% increase in average engagement over the last five years, due in large part to high economic opportunities across many markets in the region. Europe remains flat at 57% with many markets continuing to struggle with stalled economic growth.

Job functions matter Not surprisingly, the research shows varying level of engagement by job function.

Executives’ and senior leaders’ engagement levels are at 76%, an increase of 10% since 2012. Middle managers had a slight jump in engagement level, rising 2% to 67%. Frontline and professional employees stayed flat at 61% and 54%, respectively.

Stephen Hickey, Head of Talent, ANZ and Co-head of Engagement Services, Asia Pacific commented on the regional trends, “The Asia-Pacific region shows continuing strong prospects but also local volatility and engagement risk. In this region, we see strong

Oehler explained, “While managers have traditionally been responsible for engaging their people, that paradigm is shifting. Senior leaders are now responsible for setting a compelling vision that connects people to purpose. Individual employees are increasingly expected to be responsible for their own engagement, including understanding what impacts their personal engagement and what they need to be optimally engaged. In our experience, leaders that create cultures of engagement create environments that empower individual employees to develop themselves and others.”

Source: Aon Hewitt’s 2015 Trends in Global Employee Engagement

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HR FEATURES

Widespread employee dissatisfaction with investment options and flexibility Mercer recently announced the results of its Workplace Savings Survey, which found that less than one in five employees believe current investment options are adequate. The survey, conducted in Hong Kong, examined employee attitudes to workplace savings and revealed a strong need to better cater to employees who want more help to select appropriate investment options.

evolved and there is no ‘one size fits all’.

This dissatisfaction stems from a complex range of factors, including the pace of organisational change, a lack of education around retirement planning and poor quality information. Our research has highlighted a clear, consistent need for better access to information, greater flexibility and a broader range of investment options.”

Against the backdrop of the latest MPF results, which suggest annual returns for 2014 are likely to be lower than last year, a broader range of investment options was voted as one of the three key improvements employees want to see.

A key theme to emerge from the research was the need for enhanced communication with employees and increased education about retirement planning. The research results suggest employee confusion remains a barrier to their ability to make informed, risk-based decisions that drive desired results and a more secure future. However, this uncertainty also presents an opportunity. The survey found that, despite widespread dissatisfaction with

Deborah Bannon, Investments Business Leader—Greater China, Mercer said, “We listen to our clients and their employees too.

Employees’ workplace savings needs have

42 | HR MAGAZINE

current investment options, a significant majority—more than 85% of respondents— across all generations are actively engaged in their workplace savings plans.

Alan Oates, Greater China Retirement Leader, Mercer said, “The high level of engagement with retirement plans is positive; however, what’s currently on offer does not fully align with employee expectations, or needs. When employees are confused, they are effectively making ‘blind’ decisions about their future.

This research provides a clear call to action to implement real changes. The MPF core fund consultation is beginning to address some of these issues, but our research suggests there is more on people’s minds. Concern isn’t just limited to investment options; it also extends to access to data, guidance, advice and more certainty post-retirement.”

HR TRAINING

Advocating L&D How an individual approach to L&D can have a dramatic impact on talent development and business performance Octopus Holdings Limited has 400 staff in Hong Kong and the HR team—led by Ivy Leung—has taken an unconventional approach to L&D within the organisation.

Leung is also a member of the Organising Committee for the HKMA’s Training and Development Awards—and therefore uniquely in touch with the wider sphere of today’s L&D best practices. HR Magazine stole a few moments from her hectic schedule to gain her insight on the prestigious HKMA Awards and the changing face of L&D. Innovation abounds Commenting on this year’s intake for the HKMA Training and Development Awards, Leung was impressed by how all the programmes were well aligned with the business needs of the organisations involved.

She noted, “It’s not just about organising a training programme and making sure everyone is happy with it. To be truly effective, L&D programmes need to start right from the mission and vision of the organisation. Core values must be made clear right at the start in order to get the programme properly aligned with the business strategies.”

Leung explained that the HKMA Awards, with their long heritage, were a perfect opportunity to provide recognition to great trainers. The Awards also provide a chance for organisations to improve the quality of their T&D programmes—with both individuals and companies being able to learn from each other as part of a process of continuous enhancement. She also noted that the Awards had become a unique platform for trainers to connect across vastly differing industries.

Over the years, Leung has also seen changes in terms of the presentations at the Awards, with far more frontline staff and trainees delivering presentations rather than just the HR heads and trainers themselves. She explained, “This is demonstrative of the change that we are witnessing in HR, with a move away from the traditional top-down approach towards a much less tiered and inclusive approach to L&D.”

Individual approach—far reaching influence Within this framework, Leung has also seen HR moving towards a much more flexible approach in terms of delivery channels of L&D programmes. After an earlier proliferation of e-learning in L&D, more recently Leung has seen a steady shift towards a more cut-down approach, with half-day workshops and even 15-minute daily learning experiences taking precedent over more traditional longer L&D programmes.

She added, “Today’s HR is taking a much more pragmatic approach in building L&D cultures that value understanding every one of the participant’s needs.”

On the importance of HR properly understanding each and every member of the team, Leung drew an analogy with the famous Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, “If we use history as a mirror—we know if our strategy is working well, if we use the whole organisation as a mirror—we know if our public image is correct, if we use each person as a mirror—we know if we’re doing a good job in terms of learning and development.”

people’s minds.” Each member of the team is assigned an individual and highly personalised training plan. The system involves first conducting a SWOT analysis of each individual and then offering suggestions as to what they can do in order to bring them up to speed on particular areas.

VICs Leung added, “Great trainers do more than simply align the programme with the business and deliver it, they also treat every trainee as a very important customer (VIC).

If you take care of your staff, they will take care of your customers, and they will take care of your business.” Aside from VICs, Leung also highlighted the importance of HR being totally open to new ideas within the L&D sphere, “If you always put limits on everything you do—physical or anything else—it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them.”—quoting Bruce Lee. So what are you waiting for?

Essential elements of great T&D Leung shared her years of experience in the L&D field on a few of the most critical things that HR needs to bear in mind to deliver great T&D programmes.

• Clear training objectives • Well structured design • Measurement of outcomes • Innovation On the subject of innovation, Leung explained, “It’s not just about doing something new in terms of programme design, it’s about creating a system that continually adds value to the entire learning approach.”

Advocates, not trainers Leung pointed out, “We don’t have conventional ‘trainers and trainees’, but rather everyone is an ‘advocate of good practices’. In this way we can ensure core intelligence and new ideas are effectively delivered throughout the entire system and concepts are put right into

Ivy Leung Head of Human Resources & Administration Octopus Holdings Limited

| 43

HR TRAINING

Winning a HKMA T&D Award Advice from a renowned trainer and member of the Board of Examiners on building award-winning T&D programmes Teddy Liu is no stranger to excellence in T&D, and for the second year running, as a member of the Awards Organising Committee and on the Board of Examiners, he is sharing his expertise at the HKMA Awards for Excellence in Training and Development. In both these positions, Liu has been exposed to a huge array of T&D programmes. Over the past five years, in his current position at New World Development Company, he has also overseen the development and rollout of a plethora of successful training programmes. HR Magazine had a chance to speak with Liu as he shared tips on what makes excellent T&D programmes—and how organisations that get this right can become recipients of one of the most coveted HKMA Awards.

Teddy Liu General Manager—Corporate and Talent Development New World Development Company Ltd.

talent development sphere, something he believes is highly beneficial.

He explained, “Trainers should not just be from HR backgrounds— whenever possible, they should also be hybrid managers. For example, in training frontline staff for a retail operation, my team employs a very experienced shop manager as a trainer. You need a lot of practical experience on the ground for that sort of training. These people know what the frontline faces and what they need.”

Friends who follow up According to Liu, trainers should be seen as ‘friends’—they should support, engage and follow up with the people they train. Bringing that back to what a T&D programme would need to get a chance at winning that Award, companies have to follow up on their programmes and ‘continuously take the temperature’—even after success.

Preparation Commenting on the applicants of this year’s Awards, Liu emphasised that many of the companies had implemented very strong and structured programmes. He noted significant preparation had been invested in honing each of the training programmes to help align them with the needs of trainees as well as business strategies.

Liu said, “The Award provides recognition for the thought that has gone into these training programmes—which play a vital role in businesses today.

Competition in the HKMA Awards is quite keen with excellent quality programmes, and the resultant sharing of best practices benefits everyone.”

Alignment, engagement, investment According to Liu, it is a challenge at times to bridge the gap between business needs and the training that is provided. A successful T&D programme therefore is one that is innovatively and creatively aligned with top identified business needs.

Identifying these needs means that stakeholder engagement at all levels is crucial if training is to see long-term results. Liu was clear about how important this was for business, “My notion is not T&D, it’s T for D. Training for development. In terms of a company’s resources, there is cash and there are people—only people can help the company generate more profit from the cash available, so greater investment in people is a must.”

