PUBLISHER’S NOTE IN THE NEWS Hong Kong finds itself in a tough position as finance recruits fall overboard and IT professionals threaten to resign if they aren’t provided with requested training (p6). Hong Kong’s salary increases are also the lowest in APAC, and although salary is a key driver for those looking for jobs, it seems remote working is becoming a more important benefit (p8). As a whole, APAC employees continue to see real-wage growth with a 2.6% increase in salaries forecasted for 2019 (p 9).
COVER STORY Mental wellness at work is a crucial factor that not only keeps employees and employers healthy but also helps successful businesses run sustainably. The ever-increasing need for mental health support is more obvious than ever, with Hong Kong having some of the worst mental wellness in APAC (p18).
OTHER STUFF From an eight-year-old selling watermelons to a role-model female executive at Philip Morris International (PMI), Stacey Kennedy shares the brave and innovative decision that PMI took to create a smoke-free workplace…and beyond. Uncover PMI’s seismic transformation and HR journey (p24). With cramped living conditions, and some of the longest working hours anywhere in the world, Hong Kong is a city of people under constant pressure. Aetna and HR Magazine teamed up to facilitate an event focusing on tackling workplace mental health where medical professionals shared potentially life-saving advice to help HR professionals better understand the severity of the issue (p44). In this issue, we also share some of the insights from HR Magazine’s own ‘HR dummies guide to blockchain, AI and HR tech’ conference. Our incredible speakers shed light on topics including talent management in the new digital era and fearlessly entering the augmented age of HR (p32). Enjoy...
Paul Arkwright, Publisher & Editor-in-Chief, HR Magazine
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2019 SPRING
18 10 24 HR NEWS
HR FEATURES
06 09 10 12 14 16
24 26 30
Hong Kong News APAC News International News HR Events HR Moves HR in Numbers
Watermelons to workplace transformations Minding your health Navigating global minefields in background screening
COVER STORY
HR COMMUNITY
18
32 38 40 44 48
The big taboo: mental health at work
4 | HR MAGAZINE
HR Magazine conference 8 March 2019 HK Employers Endorse Racial D&I Charter HR warning: don’t try to change an engine mid-flight Mental wellness still taboo in the workplace AmCham 2019 Future of Work Forum
32 38 44 40 HR TECHNOLOGY 50
Hyper-Intelligent Workforces
HR BOOKS 56 58
HR LEGAL 52
Mental Health Stigma—Challenges and Risks for HR
The Business Developer’s Playbook Human Resources Changes the World Work is Love Made Visible
HR CLASSIFIEDS 59
HR Classifieds
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HK NEWS
FINANCE RECRUITS FALLING OVERBOARD 54% of Hong Kong’s financial
employers have had an employee resign during their probation period
35% of HK’s financial employers have lost an employee during their first month
In Hong Kong’s competitive employment market, business leaders understand the importance of hiring the best talent. New independent research released last December reveals, however, more than half of Hong Kong financial employers have had a new employee resign during their probation period due to poor onboarding processes, with over one-third explicitly citing they have even lost an employee during the first month because of it. According to the survey of 150 Hong Kong CFOs, commissioned by Robert Half, many CFOs stated that they have lost staff because of a poor onboarding process, but almost half believed their current onboarding process is ‘good’, while one in 10 stated their onboarding process is ‘excellent’, and 34% say it is “sufficient”.
These findings suggest a possible disconnect between the employers’ and the employees’ expectations for the process.
employee reach their full potential, having a well-developed onboarding programme surely plays a role, and the lack of an effective onboarding process will leave an organisation exposed to greater productivity risks.
Adam Johnston, Managing Director, Robert Half, Hong Kong highlighted,“Having the best talent in the company is not only about finding and hiring the right employees. The recruitment process doesn’t end the moment the employee signs the contract. Successfully onboarding and retaining the staff member for the long term are equally important for the employee to thrive in the organisation.”
Johnston concluded, “New employees need to feel welcome and a part of the team from day one if employers want to integrate them into the company successfully. Whether it’s hosting a team lunch for your new hire or providing them with the necessary tools and guidance, making the right moves in the early days of the employee’s tenure can empower them to do their job to the best of their abilities. A good onboarding experience will not only ensure higher retention rates for Hong Kong employers but also help the new employee to start delivering results early on.”
Additionally, Hong Kong’s financial leaders state it takes an average of 5.5 months for new employees to gain a level of proficiency where they can independently and successfully manage their responsibilities. While several factors come into play when helping an
IT PROFESSIONALS QUITTING IF NOT TRAINED HR must provide more in-house training, cited as a top initiative to alleviate the skills shortage in the IT sector, according to the latest research from Robert Half. This emphasises the importance of staff development, with 95% of CIOs surveyed stating that IT professionals are more willing to resign if their company is unable to provide them with their requested training compared to three years ago, reinforcing how professional development is not only essential in filling apparent skills gaps, but also in retaining top performers. The survey also reveals the extent of the skills shortage impacting IT employers, as
6 | HR MAGAZINE
over 92% of CIOs say it is challenging to source qualified IT professionals, while 88% say it is also challenging to attract them once found. Adam Johnston, Managing Director, Robert Half Hong Kong said, “If ambitious and talented IT professionals feel their career aspirations are not being met, the abundance of available IT jobs simply means they are likely to look for advancement opportunities elsewhere. Having a well-developed professional development and training programme helps build and maintain enthusiasm, and inspires loyalty.”
4
benefits of professional development
1. Increase productivity and the collective knowledge of teams 2. Boost attraction of in-demand candidates 3. Increase staff retention 4. Make succession planning easier
HK NEWS
HK SALARY INCREASES LOWEST IN APAC Average salary increase in Hong Kong forecasted to be 1.9% above inflation in 2019
Singapore and China will both see higher salary increases than Hong Kong this year
Average real salary increase in Asia-Pacific is forecast to be 2.7%, which is the highest globally
Hong Kong private sector workers are forecasted to see their salaries increase by 4% in 2019. After inflation, employees are expected to see a real salary increase of 1.9%. According to the latest Salary Trends survey by ECA International (ECA), Hong Kong sits near the bottom of the table for real salary increases in the APAC region, ranking 15th out of the 20 countries surveyed in the region.
Kong compares favourably. Quane explained, “This is because as one of the most wellestablished economies in the region, salaries in Hong Kong are already substantially higher than most in the region and therefore do not increase as dramatically as many of the emerging Asian economies that are above them in the survey.” The annual Salary Trends Report analyses current and projected salary increases for local employees in 69 countries across the world.
Lee Quane, Regional Director, Asia, ECA International stated,“Salaries will increase at a rate of 4% in Hong Kong next year, which is in line with last year and comparable to similar economies in the region.”
Asian nations lead the way Asian nations dominate the global top 20 highest real wage increases. 14 of the top 20 are Asian countries, and they also represent all but one of the top ten.
In comparison to other established APAC economies such as Japan and Australia, Hong
Quane highlighted,“The average real salary increase in the APAC region is predicted to be
2.7% in 2019—over double the global average of 1.2%. Low inflation and rising productivity mean that many Asian economies, and therefore local salaries, are growing rapidly.” Singaporeans will receive an average real salary increase of 2.6% in 2019, ranking 11th out of the 20 APAC countries surveyed. This is higher than the real rate of increase that Hong Kong workers will receive in 2019 but lower than the 2.9% real increases that workers in Singapore saw in 2018. Quane said,“Workers in Singapore are expected to receive a nominal salary increase of 3.9%—slightly lower than their counterparts in Hong Kong. Due to a lower level of inflation expected in Singapore in 2019, however, the real salary increase will be 0.7% higher than Hong Kong at 2.6%.”
GEN Z WORKERS REJECT MORTGAGE SLAVERY The findings of the jobsDB ‘Employment Status of Hong Kong’s Tertiary Students 2018’ report revealed that the number one target of 2016, buying property, has now dropped completely out of the top three priorities for fresh graduates. This shift in priorities may be attributable to the continued surge in Hong Kong property prices which puts home prices out of reach of most graduates. ‘Reaching management level’ tops the majority of the graduate respondents’ five-year plans at 22%, followed by ‘achieving short-term savings targets’ at 18% and ‘living independently’ at 14%. The overall findings of the survey revealed that Gen Z candidates are eager for an independent
life. Of the respondents, 63% plan to work full-time after graduation and 14% of them would like to work part-time or freelance while only 11% believe they will continue their academic studies. Work-life balance is a critical concern for Gen Z, with an increasing number of respondents, 14%, stating they are not willing to work overtime at all. The vast majority, 72%, of respondents claimed they would only be willing to work a maximum of six hours of overtime a week. These findings marked a sharp change in attitude from the 2016 jobsDB report (1% and 56% respectively).