Relevance Liu explained that hands-on training that is relevant and meets the needs of all parties involved is the key to success. One good way of achieving this is by thinking carefully about the people involved in training. As a former accountant himself, Liu has brought a unique non-HR perspective to the

44 | HR MAGAZINE

He emphasised that two wildly different training programmes could be equally successful—as long as they meet the business needs and engage the people who should benefit from the programme. At the end of the day, having training programmes that follow those criteria will also help staff retention rates rise dramatically.

Recognition For organisations following Liu’s advice, the HKMA Awards for Excellence in Training and Development offer recognition for that organisation's training programmes. Such recognition helps further differentiate them as being an employer of choice—an increasingly important aspect of business and crucial to recruiting and retaining the best talent.

is not T&D, “it’sMyT notion for D. Training for development. ”

Award for Excellence in Training and Development 2015 2015 Award Presentation Dinner Date: 29 September 2015 (Tuesday) Time: 7.00pm – 10.00pm Venue: JW Marriott Ballroom, Level 3

JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong Contact: Ms Sunnie Ma

2774 8579 / sunniema@hkma.org.hk

HR TRAINING

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HR TRAINING

Planning a leadership development journey

By Claudia Hill, Global Lead for High-Potential Leadership Development and Allen Moore, Senior Partner and Executive Coaching Solution Lead, Korn Ferry Leadership and Talent Consulting

About this series In these four articles, we ask: what are the keys to developing agile leaders who can pivot with the needs of HR and the overall business strategy?

Part 1. Develop your leaders in context—leadership development can be used to put the best minds in a company to work on real, current business problems.

Part 2. Who leaders need to be and what they need to do—each leader's effectiveness depends on a number of factors, including personality traits, personal experience and workplace skills. Effective development addresses all of these.

Part 3. Realise that development is a journey— meaningful change happens over time, but leaders can embrace new behaviours when they have been given time to understand them.

Part 4. The power of service and purpose—serving a greater good is a powerful motivator for a leader to be his or her best self. Competencies reveal what a person is capable of now.

The quality of leadership is one of the most important predictors of an organisation’s future success (Peterson, Walumbwa, Byron and Myrowitz 2009). But becoming an effective leader requires tremendous effort and time (Ericsson, Krampe, and Clemens 1993). Proven leadership talent is often scarce and leaders are faced with more complex challenges earlier in their careers (Bersin 2012). Because of these issues, it is in every organisation’s best interest to develop leaders at all levels.

Most agree that leadership development should be aligned with business strategy and ensure a robust pipeline of ready leaders—connecting individual growth to organisational needs. This should be seen as a journey—one that integrates opportunities to gain insight, experiences, visibility and tackle challenges.

Role of HR development So how can leadership development practitioners achieve this? The most mature leadership development functions build capacity at the individual and organisational level by doing four things:

To achieve these aims, it is necessary to have development journeys that go beyond ‘filling up a glass’—in that it serves to add to a person’s knowledge base. It needs to also make the glass larger and increase its capacity. The goal of strategic leadership development is to help individuals, groups and organisations improve their ability to work together productively (Day and Harrison 2011). Often this requires challenging methods of the past. Creating these learning journeys requires a new approach to the design process, which uses the current context of the organisation as a starting point.

Designing effective leadership journeys Leadership development should activate its organisation’s strategy. A case in point is where Korn Ferry partnered with a health care delivery service organisation. The organisation wanted to develop its leaders at a time of tremendous change—recent mergers, massive growth in demand and a new CEO with a new vision highlighted a real need for leadership within the organisation.

Together, we followed the Strategic Leadership Journey Design Process to create an integrated development strategy.

Growth

Engagement

Individual Individual

Improve skills and competence.

Help individual leaders gain the skills, knowledge and abilities they need.

Foster individual engagement.

Foster commitment so that leaders choose to lead.

Organisation

Create a path for succession.

Identify and develop leaders so that the organisation has the right leaders when they are needed.

Support networking and organisational engagement.

Improve the ability of leaders to activate the strategy.

References Bersin. 2012. Talentwatch. New York: Bersin and Associates.

Boudreau, John W., Peter M. Ramstad, and Peter J. Dowling. 2002. Global talentship toward a decision science connecting talent to global strategic success. Ithaca, N.Y.: Center for Advanced Human Resource Studies, Cornell University.

Day, David and Michelle. Harrison. 2006. “Leadership Development.” The Encyclopedia of Career Development. New York: Sage Publications.

DeRue, S. 2011. “Adaptive leadership theory: Leading and following as a complex adaptive process.” Research in Organisational Behavior, 125-150.

Ericsson, K. Anders, Ralf Th Krampe, and Clemens Tesch-Römer. 1993. “The Role of Deliberate Practice in the Acquisition of Expert Performance.” Psychological Review. 100 (3): 363-406.

Peterson, Suzanne, Fred Walumbwa, Kristin Byron, and Jason Myrowitz. 2009. “CEO Positive Psychological Traits, Transformational Leadership, and Firm Performance in High-Technology Start-up and Established Firms.” Journal of Management. 35 (2): 348-368.

Rabinowitz, Noah, C. McCarthy, Kathy Woods, J. Feldman, J. Gillespie, and Jonathan Feil, J. 2013. Talent Management Best Practice Series: Leadership Development. Evelyn Orr (Ed.) Los Angeles: The Korn Ferry Institute.

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HR TRAINING

1. Recognise shift. In this step, the fundamental changes in the strategic road map were identified as ‘shifts’ and the shifts for the health care system were significant—pointing to challenging leadership gaps.

Leaders of the future would need to be able to more proactively partner with the communities they served. Administrative and clinical leaders would need to partner ever more closely to deliver on the organisation’s mission.

7. Feedback loop. In the health care system, the impact of the leadership development journey was assessed using multiple methods. These included: • Post-session evaluations to gauge participant response and suggestions.

• Reviews of development planning (participants document their action plans).

• Conducting a formal 360° post-programme Time2Change® survey.

• Comparing engagement surveys.

• Measuring actual retention rates for pivotal positions.

• Performance ratings of managers by employees.

The programme management team reviewed evaluation data quarterly.

This made it possible to see further opportunities for programme alignment to the business strategy and needs of leaders.

2. Clarify demand. Once the shift and nature of change was identified, the next step was to clearly define the new competencies demanded of leaders. In this analysis, the talent gaps became apparent.

There was a need for more strategic agility, cultural competence, communication, innovation, teamwork and systems thinking.

3. Establish the core. For all that would change, it was important to identify that which would stay the same, including core leadership characteristics such as vitality, authenticity, learning agility, and self-awareness. In the case of this health care organisation, the core characteristics also included ethics and cultural competence.

Strategic Leadership Journey Design Process

6. Implement development. To launch the experience, insight was gathered with assessments, feedback and coaching. The support of senior leaders instilled motivation in participants. New skills, introduced in development workshops and synchronous web meetings and real-world practice were acquired through learning assignments. Accountability was built through peer feedback and manager involvement.

4. Craft design architecture.

Crafting a design architecture meant addressing the learning objectives and how such journeys would work in practice. Key questions we needed to ask were: • How do people gain an awareness of what is missing or needs improvement?

• Why should people be motivated to invest the time and effort it takes to develop as leaders?

• How will people absorb new skills?

• How will people practice?

• How will people be encouraged to internalise what they’ve learned and improve performance?

5. Build programme. With these questions answered, the next step was to create or select the development experiences most aligned with the leader and the leader’s context. In our case, time for role development was short and had to be reserved for the highest impact experiences. As a result, virtual learning and action-learning projects, as well as workplace-based and just-in-time learning were combined with site visits and in-person, traditional, instructor-led development. All elements were tied together by the core leadership principles and aimed at critical competencies and experiences.

Conclusion This paper proposes a framework for the design of strategic leadership development journeys. Leadership is a valuable asset that every organisation needs. However, it is a borrowed asset that the organisation cannot own. It must be continuously acquired, developed, nurtured, engaged and rewarded. The benefit of approaching leadership development as an ongoing journey is the progressive arrival of mature, committed leaders who are prepared to activate the business strategy.

For more information on Korn Ferry visit: www.kornferry.com

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Digital HR—trials, tribulations & triumphs Building a robust digital HR strategy

As HR technology continues to expand, the latest HR Magazine conference focused on digital HR. It highlighted HR’s inevitable move towards further digitisation, particularly as organisations are looking to make processes, such as payroll, more streamlined and use the power of ‘Big Data’ metrics to drive greater corporate competitiveness and help with predictive HR strategies. It revealed that while HR tech roll-outs do sometimes produce a few road bumps, they can offer amazing opportunities for HR seeking to make its strategies more effective and better aligned with business goals.

ERIC YEE Head of Talent Solutions, Hong Kong and Taiwan, LinkedIn

Social Media—what do potential hires really want, when do they want it, and how do they want to be recruited?

There is a lot going on in terms of tools and technology that are changing fundamental processes in recruitment—unchanged for hundreds of years. Yee pointed out, “It all started with a ‘Help Wanted’ sign.” But with the development of these tools, Yee asked the audience whether organisations are really utilising one of the most important emerging platforms, social media, to recruit top talent.