The most attractive benefits are ‘flexible working hours’ (21%), ‘early leave on festive days’ (14%) and ‘early leave on Friday (at least once a month)’ (12%). These results reflect that Gen Z candidates value quality of life and work-life balance above other employee value proposition drivers. In response, some enterprises in Hong Kong have implemented the ‘four + one work week’ (four days working in the office and one day work from home) alongside other flexible working arrangements, but these measures have not yet become mainstream. As more Gen Z candidates enter the job market, recruiters should consider their expectations to ensure the attraction and retention of such candidates.
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HK NEWS
REMOTE WORKING KEY DRIVER FOR HK IT TALENT Remote work greatest attractor High salary most effective retainer
Hong Kong’s ICT sector is among the most advanced in the world. As technology continues to develop at exponential rates—the quality of the industry rests largely on the calibre of IT professionals making the recruitment process even more critical to HR. Adam Johnston, Managing Director, Robert Half explained, “Hong Kong’s role as a leading technology hub in the Asia Pacific region owes much to the quality of IT professionals who work in the sector. Companies hoping to compete in an innovative landscape need the best IT talent to manage new and evolving technologies.” New research independently commissioned by Robert Half reveals exactly what incentives IT employers are using to attract and retain top performing talent. Johnston stated,“Due
to the ongoing skills shortage, IT candidates are firmly in the driver’s seat when it comes to salary negotiation. Most companies are aware they need to reward their existing staff with above-average pay increases or risk losing them to the competition, which is why it’s essential employers frequently benchmark the salaries they offer to industry standards to make sure they’re competitive.” According to the survey of 75 CIOs, the top three initiatives on offer to attract IT talent are remote working (49%), higher remuneration levels—such as base pay and bonuses (48%), and flexible work schedules (44%), suggesting that lifestyle benefits, combined with a higher salary, are key to attracting the IT workforce of the future.
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Similar trends apply to staff retention. To avoid losing their top performers, Hong Kong’s IT employers are being proactive in their approach to staff retention. The top three initiatives CIOs have focused on over the last three years to retain staff are increased salary (59%), flexible work schedules (43%) and increased employee benefits (43%). In conclusion Johnston stated, “Companies are also diversifying their incentives to offer a more balanced lifestyle that appeals to the modern IT worker. Combined with remuneration, lifestyle and workplace benefits packages need to be tailored to the individual employee and their needs, which needs to be of an ongoing conversation between managers and their staff.”
APAC NEWS
HIGH THAI TALENT TURNOVER Employees jump ship for better salary
The average salary increase across industries surveyed in Thailand is expected to rise slightly to 5.3% in 2019, according to the Total Compensation Measurement (TCM) Study and Benefits Survey 2018 conducted by Aon. The survey also revealed that the turnover rate in 2018 increased to 16.9% from 16.6% in 2017. This was primarily driven by better external opportunities, limited internal growth opportunities and equity of compensation.
Panuwat Benrohman, Partner and Managing Director-Talent, Rewards and Performance, Aon Thailand asserted,“Increase in turnover isn’t surprising in the current business landscape. The new generation workforce generally does not want to wait for a year to earn an average salary increase when they can get a much higher increase with a change of employer.” The findings indicate that over the next three years, all key industries across Thailand are expected to focus on driving retention
through benefit strategies—evaluating new benefits to suit employees’ evolving needs to boost engagement. Panuwat explained, “The key challenge faced by HR professionals in this age of disruption is how to attract and retain the right talent, as well as maintain healthy dynamics between new and existing employees. Thai companies must invest in creating a holistic employee experience and motivate current and future top talent to achieve their business objectives.”
ASIA CONTINUES TO SEE HIGHEST REAL-WAGE GROWTH Asia expected to see the highest real-wage growth globally
Holistic approach advised when determining pay amidst rising trade tensions
Real-wage salaries in Asia are forecasted to increase by 2.6% in 2019 according to recent findings from Korn Ferry. The increase will be the highest globally and exceeds the expected global average real-wage salary growth of 1%. In Hong Kong, the real-wage salaries are forecast to increase by 1.7% this year, similar to predictions in 2018.
to maintain a similar salary increase forecast as last year, driven by the strong economic outlook in this region and projected subdued inflation.” He added, “In addition, the Greater Bay Area (GBA) initiative has brought optimism and is expected to have a further positive impact on Hong Kong and China economies in the long run.”
Robert Li, Senior Client Partner, Korn Ferry reported, “With inflation rising in most parts of the world, we’re seeing a cut in real-wage increases across the globe. Asia has managed
Although the GBA initiative should continue to boost salary increase expectations, the actual percentage of salary increases will ultimately depend on how the global and
China economies perform which is marred by uncertainty due to rising trade tensions with the USA. Li advised organisations to take a holistic approach when determining pay; he said “While inflation indices are a solid benchmark for reviewing market trends in pay, we recommend that companies take a broader perspective by defining and agreeing upon their own measures of cost drivers, business strategy and local trading conditions. Compensation programmes need to be regularly reviewed to make sure they align with changing business and market conditions.”
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INTERNATIONAL NEWS
THE AMERICAN DREAM JOB
When it comes to the dream salary, men have much greater expectations than women. The average dream salary for men was $444,958, whereas our female respondents would be thrilled, on average, with a salary of $278,637—a vast difference of $166,321. In an attempt to quantify exactly what the modern-day American dream job looked like, MidAmerica Nazarene University recently surveyed 2,000 people and asked them everything about their ideal job. The survey covered all employment factors— salary, location, industry, benefits and more. Of the respondents, 41% said they want to be business owners, but would be unwilling if it required them to work more than 60 hours per week. Only 12% of our survey participants said they wanted C-suite titles, whereas 23% said they wanted a mid-
Pay gap between men and women for their dream job is over USD 166,000 10 | HR MAGAZINE
level management role and 18% said they dreamed of having an associate position within a company. As far as work locations go, the survey indicated that America’s dream job would be in California. Respondents said they wanted to live less than two miles from work and commute by car and work from 9 – 5 at a company that has fewer than 30 employees. The majority of survey respondents indicated they would not mind some travel—saying they would want to travel twice a month and that they would prefer to work in the entertainment industry. As for co-worker relationships, a majority of respondents preferred to keep things professional and do not necessarily want to become ‘besties’. Further, a one-hour lunch
41% of Americans want to be business owners
break would be ideal in their dream job. Despite the dream job having a lot of perks in an industry they love, survey respondents voted overwhelmingly for a large amount of paid time off at a whopping 52 days per year—the average American worker only gets 15—and for 38 hours work-weeks. Lastly, they indicated that they would like the option of working remotely 11 days a month—because sometimes you do not want to get out of your pyjamas. The most important perks to men at their dream job are 401k matching, help with student loans, a gym membership, office snacks, and the ability to work remotely. The most important perks to women are not all that different, but they also included having a flexible schedule and unlimited vacation time.
Americans dream of having 52 days of annual leave
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
EMPLOYMENT CONDITIONS SHAPING AMERICAN FAMILIES Higher unemployment rates linked to fewer unintended pregnancies
Economic conditions shape family decisions
A recent study has found that economic conditions can shape the decisions adults make about their families, such as whether and when to have children. The Journal of Marriage & Family’s analysis of United States women aged 20 to 44 years found that higher unemployment rates were associated with a lower likelihood of unintended pregnancy. The study combined data from 13,702 women from the National Survey of Family Growth with employment data from the US Census and the American Community Survey. Weak local employment conditions were connected with lower odds of unintended pregnancies— including both mistimed and unwanted— relative to having no pregnancy. Further, the study revealed that women, overall, were less likely to have unwanted pregnancies in comparison to previous years. Women with both high and low education
experienced declines in unintended pregnancy as unemployment rates rose, although the declines were larger among those with less than a secondary school qualification. Dr Jessica Houston Su, Study Author, University of Buffalo explained, “The United States has a high rate of unintended
pregnancy, and we tend to focus on individual characteristics, such as education, socioeconomic status, and race or ethnicity, that are associated with this pattern of fertility.” She continued, “This study broadens this focus and suggests that local employment conditions are also an important context for fertility intentions.”
STARS SHINE A LIGHT ON UNSAFE WORKING CONDITIONS Hollywood superstars are campaigning for fair wages and safe sets for actors who work on commercials. Throwing their support behind the Screen Actors Guild—American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) union’s #StrikeBBH campaign, movie stars such as Tom Hanks, George Clooney, Jennifer Aniston and Regina King are among those joining the cause. The statement came in response to the advertising agency Bartle Bogle Hegarty, Inc. (BBH) attempting to illegally abandon their union contract with SAG-AFTRA after almost 20 years. Alongside other celebrities such as Rami Malek, Scarlett Johansson, Octavia Spencer and Alec Baldwin, their joint-statement read,
“We stand united with our fellow performers who work in commercials, who seek fair wages, safe sets, access to health care and a meaningful pension.”