For talent, Yee commented, they do not just want to find jobs but they want to network, find and share information. “Why do professionals care about what you ate last night?” he joked. With this trend, Yee explained that his company’s main mission was to facilitate these needs and help people finding their dream job.

With 56% of people now using social professional networks and 74% of professionals in Hong Kong being considered ‘passive talent’, Yee insisted there is a need for organisations to engage with social media as a means to

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recruit. In this new world, perception matters and building and sustaining a follower base is vital. To get people to join, employment brand is critical for attracting talent.

If organisations utilise these platforms to show how great they are to work for, Yee revealed that companies can save as much as 50% on hiring costs—which for large companies can amount to millions of dollars. All this because people will be attracted and retained by a reputation they trust.

Also forming part of a brand, Yee explained it is important for employers to be upfront about what they are offering. Professionals want to know the responsibilities they will take on, their room to develop, who they will work for and importantly in Hong Kong, the pay and compensation packages. In a world of word of mouth, it is also key for employers to think about their interview process and the impression that can leave on individuals.

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IBM’s social collaboration strategy By 2016, there will be two billion smartphones, and, at present, 96% of Hong Kong residents browse the Internet daily on their phone. With this, Tenicela declared an ‘age of disruption’ is facing business: consumers and employees are more sophisticated with data and thus have many expectations—how does business adapt?

For Tenicela, the answer lies in Social Business and Collaboration. Take away the barriers, hierarchy and cubicle mindset—the future of work is about sharing ideas and perspectives, and leveraging online networks and communities. This is more than utilising email and even goes beyond networking, he added, “It’s about how do you leverage networking to achieve your business objectives and enhance your professional career.”

IBM have innovated on the social collaboration front through the ‘smarter workforce’ initiative. One such event they ran was a

‘Values Jam’—based on the concept of a music jam—where IBM utilised social networking to update its Core Values—a process in which a large section of the employee population contributed their thoughts and ideas. They also offer its online social collaboration platform, ‘Connections’ which customises information for certain employees, allows the sharing of articles, experiences and files, as well as communication with customers.

TONY TENICELA Global Leader—Workforce Diversity and LGBT Markets, IBM Corporation

The future does not seem like it will slow down, Tenicela claims. The ‘social intranet’ will continue to expand connecting social media, the Internet and email together dynamically. Mobiles will get more sophisticated as desktops and laptops are phased out. Also, with social layers created, it will now be up to businesses to develop the game layer to understand analytics and predict consumer behaviour from information gathered from social collaboration.

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Riding the wave—do you work for your system or does your system work for you? systems within an organisation. The story is familiar to HR: disjointed systems lead to disrupted processes and problems with reporting. However, with the development of technology, Clarke’s message was clear, “Gone are the days when you need to do a full replacement of your systems at one time—you can now actually just replace bits of it while still adding tremendous value.”

Chief Operating Officer, FlexSystem

On the first problem of disrupted processes, Clarke identified that too much time was required on process—many systems in HR simply cannot move fast enough. One of the key reasons for this is that systems are disjointed— documents flow from department to department and there is tremendous pressure on systems when dealing with complex processes like commissions and payroll calculations.

Professionals in HR know all too well that the move towards digitalisation in HR stems from inconvenient manual procedures— but even with software implemented, there is increasing pressure to join up

Companies need not do a complete restoration of their systems to meet this challenge. Clarke pointed out that technology is such that gaps can be filled which jam up existing systems.

Employee self-service apps for example have

ASHLEY CLARKE

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made routine tasks such as time and attendance much more convenient without dramatic systematic change.

Not only can the process be complex but there can be some serious problems for reporting.

One of the major issues, Clarke stated was, “As information passes through systems, some are left behind and a lot of time is spent trying to get everything back onto one page.” With leadership forever placing multi-dimensional requests on HR for statistics and metrics, and with different work structures existing in the same company across the world, disjointed systems emerge and reporting practices become very inefficient.

Clarke advised those in HR to adopt software that could provide assistance with data collection from their current systems and even report it. In doing so, HR can then access key information from how old an ‘open position’ is, to creating business simulations based on previous data to help with predictive HR strategies.

HR COMMUNITY

Launching a HR dashboard providing key people data and business analytics across regions ImagineX, with over 2,000 employees, is the power behind-the-scenes for many luxury brands—Wong began by introducing her company’s ‘HR Dashboard’—established to help automate and monitor key HR processes.

PATSY WONG Human Resources Director, ImagineX

Wong explained that manually writing, compiling and e-mailing reports on a quarterly basis can be quite a labour-intensive endeavour and in today’s world, up-to-date information is critical. To further enhance and streamline the HR process, Wong and her team decided that automation needed to become a key driver for the business—and so the ‘HR Dashboard’ was born. The team decided that any automated HR system would need to be integrated with existing business software to ensure a smooth transition.

After overcoming a few hurdles along the way, the automation was implemented successfully

and smoothly—information became available at the fingertips of HR, saving huge amounts of time, money and effort.

Key data that the software utilises and displays for use in HR includes manpower, staff productivity, staff turnover rate and reasons for leaving. This allows the team to have a quick overview and allowed reports to be made daily or even hourly if necessary, liberating HR from previous constraints.

Wong did emphasise the importance of getting key players—such as IT directors and line managers—on board to make the rollout a success. She commented that their support from the very beginning made her task significantly easier, but also ensured a much better uptake rate later on.

Rolling out human capital management systems: critical issues to overcome for success After a quick introduction of the Wallem Group and its main responsibilities, Mannas emphasised that the enormous amount of logistics that the Wallem Group manages requires constant growth and expansion. This, however, means that HR cannot be ‘made up on the fly’—solid strategies are a must to keep people in the company. Moreover, it is crucial that this strategy is formulated before even commencing market research for IT systems.

In other words, the system has to meet the strategy—not the other way around.

She mentioned that studies have shown that in a lot of HR departments, there has been a misalignment between the goals and smaller pieces of HR, which means that companies need a robust system to deal with these issues.

Ensuring that this misalignment did not occur in her company, the first step for Mannas and her company was to engage IT, then the Board and Executive Committee in the selection process of implementing software.

Selection criteria included look and feel, responsiveness of service, and post implementation support. Next up was the idea of a phased deployment to ensure that the most value adding items were automated

first. For example, HRIS is beneficial to the HR department, but not necessarily for the rest of the business. Employee profiles and needs were deemed more pressing in the grand scheme of things, so these were deployed first.

In terms of involving different stakeholders, Mannas emphasised that the software needs to be beneficial for all parties. Additionally, the HR department focused on training and communication prior to the launch of the system to ensure everyone knew what was happening and how it worked. ‘Christening’ the system in terms of design and attraction was also helpful in getting different stakeholders involved. She emphasised that it’s a journey; a constant work in progress to improve the system even further—it is a marathon, not a sprint.

DEBBIE MANNAS Critical lessons that she learned from this roll-out included the importance of communication and training, staff ownership of profiles and photos, as well as patience. She reinforced the idea that behind the scenes, patience is the glue that holds this all together.

In her experience, an attitude that was looking to evaluate and improve was far more helpful than being defensive about choices made.

Group Head of Human Resources, Wallem Group

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HR COMMUNITY Evolution of HR systems­—developing a self-service HR portal Times are changing—particularly with how we use and consume technology outside of work. That user experience when we are interacting socially via Facebook and LinkedIn were some of the drivers British Telecom (BT) looked at when contemplating how technology is providing new opportunities for HR. BT’s focus is on the HR home portal where employees and line managers can use this as a self-service wrap—freeing up HR staff for more strategic work. This behavioral shift, where innovative functionalities are now used outside of work, means employees can independently self-serve in HR first, before they contact the HR department.

With the expansion of the BT brand into markets like APAC, the company wanted to make sure its employees were advocates.

“We wanted to offer them, in terms of the suite of technology to do HR activities, similar cutting-edge functionalities that you would be able to use outside of work,” explained Cole.

In terms of technology, the focus for BT is on having ingenious systems. When software updates come through, employees have the ability to take advantage of those updates.

This would enable line manages to raise acquisitions themselves, work internally, short-list CVs and do all of it online. “Our end-state vision is accessibility of these systems through mobile communications, a front door into HR,” explains Cole.

With around 90,000 employees all over the world operating in over 170 countries, with the biggest growth in India and Malaysia, it was really important for BT to be known in the market as an employer of choice. “One of the focus areas was around recruitment and having a recruitment system that facilitated that and made the recruitment experience consistent across the globe,” said Cole. “So if you were going to join us in London, you would have a similar experience to if you joined us in Hong Kong. The system was really a facilitator in supporting that vision as well.”

LAURA COLE Head of Operations, MEA British Telecom Group

The role of digital technology in employee engagement Elliot started his talk by taking us back in time to the days of Duran Duran and big hair, when people sent in their CVs through the post, and the 90s when the fax machine started to become ‘the next big thing’. He reminded the audience of how in those days it could take months for things to be figured out, faxes being able to be read and responded to, and in general the job seeking process was a lot more time consuming than today.

STUART ELLIOT CEO & Owner, Elliot Scott HR, Elliot Scott Group

In the early 2000s, the Internet enabled much faster communication—CVs could be sent instantly, and jobs could be found in days instead of months. Elliot explained that especially online, first impressions really count. In the 1980s, pictures of potential candidates were usually taken by recruiters, a practice which was discontinued due to discrimination in selecting applicants. With the rising popularity of platforms such as LinkedIn, photos are an acceptable and even necessary asset once again.

Elliot argued that an applicant’s personal brand is the new CV. This speeds up the recruitment

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process but if the profile is not exactly “right”, it can be highly disadvantageous. A stunning 93% of hiring managers check social media profiles before making a decision.

From the employer’s perspective, talent management is considered the biggest challenge among HR professionals.

Elliot agreed, and even stated that talent management is a much bigger issue due to an increase in job mobility in recent years.

Moreover, the large number of social media participants gives employers access to lots of people but makes it more difficult to filter out good talent. In order to attract—and retain talent —Elliot suggested making an online alumni network, allowing people to get experience somewhere else and then come back. Additionally, he recommended integrating and supplying technology to staff.

However, he emphasised that technology is one piece of the puzzle; it can help, but it won’t solve all of your HR problems. At the end of the day, it’s still all about the people.

HR COMMUNITY

Panel Discussion: how well can computers really do HR? Key metrics, Big Data, HRIS roll-outs, LMS set up & more…

Moderator: Paul Arkwright, Editor-in-Chief, HR Magazine; The Panel from left to right: Vivian Lui, Human Resources Director—Greater China, Ferragamo HK Ltd; Janet Bibi Ferreira, Director—Human Resources, Baker Tilly Hong Kong; Georgina Chan, Director, Institute of Advanced Executive Education; Debbie Mannas, Group Head of Human Resources, Wallem Group; Agnes Wong, Senior Manager of Talent Management, HKBN

Tech roll-outs & HR headaches When looking to roll out and implement new systems in HR, one of the greatest problems appears to be selling it to staff members. Agnes Wong, Senior Manager of Talent Management, HKBN saw this as a problem amongst generations, “Some will feel empowered while others feel left behind.”

It is for this reason that communication is absolutely crucial. Wong shared that in her department, they hired colleagues with engineering and IT backgrounds who have the language to work with IT and translate that back to HR. Debbie Mannas, Group Head of Human Resources, Wallem Group, however saw this as a way we present the system. She stated, “It’s not a HR system—it’s a business system and we have to position it to the business strategy.”

business, one cannot 100% rely on one system and some things have to be done manually.

Further to this, Ferriera pointed out that some employees do not even know what they want from the system in the first place!

For Vivian Lui, Human Resources Director— Greater China, Ferragamo HK Ltd, roll-outs presented a more practical problem. She added, “Systems are powerful. They collect data and are used for important analysis.

However, manual reports work as well because the main system itself cannot really be tailor-made.” The reality is that for

Wong went on to add that it was about keeping systems simple and keeping explanations of them brief, for example using one-minute videos to help employees understand. For those difficult employees?

Mannas contended that we should always sell a new system from the perspective of the business strateg y.

Employee engagement New systems can no doubt reduce the burden on HR when it comes to frequently asked questions. Though how to get people acquainted? For Lui, HR has to be flexible to different employees’ needs.

Lui reminded the audience, “Everyone is our boss—we are serving everyone,” As such, a self-service option through IT is suitable to some employees but actually others want a human touch provided for their enquiries.

E-learning Georgma Chan, Director, Institute of Advanced Executive Education, mentioned that developing e-learning platforms are easier than ever. There is lots of information out there for companies to utilise but reminded the audience that a learning system should be ‘people-centric’ and a tool to help them. At Baker Tilly, Janet Bibi Ferriera, Director—Human Resources, Baker Tilly Hong Kong said that while they do use online platforms to share educational content, the majority of training does remain in the classroom for their company.

Overcoming challenges of Big Data Headcounts, turnovers, ROIs often produce a big headache. As Wong shared, using Big Data for benchmarking purposes with competitors can be met with a lot of resistance. Big Data can also produce important information on how to minimise staff turnovers and hiring times. Despite this, Mannas cautioned, “When you have all this big data, you need to have an appetite to fix it—otherwise you will just get stuck with it and have a lot of disillusionment.”

Again, the panel agreed that engagement and communication with staff about the real need for such figures is critical.

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HR COMMUNITY

Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme (VHIS) What HR needs to know What is VHIS? As part of the HKSAR Government health care reform package in 2010, they proposed the Health Protection Scheme (HPS) as a voluntary, government-regulated private health insurance scheme. Key features of the HPS—designed to enhance the accessibility, quality and transparency of health insurance— included guaranteed renewal for life, covering pre-existing conditions, accepting high-risk groups in addition to standardising policy terms and conditions. Detailed proposals for implementing the HPS were put forth for public consultation and the scheme was renamed to “Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme (VHIS)” to better reflect its objectives.

Why should HR care about VHIS? HR needs to know about VHIS, as it will directly impact Group Health Insurance Schemes.

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Though Group Health Insurance Schemes is not required to comply with the Minimum Requirements set by the Government, it is desirable for employers to review their group plans at once and take actions to meet employees’ expectation on group level compliance of the minimum requirements.

The Government has proposed the following arrangements to HR for managing Group Health Insurance Schemes to better protect employees’ interests: • ‘Conversion Option’ be provided to employees allowing them to switch to individual plans without re-underwriting upon leaving employment.

• ‘Voluntary Supplements’ be offered to employees may take additional top-up over and above Group Health Policies at their own costs.

Landmark VHIS event The impending introduction of the VHIS has brought up a multitude of questions for HR around its implementation and rollout. With this in mind, on 15 July Gain Miles Group (Gain Miles) and the College of Professional and Continuing Education, Hong Kong Polytechnic University (CPCE) brought together a conference of over 300 delegates at JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong to discuss practical solutions and considerations when implementing the VHIS. The full house exemplified the significance of the topic to HR and the great success could never be possible without the concerted efforts of the sponsors and all other industry veterans as well as supporting organisations.

VHIS challenges and solutions Despite the intentions of the VHIS to provide

HR COMMUNITY

affordable public health insurance options for the community, questions do still hang over the incentives of the proposed scheme. Peter Yuen, Professor and Dean, College of Professional & Continuing Education, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University pointed out, “The average hospitalisation premium per employee in 2015 is $3,068—which is significantly lower than the Government VHIS average ‘Indicative Annual Standard Premium’ of $3,600 (2012 prices), and this will be a barrier for many wishing to go for a ‘Conversion Option’ or ‘Voluntary Supplements’.”

Gloria Siu, Chief Executive of Gain Miles Group elaborated during the event, “It’s worth noting from the latest report that the total benefit cost per employee were rapidly rising with over 89% increase over the last decade, in which pensions accounted for 57% of this cost. Medical insurance premiums have followed a similar fate with average hospitalisation claims increasing by more than 157% over the same period while the number of hospital confinements has doubled.

Employers should take a look closer to their existing group medical plan and get prepared for employees’ inquiries related to VHIS.”

As a unique tool to assist HR in doing employee benefit review, the 7th edition of Gain Miles’ Employee Insurance Benefits (EIB) report was announced on the event day. The biannual research publication aims to look at the trends of employer sponsored insurance benefit and pension programs across a raft of industries, in which 13 types of employee insurance benefits covering Employees’ Compensation, Group Medical, Pensions, Risk Protection and Health Maintenance were compiled. It has successfully become an integral barometer for employers and human resources professionals over the years for benefit provision, cost, and insurance utilisation benchmarks.

VHIS implementation timeline Following a period of public consultation, which ended on 16 April 2015, the Government is now working towards making the scheme a reality.

A source at the Food and Heath Bureau who explained, “The Government is now working hard to consolidate the public views and is currently in talks with the private insurance sector to gain their perspective as well. We will use all of this input to come up with a workable plan, which will be outlined in a public report which is scheduled to be released at the end of 2015.” Once the plan is finalised it will be used to draft new legislation relating to VHIS, a process expected to take one to two years before it actually comes into effect.

Dr Gloria Siu, Chief Executive, Gain Miles Group

Over 300 delegates attend the 2015 Health Forum: Practical Solutions and Considerations to Implement 'VHIS' for Employers and Employees

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HR Metrics & Analytics— what do you really need?

Speaking at an Akolade event at the Marco Polo Hotel in Hong Kong to an audience of HR professionals, Stephen Moore shared his years of insight into how HR should collect and utilise metrics and analytics. Drawing upon more than 20 years experience, Moore threw light on this often misunderstood and overlooked discipline that actually holds the key to make HR’s voice heard at the executive table. He stated that HR should not just be working in the business but should actually start working on the business.

When faced with the array of metrics and analytics that come as part and parcel of most HR positions—many are left scratching their heads. Several questions commonly crop up.

Which metrics are most important? What exactly should be measured? How should HR measure key metrics? When and how frequently to measure them?

Four-point HR metrics strategy Kick-off advice from Moore included implementing a four-stage plan to help clearly define a HR road map to tackle metrics and analysis.