BBH has been a signatory to the contract since 1999. In recent years, SAG-AFTRA has worked with advertising agencies to update their contracts to reflect the ever-changing media landscape.
The statement continued, “It’s time for advertisers and agencies like BBH to do the right thing. When you make an ad, make it union.”
SAG-AFTRA’s Commercials Contracts have more than 600 signatories, which collectively produce the vast majority of commercials that viewers see every day.
Gabrielle Carteris, President, SAG-AFTRA said, “What you see here is our unity and strength as a membership—our members will continue standing up to demand safe working conditions, fair wages, and access to meaningful health and pension benefits for members and their families so that they may continue working with dignity under the union’s Commercials Contracts. BBH, we are not going anywhere.”
Additional members in support of #StrikeBBH include Steve Carell, Bryan Cranston, Michael Douglas, Tina Fey, Matthew McConaughey, Debra Messing, Elisabeth Moss, Tony Shalhoub, and J.K. Simmons, among many others. Members and the general public are encouraged to visit the BBH Strike Centre to lend their name to the list of supporters.
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HR EVENTS April 2019
11
Cost of wrong hires: minimising risks & getting it right
Co-hosted by HR Magazine & First Advantage Location: Sheraton Hong Kong (Tang I Room) Date: Thursday, 11 April 2019 Time: 8.30 am – 10.30 am Website: http://hrmagazine.com.hk/event/firstadvantagehk/ Email: chris@excelmediagroup.org Tel: (852) 2736 6339
26
Rethinking talent and leadership in a globalising world—Global vs local approaches to Talent Co-hosted by HR Magazine & Cubiks
Location: 5/F, The Desk, United Centre, 95 Queensway, Admiralty, Hong Kong Date: Friday, 26 April 2019 Time: 3.00 pm – 5.30 pm Website: http://hrmagazine.com.hk/event/localising-talentamid-globalisation-global-vs-local-approaches-to-hr/ Email: aakash@excelmediagroup.org Tel: (852) 2736 6339
May 2019
10
15 Cost of wrong hires: minimising risks & getting it right
Kick-ass total rewards strategies • • • • • • • • • • • •
Moving from EVP to IVP Is cash no longer king? Leveraging the best non-traditional benefits Meaningful health-related benefits Promoting physical and mental wellness as a benefit Fostering transparency of C&B Minimising costs & maximising value of total rewards Fostering a highly evolved employment deal to attract & retrain world-class talent Deploying technology to facilitate analytics for C&B decisions Communications vs innovation in rewards The importance of highlighting leisure and lifestyle in EVPs HR legal update
Location: Regal Hongkong Hotel, Causeway Bay Date: Friday, 10 May 2019 Time: 8.30 am – 4.30 pm Tel: (852) 2736 6339 Fee: FREE ENTRY for HR Magazine subscribers Non-subscribers HKD 1,200
12 | HR MAGAZINE
Co-hosted by HR Magazine & First Advantage Location: Fairmont Singapore, Raffles City Convention Centre, Singapore - VIP Lounge B Date: Wednesday, 15 May 2019 Time: 8.30 am – 10.30 am Website: http://hrmagazine.com.hk/event/firstadvantagesg Email: chris@excelmediagroup.org Tel: (852) 2736 6339 Organised by
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BPP
2019 Hong Kong Financial Crime Prevention Symposium Location: The Mira, Hong Kong, Tsim Sha Tsui Website: www.bppevents.com/events/2019-hong-kong-symposium Time: 9.00 am – 5.00 pm Email: CIdatabase@bpp.com Organised by
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2019 Singapore Financial Crime Prevention Symposium Location: Marina Bay Sands, Convention Centre, Singapore Website: www.bppevents.com/events/2019-singapore-symposium Time: 9.00 am – 5.00 pm Email: CIdatabase@bpp.com
BPP
HR EVENTS June 2019 Organised by
HRD
HR Leaders Summit Hong Kong
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Location: New World Millenium Hong Kong Hotel Website: https://hrleadersasia.com/hong-kong Time: 8.30 am – 6.30 pm Email: eventqueries@keymedia.com
Organised by
HKIHRM
Training & Developments Needs Seminar
Organised by
SSON
21
Shared services & outsourcing with SSON Location: Beijing, China Website: https://ssobeijing.iqpc.sg/?utm_ medium=portal&mac=IQPCCORP Time: 8.30 am – 5.30 pm Email: enquire@ssonetwork.com
Location: KPMG 22/F Hysan Place 500 Hennessy Road Causeway Bay Hong Kong Website: http://www.hkihrm.org/index.php/ld/ upcoming-programmes/event/4233 Time: 9.30 am – 5.00 pm Email: learning@hkihrm.org
25 – 26
July 2019 Organised by
Potential Project and Transcend International