1.

2.

3.

4.

Establish a committee dedicated to such metrics Determine who will make up the committee Select key metrics to measure Decide where key data will be sourced

Metrics committee Once a working committee has been established, it should not only look at existing key metrics, but also should encourage discussion as to how these metrics, and the way in which they are collected, might be improved on an on-going basis. HR’s first

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job is to assemble a suitable cross-functional working committee—and members should be carefully selected from different areas and levels of the organisation—to help maximise buy-in from key pillars of the company. As a minimum, the committee is likely to comprise line managers—who actually compile the metrics, IT managers and finance managers.

HR’s role in the team should be one of facilitation rather than dictating its direction.

Metrics that matter In terms of metrics that should be measured to get the ball rolling, Moore advised HR to initially just try to focus on five key metrics—and getting those locked down properly, rather than trying to do too much straight from the get-go.

Moore pointed out that even with a limited number of key metrics, the process might still take six months to get right—with formats that stakeholders feel comfortable with. Being consistent with the format in which the metrics are presented is also important—to help readers feel comfortable with them as quickly as possible.

Even once the metric’s ball is rolling along, to avoid analysis paralysis Moore also advised against trying to measure everything for the sake of it and suggested HR limit themselves to monitoring 10 to 15 key metrics at most.

There are so many different metrics that could be measured, and different management styles within organisations that it is virtually impossible to give a definitive list of them that HR ‘must’ monitor. Moore’s suggested list of core metrics that are most commonly monitored included: head count; utilisation of resources; attrition; resourcing; bench strength; health & safety; demographics; and alignment & engagement. Moore suggested that the first four could be reported on every

month, while the remainder may only need to be reported every six months.

Reporting With the metrics and data collection methods decided, it is then important to think about the practicalities of reporting. HR should be mindful that different stakeholders like to view data in different ways, with some preferring a year-on-year table style with key statistics highlighted in ‘traffic light-style’ colour coding—green for good, yellow for ‘look out’ and red for bad. Others prefer to see data presented in a graphical format—showing trends within a particular year. Whatever the formatting style, reports should be clear and succinct—one-page reports will suffice and show no more than 10 metrics, to avoid a number crunching nightmare. Equally, the methodologies and metric definitions should be clear and consistent between the different reporting periods.

Interpreting, leveraging & facilitating Special consideration should also be given to interpretation of data and implementation of any subsequent HR policies. The metrics working committee must always be prepared to sell the benefits of the metrics collected to the Board, in that the organisation can leverage this data to find out where to make cost savings and determine the best direction of future operational shifts. Moore pointed out that even with good persuasion, it can still take time to see a cultural shift towards proper adoption of metrics with meaning analytics leading to positive change. It is also crucial that HR does not feel the need to run the whole process—as it should be line managers at every level of the organisation who own the reporting, with HR facilitating the data collection.

HR LEGAL

Is the employer hijacking the case?

By Julia Gorham and Anita Lam, DLA Piper

The Labour Tribunal is a specialised court set up to provide a simple, inexpensive and informal means of resolving employment disputes in Hong Kong. The Tribunal has exclusive jurisdiction to deal with claims arising from a breach of employment contract or the failure to comply with the provisions of the Employment Ordinance or the Apprenticeship Ordinance. The Labour Tribunal does not, however, have jurisdiction to hear claims founded in tort, i.e. claims involving actions that are wrong such as negligence or conspiracy.

But what about ‘mixed claims’ based on breach of contract of employment and tort? According to the recent case of Uferahal Limited vs Hansen Larry Douglas, the Labour Tribunal does not have jurisdiction to hear mixed claims. Can employers now bypass the Labour Tribunal by bringing a mixed claim in the High Court? In this update, DLA Piper considers the implications of the Court's ruling.

Hansen Douglas case Background The Hansen Douglas case was concerned with the Company's dismissal of Mr Hansen Douglas. Following his dismissal, Mr Douglas brought a claim in the Labour Tribunal against the Company for breach of employment contract. The Company denied his claim and applied to transfer his case to the High

Court. However, the case was not transferred.

Instead of preparing for the trial in the Labour Tribunal, the Company took its case to the High Court and sued Mr Douglas for breach of employment contract, breach of fiduciary duties, negligence and for stealing confidential documents. Apart from seeking compensation for the losses caused by Mr Douglas, the Company also applied for an injunction to restrain Mr Douglas from using the Company's confidential documents.

Issues One of the key issues in the dispute was whether the Company's case should continue in the High Court. The points in contention were: • Whether the Labour Tribunal had exclusive jurisdiction to hear the Company's claims based on both tort and contract; • Whether the Company's claims in the High Court should be suspended because there were parallel proceedings in the Labour Tribunal.

Mr Douglas vehemently argued that the Company's case should not be heard in the High Court because it was brought by the Company merely to delay and frustrate his case in the Labour Tribunal. The Company disagreed.

Court ruling The Court noted that most of the Company's claims against Mr Douglas

were mixed claims based on breach of employment contract and tort. According to the Judgment of Madam Justice Queeny Au-Yeung, this type of mixed claim is not within the jurisdiction of the Labour Tribunal. If the claim is based only in tort or is based in both tort and contract, then the claim cannot be heard in the Tribunal.

Consequently, the Company's case in the High Court was permitted to continue.

Take-away points In Hong Kong, it is not uncommon for employers to apply to transfer cases from the Labour Tribunal to a higher court. An attempt to transfer a case out of the Labour Tribunal would likely be unsuccessful if resisted by the employee. Can employers now bypass the Labour Tribunal by bringing a mixed claim in the High Court? The short answer is maybe. If the Company has basis to pursue a mixed claim such as a claim for breach of confidence, breach of duties, negligence or conspiracy, this would take the case outside the exclusive jurisdiction of the Labour Tribunal. If, however, the attempt to pursue a mixed claim in the High Court is a window dressing exercise in that the claim is not supported by facts, then such a claim will likely be struck out by the Court as an abuse of its process. Any unsuccessful attempt to ‘hijack’ a Labour Tribunal case will have cost consequences that follow—it is dollars to doughnuts that this will be costly.

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Claims of harassment—how far can they go?

by Anita Lam, Of Counsel, DLA Piper Hong Kong Harassment is generally associated with appreciably more conflict in work teams as well as with less team cohesion and less success in meeting financial goals.

Eliminating harassment in the workplace therefore makes good moral sense, legal sense as well as business sense.

It may now also be possible for someone who is not the intended victim of harassment to successfully sue the harasser.

In this article we explore the development of case law on harassment for employers and HR professionals in Hong Kong.

Current position on harassment (Hong Kong) The Anti-Discrimination Ordinances outlaw harassment on the grounds of sex, marital status, family status, race or disability in the workplace and certain other contexts.

Hong Kong, however, also recognises claims involving general harassment as introduced by the case of Lau Tat Wai versus Yip Lai Kuen. This case involved a nurse stalking her ex-boyfriend after he ended their four-month relationship. Her behaviour included: hacking into her ex-boyfriend's email account; bombarding him with e-mails and SMS messages up to 120 per hour; making false reports about him to the police; cancelling his credit cards; and repeatedly turning up at social and family events including a family holiday he was attending.

In that case, the Judge set out the necessary ingredients to establish a case of general harassment as, "A course of conduct by a person whether by words or action, directly or through third parties, sufficiently repetitive in nature as would cause, and which they ought reasonably to know would cause worry, emotional distress or annoyance to another person."

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General harassment: expanded scope (UK) In the recent case of Levi versus Bates, the UK Court of Appeal expanded the scope of claims involving general harassment. It is now possible for someone who is not the intended target of the harassment in this case, the victim's wife, to successfully sue a harasser.

used the local radio station in which he had a controlling interest to broadcast messages about Mr Levi, including an incorrect suggestion that he and his wife had separated.

Following publication of the Levis' home address, Mr Bates also used a live broadcast of a Leeds game to twice ask listeners to 'find' Mr Levi and report on his whereabouts.

Background The case concerned the ownership and management of Leeds Football Club. Mr Levi was one of the former managers of the English club, before it was sold to a company in which a Mr Bates had a majority interest. Mr Bates began a campaign of harassment against Mr Levi.

He would regularly publish defamatory articles in the programme distributed to fans attending the Club’s football games including, among other things:

Effect on target's wife Mrs Levi successfully argued that Mr Bates' actions caused her alarm and distress.

English football fans are renowned for their devotion to 'their' club. Publication of the Levis' home address, with an invitation for fans to either visit their home or send letters, had put Mrs Levi in a dangerous situation.

• • •

calling Mr Levi a 'money grabbing spiv' and a 'shyster'; incorrectly stating that Mr Levi was blackmailing him; and inferring Mr Levi assisted in the theft of GBP 190,400 of fans' money.

Harassment of target Mr Levi was able to successfully sue Mr Bates for libel and harassment. In addition to the examples listed above, however, Mr Bates also: •

•

used the programme to publish an article inviting fans to 'question' Mr Levi, followed by the publication of his home address; and at the end of an article which falsely claimed Mr Levi was blackmailing him, directed fans to Mr Levi's home phone number.

Mrs Levi shared a home and home phone number with her husband. Mr Bates also

Court ruling The Court of Appeal in the UK found that Mrs Levi had suffered mental harm as a result of Mr Bates' behaviour. The Court ruled she was being harassed by Mr Bates, even though she was not his intended target. The examples set out above were a sufficient 'course of conduct' to meet the UK test for harassment.

How might harassment affect your workplace in Hong Kong?

Situations where workplace harassment could foreseeably result in alarm and distress being caused to staff members and a third person could include, but not be limited to, the following: 1.

A group of activists call on hundreds of protesters to protest outside shops and shopping arcades every day for three weeks, shouting at shop assistants and smearing them. The shop assistants are distressed by this.

2.

Employee A uses the workplace newsletters he edits to regularly

HR LEGAL

complain about a co-worker, Employee B. Employee A encourages other employees to contact Employee B, and provides the home phone number of Employee B. Employee B's wife feels threatened by the phone calls.

3.

4.

Employee B ends her romantic relationship with Employee C. Employee C takes to social media to regularly post negative comments about Employee B. Employee C then also posts Employee B's home address, which is the number for the apartment that Employee B shares with her mother. Employee B's mother is worried and distressed by this.

Employees D and E both live in an apartment complex subsidised by their employer. Employee E is vehemently anti-Occupy Central, and discovers that Employee D was involved in the Occupy Central protests in 2014. Employee E begins leaving letters and flyers first in Employee D's pigeonhole at work, and then at Employee D's apartment which Employee D shares with his girlfriend. These letters and flyers criticise the Occupy Central movement, and promote the anti-Occupy Central agenda.

The contents of these publications become increasingly aggressive, and personally target Employee D. Employee D's live-in girlfriend is alarmed by this.

Could the Employer be liable?

Apart from disruption to work and adverse effect on productivity, employers may also incur liability for general harassment caused by their staff members.

•

•

•

Employers are liable for the actions of employees carried out in the course of their employment.

There is a real risk that if a third party successfully sued an individual for harassing them during the course of the latter's employment, the employer would be liable.

However, it would need to be demonstrated that the conduct in question occurred during the course of the employment, and each case is judged on its own merits and facts.

The Hong Kong courts have generally been quick to find a link between the behaviour in question and the employment. It is therefore important that you take steps to make sure the work environment is harassment-free.

What does this mean for Hong Kong employers?

It is clear from the cases that the acts of harassment must be fairly extreme to merit intervention by the courts.

Alarm or distress suffered out of nothing more than sympathy for the targeted victim of harassment is insufficient to found a claim by a third person related to the targeted victim.

The claimant must be ‘harassed’ by it, in the sense that the conduct complained of must have a direct effect upon the claimant in terms of causing foreseeable harm, usually, but not limited to, alarm and distress.

The claimant must be sufficiently connected to the victim of the harassment.

As the test for harassment in Hong Kong is wider than the UK, Hong Kong courts may follow the footsteps of the UK Court of Appeal if it is asked to make a ruling in a similar situation.

Key points •

Harassment is a course of conduct causing worry, emotional distress or annoyance to another person.

•

It is possible that a third party who is not the intended target of harassment can recover damages from the harasser.

•

Mere sympathy or upset for the victim is insufficient to bring a claim.

•

There must be proximity between the target and the third-party victim usually in that they reside or work at the same address.

•

Employers are vicariously liable for the actions of their employees carried out ‘in the course of their employment’, which could include harassment. To be liable, the harm suffered must be foreseeable.

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HR BOOK REVIEW

Leadership Coaching

By Jonathan Passmore From time-to-time in talent development, we inevitably ask ourselves: what is the most effective form of leadership? How can we train the next generation to be the leaders we want them to be? This second edition by Jonathan Passmore sets out to answer these questions by bringing together the latest thinking on the most relevant and effective techniques on how to be a leader and coach others how to do it.

Covering the cutting-edge topics in leadership, Passmore sets out draw upon evidence-based thinking, case studies, research and global perspectives to provide a state-of-the-art account of leadership models and how best to coach others to adapt to leadership. It covers styles such as strength-based leadership and conversational leadership to more traditional styles such as Porter’s strategy model and Goleman’s models of leadership styles.

In a world where business leaders face greater and more complex challenges than ever before, this book serves as an ideal companion for HR departments who are looking to identify the right people for future development and how to train the future generation to deal with these challenges effectively.

Passmore is an award-winning professor of psychology with an international reputation for his work on leadership and coaching. Aside from being a Managing Director for Embrion, he is the editor of Kogan Page Association for Coaching series and Wiley-Blackwell’s Industrial and Organisational Psychology Handbook series.

The Handbook of Dealing with Workplace Bullying

By Dr Anne-Marie Quigg It goes without saying that times are getting tougher in HR: endless deadlines and tasks, racing against the clock and often having to do over-time to get those final bits of work done. But if there is one thing that HR could do without, it is tragic cases of workplace bullying—cases which author Dr Anne-Marie Quigg describes as, “Highly undesirable, destructive and costly in terms of personal as well as corporate experience.”

Having gained her PhD studying workplace bullying in the arts, Quigg takes editorship of this well thought through and much needed book—bringing together the experience, excellent research and expertise of a number of lawyers, management experts and academics globally. The book grapples effectively with this multi-faceted and complex issue, cutting through a wide-range of perspectives globally, culturally and even sector-by-sector. Of particular interest to HR are the chapters that outline how leadership can intervene, perspectives from Europe and the USA as well as tips for best practice.

Far from just presenting a collection of academic theories, the readable format of this book gives the reader comprehensive analysis of the issue in layman’s terms. It offers practical suggestions that are of use to managers, to people accused of bullying and also to people who find they are targets of bullying.

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HR BOOK REVIEW

The Roles of Organisation Development

By Annamaria Garden What is Organisation Development (OD) and how is it done? These are the subjects of intense discussion and often the preserve of the abstract debate that takes place amongst academics. Author Annamaria Garden breaks into the debate by setting out what OD is in layman’s terms and presents a radically original framework in which to understand how her work is done.

Originating from asking herself the question of ‘how do you do what you do?’, Garden sets out to answer this question and tells readers what roles those who engage in this practice can assume, what frameworks can be adopted in thinking about what we are doing and what insights one can gain from a more precise analysis of what kind of help we might provide.

One of the central claims in her book is that ‘business decisions are being driven as much by the psychological factors present as they are by the business needs present.’ However, unlike the financial and strategic frameworks of business, discerning events through a psychological perspective has not yet got the legitimacy it needs and yet it is an important way to think about the way things happen in business.

Presenting the seven roles people in OD play, she guides the reader through a practical guide to help people think about development for their own organisations. For people in HR looking for ways to become more efficient and even to develop their talent, the book provides an excellent tool to think about development differently.

World of Workcraft

Rediscovering Motivation and Engagement in the Digital Workplace

By Dale Roberts The world of gaming is often a mystery for the current generation of adults. The list of games out there appears to be endless—League of Legends, Minecraft, World of Warcraft, GTA—but if there is one thing parents do know: it is that their children are hooked. Meanwhile, one of the key questions often asked in HR is how to effectively engage the skills and motivation of the up-and-coming cohort of millennials.

The two points seem unrelated—but not so says author and European VP of Professional Services for Clarabridge, Dale Roberts. His new book grapples with the concept of gamification in the workplace—which in a nutshell combines the engaging elements of game theory to non-game applications and tasks. His easy-to-read, personalised style—which includes an amusing anecdote about a motivational jogging app that narrates scenarios of a post-apocalyptic world—illustrates the benefits of blending games with the world of work.

Roberts claims that transforming traditional corporate structures into a dynamic community will provide radical new ways of working, learning and performing. For HR, it provides interesting food-for-thought about how to engage and motivate the PlayStation generation and strategies to develop them into the innovative leaders of tomorrow.

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HR CLASSIFIEDS

HR Classifieds Index Business Process Outsourcing Education / Corporate Training Employee Wellbeing / Insurance HR Consulting HR Technology Solutions Leadership Development Legal / Employment Law / Tax

| 62 | 62 – 63 | 63 | 63 | 64 | 64 – 65 | 65

Management Consulting | 65 MICE Venues / Event Organisers | 66 Recruitment / Executive Search | 66 Relocation / Logistics | 67 Service Apartments / Hotels | 67 - 68 Staff Benefits | 68 Talent Management | 68

BUSINESS PROCESS OUTSOURCING Established in 1968, Boardroom has been listed on the Main Board of The Singapore Exchange since 2000. We are one of the leading business solution providers in Asia, specialising in Accounting & Finance, Corporate Secretarial, Payroll Administration, Share Registry and Tax Services.

Boardroom Corporate Services (HK) Limited 31/F, 148 Electric Road, North Point, Hong Kong

We currently have direct office presence in 13 cities across Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, China and Australia, serving a portfolio of over 5,500 publicly listed and privately owned companies across Asia Pacific and beyond. Our clients span a wide range of industries, including listed companies, Fortune 500 companies and major multinational corporations.