Mindfulness for Better Professional and Personal Life Location: The Hive, Wanchai, Hong Kong Website: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/free-eventmindfulness-for-a-better-professional-and-personal-lifetickets-56475012282?aff=ebdssbdestsearch Time: 7.00 pm – 8.30 pm Email: academy@transcend-intl.com
1
RISE
RISE HONG KONG
8-11
Organised by
Organised by
Location: Hong Kong Exhibition Centre Website: https://riseconf.com/ Time: 9.00 am – 5.00 pm
HKIHRM
Strategic Compensation Design Location: HKIHRM, Suite 1503, 15/F, 68 Yee Wo Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong Website: http://www.hkihrm.org/index.php/ld/ upcoming-programmes/event/4208 Time: 9.30 am – 5.30 pm Email: learning@hkihrm.org
Organised by
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Marcus evans
HR Japan Summit
17-18
Location: Hotel Chinzanso, Tokyo, Japan Website: http://www.hrjapansummit.com/ indecxlanguage.asp?EventID=&LangID=8&PageID=466 Time: 9.00 am – 6.00 pm Email: AsakoH@marcusevanskl.com
HR MOVES Nissan has announced the appointment of Simon Woollard as the Regional Vice President of Human Resources for Nissan Asia and Oceania. In his new role, Simon will be responsible for the development of talent acquisition and people advancement across the Asia & Oceania region, to maximise Nissan’s overall performance. Prior to his new position, Simon was leading the Talent Management, Acquisition and Learning and Development teams in Nissan Europe, based in Paris. He brings with him a deep knowledge of the Asia & Oceania region, as HR Director for Nissan Australia and New Zealand and prior to that he held HR Leadership positions in China, Taiwan and Thailand during his tenure at Ford, Asia Pacific and Africa.
Simon Woollard
Regional Vice President of Human Resources Nissan Asia and Oceania
Yutaka Sanada, Regional Senior Vice President, Nissan Asia & Oceania stated, “As we travel strategically towards our midterm ‘Nissan M.O.V.E to 2022’ growth goals in this diverse and exciting region, the importance of people in driving this is clear. Simon, with his high performance record and extensive experience in HR Management, Business Partnering and People Development at Nissan, and the automotive industry, is a strong leader that will help support our progress, with people firmly at its heart.”
Avon Products, Inc. has appointed Kay Nemoto as Senior Vice President Chief Enablement Officer and Chief Human Resources Officer. In this new role Kay will lead the change management and cultural overhaul underpinning Avon’s transformation. Kay— a seasoned turnaround specialist— has already been playing an integral role in Avon’s transformation while on secondment from Cerberus Operations & Advisory Company (COAC). She’s been heavily involved in building the strategy, has sound knowledge of all areas of the business and a passion for the business model. Kay’s new role will be focused on enabling Avon to be simpler and leaner, to drive accountability and to accelerate execution of Avon’s turnaround through its people. She will lead the cultural change management needed to underpin Avon’s transformation, building an organisation that is effective and high performing.
Kay Nemoto
Chief Strategy and HR Officer Avon
Dynata recently announced that Dawn Hirsch has joined the company as Executive Vice President, Human Resources. At a time when the company is undergoing rapid expansion and growth, Hirsch brings experience in organisational development and culture transformation, talent acquisition and development, the creation of high-performance teams, and integration of acquisitions. Before joining Dynata, Hirsch was Chief Human Resources Officer at HireRight. She also held senior positions at inVentiv Health, Lend Lease and Thomson Reuters. During her 10 years with Thomson Reuters, she held a variety of leadership roles including Global Head of HR for their Investment & Advisory and Sales & Trading Divisions, and Head of HR Americas Operations.
Dawn Hirsch
Executive Vice President Head of Global Human Resources Dynata 14 | HR MAGAZINE
Gary S. Laben, Chief Executive Officer, Dynata stated, “Dawn will play a vital role in helping us realise our strategy to expand and grow our business as a global leader of permissioned, first-party data. She will implement tools and programmes that encourage the growth and development of current employees, resulting in the creation of an unparalleled culture to help us attract, hire, and retain the best talent.”