Tel: (852) 2598 5234 Fax: (852) 2598 7500 marketing.hk@boardroomlimited.com www.boardroomlimited.com

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 outsourced 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 is a member of The Bank of East Asia Group. Tricor Business Services offers efficient, effective and professional advisory and outsourced support services to our clients. We deliver seamless solutions to address issues in Business Advisory; Accounting & Financial Reporting; Treasury & Payment Administration; Human Resources & Payroll Administration; Tax Services; Trade Services; Trust Assets Administration; Fund Administration; and Information Technology Solutions to ensure the adoption of best practices in your business.

Tricor Services Limited Level 54, Hopewell Centre, 183 Queen’s Road East, Hong Kong

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

Are you confident with your voice in the workplace? Do you know how others actually hear you? Your voice defines you professionally. It is critical to all business communications and the foundation of executive presence. Our executive voice coaching modules and clinics coach key talent in practical techniques to harness the power of their voice. Using recording studio technology to reinforce learning, our programmes give executives vital tools to speak with confidence and authority.

All Voice Talent is Asia’s premier voice coaching and voiceover organisation supplying voice coaches to Bloomberg, Standard Chartered, Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, and Weber Shandwick, amongst others.

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.

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All Voice Talent 18/F, Wheelock House, 20 Pedder Street Central, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2517 0866 Fax: (852) 2911 4732 info@allvoicetalent.com www.allvoicetalent.com

British Council 3 Supreme Court Road, Admiralty, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2913 5100 aptis@britishcouncil.org.hk www.britishcouncil.hk/en/exam/aptis

HR CLASSIFIEDS HKU SPACE is a leading local provider in the field of lifelong education.

The School has provided a wide range of executive programmes to meet the growing lifelong learning demands for managers and business executives.

The School also provides tailored in-house corporate training programmes in finance or business related disciplines for global corporations.

HKU SPACE College of Business and Finance 34/F United Centre, 95 Queensway, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2867 8467 edseries@hkuspace.hku.hk www.hkuspace.hku.hk

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.

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

EMPLOYEE WELL-BEING / INSURANCE

TOTAL LOYALTY COMPANY

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

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

Total Loyalty Company is a leading provider of staff engagement and corporate well-being programmes. We help clients develop year-round solutions for their staff based on our specially designed solutions including staff events, staff discounts, lifestyle services, onsite marketplace and online shopping; all delivered through a customised web portal and mobile app. We are a one-stop shop to help companies have highly useful staff engagement solutions without wasting valuable internal resources to run these programmes, all for a simple low monthly management fee.

Total Loyalty Company Suite 2202, 22/F, The L.Plaza 367-375 Queens Road Central Hong Kong

We help make your staff happier, healthier and more content with their workplace, bringing improved productivity for your company.

Tel: (852) 3651-8835 Fax: (852) 3651-8840 www.hkah.org.hk

Tel: (852) 2586 0731 Fax: (852) 2915 7770 info@pacificprime.com marketing@pacificprime.com www.pacificprime.com

Contact person: Sam Lau Tel: (852) 5131 6338 Sam@totalloyalty.hk www.totalloyalty.hk

HR CONSULTING

Based in Hong Kong and with overseas partners, we operate internationally.

HRA provide human resource consultancy & recruitment support to construction, engineering, manufacturing and the oil & gas sectors.

Our human resource consultancy services encompass the full range of HR functions including training, HR audits and outsourced HR support.

HRA Associates (HK) Limited 701, 7/F, Tower 2, Silvercord, 30 Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2735 9961 Fax: (852) 2735 9967 group@hrahk.com www.hrahk.com

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HR CLASSIFIEDS HR TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS COL, an IT services subsidiary of Wharf T&T, is a leading IT services company in Hong Kong with over 40 years of experience and was crowned Excellent HR Information System Provider of HR Excellence Awards 2014 by the Hong Kong Institute of Human Resource Management. COL offers a full range of IT infrastructure, application development and implementation services including Business Process Outsourcing (BPO).

With domain expertise in business applications, we deliver best practice Human Capital Management (HCM) solutions ranging from award-winning HRMS, webbased employee self-service portal to outsourcing services for MNCs, enterprises and SMEs. ‘Doc:brary’ Document Management System is another key application in our HCM product portfolio to securely manage 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 a Cisco Gold partner, an EMC Velocity Partner, a Juniper Networks Elite Partner, a Microsoft Certified Partner, an Oracle Gold and ISV Partner, a VMware Partner and CMMI Level 3 assessed.

FlexSystem is a recognised leader in enterprise management software industry in the Greater China region. Over the past 27 years, FlexSystem has been delivering high quality application software and services to maximise the client’s operational efficiency in the accounting, order processing, payroll and human resources, manufacturing, workflow and business management.

FlexSystem Limited Block A, 4/F., Eastern Sea Industrial Building, 29-39 Kwai Cheong Road, Kwai Chung, N.T, H.K

With its strong global network of regional offices and partners, FlexSystem serves thousands of customers in more than 36 countries, half of them are listed on 30 global stock exchanges, and 1 in 10 with presence on the Forbes 2000 list. Now and future, FlexSystem continues to keen on technology development and create a complete platform of new generation enterprise resources management solutions.

Tel: (852) 3529 4123 Fax: (852) 3007 1424 infodl@flexsystem.com www.flex.hk

SuccessFactors, an SAP company, is the leading provider of cloud-based Business Execution Software, which drives business alignment, optimises workforce performance, and accelearates 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) 2539 1800 Fax: (852) 2539 1818 info.hongkong@sap.com www.successfactors.com

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT The Center for Creative Leadership (CCL®) is a top-ranked, global provider of executive education that unlocks individual and organisational potential through its exclusive focus on leadership development and research. Ranked among the world’s top providers of executive education by BusinessWeek and No. 3 in the 2010 Financial Times executive education survey, CCL serves corporate, government and non-governmental clients through an array of programmes, products and other services. CCL-APAC’s headquarters are based in Singapore.

Other global locations include Brussels, Moscow and three campuses in the United States.

CCL® 89 Science Park Drive #03-07/08, The Rutherford Lobby B, Singapore 118261

IECL has been training professional coaches and inspiring leaders throughout Australasia since 1999. We have had a permanent presence in Hong Kong since 2009, Shanghai since 2011, and are setting our first footprint in Singapore in 2015.

Institute of Executive Coaching and Leadership (IECL) Suite 901, Level 9,The Hong Kong Club Building, 3A Chater Road, Central, Hong Kong

Our vision is to develop the next generation of exceptional leaders. Everything we do focuses on people, development and measurable business results.

IECL’s expert team are at the forefront of reshaping leadership development for the 21st century. We know leadership is no longer an individual activity—a leader’s success depends on others succeeding. This knowledge underpins IECL’s service to you: • Training and accrediting coaches • Enabling leaders through focused programmes • Providing expert coaches and facilitators Calling all HR managers & directors: • Are you looking for structured programmes to develop your staff?

• Sponsor or part sponsor your staff to achieve MBA, Masters, Bachelor, Diploma or Certificate courses • The spend is value for money • The return is measurable & tangible • Choose from 31 courses from nine UK Universities (Bradford, Sunderland, Wales, Birmingham etc.)

• 16 years in HK *All courses are registered

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Tel: (65) 6854 6000 Fax: (65) 6854 6001 cclasia@ccl.org www.ccl.org/apac

Tel: (852) 3125 7572 coach@iecl.com www.iecl.com

RDI Management Learning Ltd. 7th Floor, South China Building, 1 - 3 Wyndham Street, Central, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2992 0133 Fax: (852) 2992 0918 info@rdihongkong.com www.rdihongkong.com

HR CLASSIFIEDS

alphaeight specialises in behavioural-science research and people development.

We utilise research to create individual and team development solutions— focused on business objectives—for leaders, managers and frontline workers.

It’s all about research and evidence: solutions, built upon scientifically proven research on how the human mind works, are practical and easy to adopt and utilise exclusive tools and techniques developed by our research institute. It’s all about you: solutions tailored to your people’s specific needs and your business objectives—give you the results you want. It’s all about impact: measure changes before, during and after development.

the alphaeight institute 1906, 19/F, Miramar Tower, 132 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong Mrs Stephanie Herd Tel: (852) 2302 0283 Fax: (852) 2302 0006 stephanie.herd@alphaeight.com www.alphaeight.com

LEGAL / EMPLOYMENT LAW / TAX

Excel Global Consulting is a leading business consultancy specialising in the enhancement of business performance through a unique approach to people management. Our goal is to deliver you the knowledge and resources to improve business productivity by creating better employee engagement within your organisation using customised human capital management solutions. With our support you’ll gain a committed, more innovative and highly motivated workforce primed to lead your business towards greater efficiency and productivity. With Excel Global your employees will gain greater job satisfaction in a solution-oriented work environment where engagement is productive, innovative and geared to better business performance.

Excel Global Company Information Level 8, Two Exchange Square, 2 Connaught Road, Central, Hong Kong

WTS is a tax and business consulting firm providing assistance in the strategic planning and management process of intercompany assignments’ cost and compliance.

wts consulting (Hong Kong) Limited Unit 1004, 10/F, Kinwick Centre, 32 Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong

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 conjuction with our international network, we can assist you in almost 100 locations worldwide.

Tel: (852) 2846 1888 Fax: (852) 2297 2289 info@excelglobal.com www.excelglobal.com

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 Ltd. is a member of Tricor Group & BEA Group. Our HR Consulting services cover HR policies and practices, compensation and benefits, PMS, job analysis and design, talent management and assessments, manpower planning, HR shared schemes, outsourcing and systems, employee survey, and training and development.

Tricor Consulting Limited Level 54, Hopewell Centre, 183 Queen’s Road East, Hong Kong

We are also specialised in Strategic Management (strategic analysis and strategy formulation and execution); Organisation Structuring (configuration in alignment with business directions); Change Management (shaping culture and building commitment for organisation change); and Operational Effectiveness (reengineering and managing business processes to achieve business results).

Tel: (852) 2526 6516 / 2774 8500 Fax: (852) 2365 1000 hkma@hkma.org.hk www.hkma.org.hk

Tel: (852) 2980 1308 Fax: (852) 2262 7896 john.kf.ng@hk.tricorglobal.com www.hk.tricorglobal.com

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HR CLASSIFIEDS 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.

AsiaWorld-Expo Management Limited AsiaWorld-Expo, Hong Kong International Airport, Lantau, Hong Kong, China

Cliftons provides premium, purpose-built, training and event facilities and solutions, ensuring our clients’ programmes are delivered seamlessly and successfully around the globe. Over the past 14 years, Cliftons has grown to provide clients with the largest network of dedicated computer and seminar training facilities across the Asia-Pacific region. Encompassing over 150 state-ofthe-art training and meeting rooms within 10 CBD locations in New Zealand, Australia, Singapore and Hong Kong, this footprint of proprietary venues is supplemented by a global affiliates network that allows clients to manage all of their training needs around the world with a single point of contact.

Cliftons Training Facility Level 5, Hutchison House, 10 Harcourt Road, Central, HK

Tel: (852) 3606 8888 Fax: (852) 3606 8889 fnb@asiaworld-expo.com www.asiaworld-expo.com

Tel: (852) 2159 9999 enquiries@cliftons.com www.cliftons.com

RECRUITMENT / EXECUTIVE SEARCH Adecco, in possession of a team of experts conversant with various industry sectors and well-equipped with the know-how on matching talents with general and skilled workforces in relevant industry sectors, has been one of the leading forces bringing about the necessary changes in Hong Kong for over 28 years. You may rest assured that you will be provided with flexible and tailor-made solutions in contract, temporary, permanent and outsourcing assignments in our efficient and responsive recruitment process. We have built trusting and lasting relationships with talents through successful and fruitful placements, e-learning and career development, who in turn can fully meet our clients’ expectations.

Adecco Personnel Limited 12/F, Fortis Tower, 77-79 Gloucester Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong

Argyll Scott delivers first-class recruitment results for our clients, our candidates and our people by being true specialists and building exclusive relationships. From offices in Hong Kong, Singapore, London and Dubai, we source the very best talent for management positions across key business functions and sectors including; Accountancy & Finance, Business Transformation, Construction & Property, Financial Services, Human Resources, Sales & Marketing, Strategy and Information Technology.

Argyll Scott 8th Floor, HK Diamond Exchange Building, 8-10 Duddell Street, Central, Hong Kong

More than 90% of our clients choose to work with us again. Why? Because they trust us. They know we will deliver the results they need, time after time.

Tel: (852) 3695 5180 hk@argyllscott.com www.argyllscott.hk

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

Established in Hong Kong in 1983, Gemini Personnel is one of the largest recruitment companies in Asia with offices in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Bangkok and Singapore.

Gemini Personnel Limited 15/F, On Hing Building, 1 On Hing Terrace, Central, Hong Kong

We work with our clients across a range of industries to secure the top talent in Asia for Temporary, Permanent, Executive and Interim Management assignments.

Outside of recruitment we also provide our clients with payroll management, outplacement, coaching and training support services.

Tricor Executive Resources, the former search and selection practice of PricewaterhouseCoopers in Hong Kong, has over the last 25 years built an unrivalled reputation for integrity and professionalism. Through focused research and intense sourcing, we recruit management and top-level executives for positions in Hong Kong, Mainland China and the region.

We help our clients drive business performance through talent by offering customized HR consulting services. These include Soft Skills Training and Development; Customised Compensation and Benefits benchmarking; HR Policy and Employee Handbook Development; Organisation Design and Manpower Planning; Employee Engagement Survey; assessment centers; and Performance Management Systems.

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Tel: (852) 2895 2616 Fax: 2895 3571 hongkong@adecco.com http://adecco.com.hk/

Tel: (852) 2973 6737 shookliu@frazerjones.com frazerjones.com

Tel: (852) 3552 9100 Fax: (852) 2810 6467 gemhq@gemini.com.hk www.gemini.com.hk

Tricor Executive Resources Limited Level 54, Hopewell Centre, 183 Queen’s Road East, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2980 1166 Fax: (852) 2869 4410 fiona.yung@hk.tricorglobal.com www.hk.tricorglobal.com

HR CLASSIFIEDS RELOCATION / LOGISTICS 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

Thinking Relocation? Think Santa Fe. Santa Fe is a leading Relocation Services Company, providing a comprehensive range of the highest quality services to individual and corporate clients, including: immigration/visa, home/school search, language/cultural training, tenancy management/expense management and local, office, domestic and International moving services. Established in Hong Kong in 1980, Santa Fe has continuously expanded operations throughout the world. Today, Santa Fe Relocation Services is part of the Santa Fe Group and offers a single-source solution for organisations looking to transfer their employees globally. The Santa Fe Group currently operates in 52 countries with 122 offices worldwide.

Santa Fe Relocation Services 18/F, CC Wu Building, 302 - 08 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong

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

Tel: (852) 2574 6204 Fax: (852) 25751907 sales@santaferelo.com www.santaferelo.com.hk

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. Room types: 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 tranquility of green living and a diverse choice of dining and entertainment is right on your doorstep.

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

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.

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 Tel: (852) 3963 7888 Fax: (852) 39637889 enquiries@vegasuites.com www.vegasuites.com.hk

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HR CLASSIFIEDS

at the ICC megalopolis

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

Computershare Plan Managers is the globe’s leading provider in provision of Employee Share Incentive Plan management services. Our tailored approach ideally places us to meet the demands of administering your employee share plans. As a leader in equity compensation services for more than 35 years, we service over 3,000 plans with nearly 3.5 million employee participants worldwide. We have successfully built a leading position in the Employee Share Plan Management Industry in Hong Kong and China, with a solid local presence and unrivalled investment in technology. Our integrated Share Plan Management offering includes: Employee Communication/Education, Data Management, HK Trustee Services, Regulatory Reporting and a full suite of Brokerage Services.

Computershare Hong Kong Investor Services Limited Hopewell Centre, 46/F, 183 Queen’s Road East, Wan Chai, Hong Kong

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, Manhanttan Place, 23 Wang Tai Road, Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong

Ocean Park offers you a fun place for your next corporate teambuilding activity, encounter koalas, wallabies and kookaburras at the new Adventures in Australia. Travel from the seashore to the depths of the ocean at Aqua City.

Watch Symbio, the 360-degree water screen show at the Lagoon! Take a Cable Car to Ocean Theatre and catch ‘Ocean Wonders’, featuring dolphins and sea lions! Meet the sharks and rays at Shark Mystique. Ride the Park’s wildest roller coaster—the Hair Raiser! Travel on the Arctic Blast at Polar Adventure where penguins and walruses wait beneath the auroras. Come join the fun!

Ocean Park Hong Kong 180 Wong Chuk Hang Road Aberdeen, Hong Kong

Tel: (852) 3718 8000 Fax: (852) 3718 8008 enquiries@harbourviewplace.com www.harbourviewplace.com

STAFF BENEFITS

Tel: (852) 3757 3542 planmanagers@computershare.com.hk www.computershare.com

Tel: 800 905 486 Fax: 800 968 822 CRC.HK@nespresso.com www.nespresso-pro.com

Tel: (852) 3923 2321 training@oceanpark.com.hk www.oceanpark.com.hk

TALENT MANAGEMENT

Lumesse provides Talent Solutions to more than 2,400 organisations in over 70 countries enabling them to engage and nurture the best talent in an everchanging and demanding global environment. With our unique and highly adaptable Talent Solutions our customers are well prepared to capitalise on the fast evolution of new technologies and disruptive business conditions, while meeting all business needs locally and globally.

Lumesse Suite 705, 625 King’s Road, North Point, Hong Kong

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

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).

Organisations around the world trust Korn Ferry to manage their talent – a responsibility we meet every day with passion, expertise, integrity and results.

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Tel: (852) 2815 3456 Fax: (852) 2890 0399 apac@lumesse.com www.lumesse.com

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

Register online: www.hrmagazine.com.hk or call: (852) 2736 6339