HR IN NUMBERS
80,000+
23%
49%
People with NEBOSH certification in Occupational Health & Safety
Hongkongers with diagnosable mental health issues
HK CIOs whose top initiative on offer is remote working
NEBOSH, 2019
Mind HK, 2019
Robert Half, 2019
47million
84%
6in10
Estimated potential talent deficit across APAC by 2030
Singaporean employees anticipating a bonus this year
HK expats have more disposable income than before moving to HK
Ben Goertzel, CEO, SingularityNET, 2019
Bonus expectations survey, Randstad, 2019
HSBC, 2019
16 | HR MAGAZINE
HR IN NUMBERS
2.8%
40%
8billion
$
Current HK unemployment lowest rate since 1998
HR leaders with digital work plans implemented in their organisation
Global expenditure on corporate wellness since Affordable Care Act
HKSAR Gov Census & Statistics Dept.
KPMG, 2019
MITSloan, 2019
60%
80%
85%
Hongkongers not confident about achieving retirement goals
APAC workers would turn down jobs that don’t have flexible working
Businesses that prioritise skilling & reskilling workers in future
AIA, 2019
ComputerWorld HK, 2019
Microsoft, 2019
| 17
COVER STORY
The big taboo: mental health at work Mental health—we all have it—just in differing degrees, and employees and HR alike are all somewhere along the spectrum of mental wellness. Employee mental health, however, is still very much a taboo subject in Hong Kong (see the insights from HR Magazine and Aetna’s mental wellness event on page 46). This issue’s cover story examines the impact mental health is having not just on HR, but on the entire business, and we offer practical advice on addressing the issue to help facilitate the mental well-being of all employees.
18 | HR MAGAZINE
COVER STORY
Almost two-thirds of employees have experienced mental health issues due to work, or where work was a related factor, this according to the latest Mental Health at Work Report recently released by Business in the Community in conjunction with Mercer. There is an ever-increasing need for mental health support in the workplace, and Hong Kong has some of the worst mental wellness in APAC. According to the Healthiest Workplace by AIA Vitality Survey (the AIA Survey) over half of the employees interviewed in Hong Kong experience at least one dimension of work-related stress, with over 12% having moderate or severe symptoms of depression. Globally, mental health issues are now costing businesses dearly, with almost half of all working days lost to ill health being related to stress. In Hong Kong, according to the AIA Survey, an average of over 78 days of productivity is lost due to health-related absenteeism and presenteeism per employee every year. This figure is over 11% higher than the APAC average and is costing Hong Kong companies an estimated HK$3 million every year.
Mental health stigmas The City Mental Health Alliance (CMHA) HK, together with Oliver Wyman, identified significant stigmas towards mental health in its 2019 report—Mental Health in the Workplace: survey of Hong Kong employees in professional services firms (the CMHA Survey). The 2018 data revealed that the problem is getting worse—with 37% of respondents having at some point experienced mental ill health while in employment, 2% higher than in 2017. A quarter of respondents have experienced mental health problems while working for their current employer, up 1% from 2017.
Experience of mental ill health amongst Hong Kong professional services employees
37%
of respondents experienced mental ill health while in employment
25%
of respondents experienced mental ill health
Source CMHA HK Survey (2018)
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COVER STORY
The scope of mental health issues in Hong Kong is exacerbated by the widespread stigma attached to it. 55% of respondents in Hong Kong indicated that they have experienced stigma personally and know someone who has—due to a mental health condition. This stigma is a major inhibitor to people talking openly about mental ill health and can prevent discussion among employees within the workplace. In a study conducted by Time to Change in the UK, 67% of respondents believed that fear of stigma had stopped them from telling their employer about their mental ill health.
Stigma attached to mental ill health in Hong Kong In response to “have you, a colleague or someone you know ever experienced stigma due to a mental health condition?”
45%
55%
of respondents have experienced stigma themselves and/or know of someone who experience stigma
of respondents with no experience
Source CMHA HK Survey (2018)
Mind HK, in collaboration with the University of Hong Kong, King’s College London, Time to Change and Aetna, have also researched Mental Health Related Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviours in the General Population in Hong Kong (Mind HK Research). The research found that 89% of those surveyed in Hong Kong expressed a need for increased tolerance and support of mental illness. Similar numbers stated that ‘mental illness is just like any other illness’ and that ‘virtually anyone can become mentally ill’. Despite this ‘stated tolerance’, in reality, many of those surveyed in Hong Kong are unwilling to engage closely with anyone experiencing a mental health problem, with over 40% stating they would be unwilling to live nearby someone experiencing a mental health problem.
‘Always On’ work culture takes its toll The 2019 Cigna 360 Well-Being Survey, revealed that 64% of people around the world work in an ‘always on’ culture which causes stress, and adversely affects both physical and mental well-being. Respondents have cited a decline in their physical health as a result of not having enough sleep and exercise. Most respondents feel that employers are not addressing wellness concerns sufficiently and often have a one-size-fits-all mindset when it comes to stress management and workplace wellness programmes.
Jason Sadler, President, Cigna International Markets explained, “There is a real need to resolve the ‘always on’ culture before it escalates further as it is negatively affecting the global workforce. Employers need to equip themselves with the knowledge and practical know-how to both support business productivity and wellness in the workplace.”
Impact on productivity
Jason Sadler, President, Cigna International Markets
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Mental ill health also brings significant hidden costs to organisations. The CMHA Survey found that around 65% of respondents indicated that the quality and productivity of their work had been impacted by mental health and that there needs to be more support provided. The Survey highlighted the impact this is having on the Hong Kong workforce with over half of respondents reporting at least one of the common mental ill health related symptoms, such as a lack of energy, in the past two weeks.
COVER STORY
How much of the time is mental ill health affecting your productivity at work?
28%
20%1
5%
15%1
5%
7%
Several days a month I don’t see any impact to my level of work 1–2 days a month 2–3 days a week I don’t know Source CMHA HK Survey (2018) 1 day a week
According to the Hong Kong findings of the AIA Survey, 16% of employees missed work time due to health problems in the week before the survey. The Survey revealed that the loss of productivity due to health-related absenteeism and presenteeism accounted for an average of over 30% of working hours of Hong Kong employees. Elaine Lau, Chief Corporate Solutions Officer of AIA Hong Kong & Macau who said, “Hong Kong people are known for their diligence. Statistics show that full-time employees work an average of 45 hours per week. The combination of long working hours and unhealthy lifestyle habits is taking its toll on employees and consequently lowers the overall productivity of the company.”
Working women & mid-managers need most support The Cigna Survey reveals that almost two-thirds of working women feel that workplace wellness programmes must address their needs better. Half of the women surveyed feel that senior management is not serious about workplace wellness. Working women seek accessible, clear-cut and comprehensive programmes that will encourage participation, allow flexibility, give a sense of security, and offer measures to counter stress. While stress is a problem for both men and women, the Cigna Survey reveals that working women are, on average, more stressed than working men.
The CMHA Survey results also indicated that symptoms of mental ill health are especially prevalent among mid-level roles such as HR managers and team leads who are typically caught between a rock and a hard place in between subordinates and superiors. The research suggests the main reasons behind this include: reluctance to discuss mental ill health for fear this may impact career progress presenteeism and the need to be physically present at work lack of HR policies that would support taking time off due to mental health issues long working hours, little downtime and employees are expected to work after office hours
Sandwich generation The Cigna Survey found that the ‘Sandwich Generation’—those aged 35 – 49, hold an increasingly negative outlook on their well-being, as they are often caring for both ageing parents as well as young families. Given this generation is the core talent group driving business, their well-being significantly impacts economies and society overall.
Stress & lack of employer support Stress was identified as a key health problem in previous surveys and is still the pivotal issue, with 84% saying they are stressed and 13% saying they are unable to cope with their stress. Respondents
also perceive a lack of employer support, of the 46% who received stress management support from their employer—only 28% felt it was adequate. Moreover, 38% of respondents said that no stress management support was provided at all. This fact was echoed at HR Magazine’s recent breakfast briefing on mental health which, along with identifying a lack of mental health support in many organisations across Hong Kong, also revealed that even in those where it is provided—many employees are still unaware of the existence of such services.
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HR FEATURES Physical and mental health
Seniors enjoy best mental wellness
The frenetic work ethics that pervade in many organisations are having a significant detrimental impact on the physical and mental health of employees. Unhealthy eating habits are also hazardous to employees’ health. According to the AIA Survey, employees in Hong Kong are most at risk in terms of their lifestyle health. Almost 80% of employees in the study claimed they did not eat a healthy diet, with almost 45% sleeping less than seven hours per night, and almost a third having insufficient physical activity. Unsurprisingly, over a fifth of employees are obese, which is nearly 14% above the APAC average and 83% reported symptoms of musculoskeletal conditions—most commonly shoulder and neck pains.
Half the respondents to the Cigna Survey are prepared for older age, with those holding insurance policies and living in emerging markets feeling more financially optimistic. For many over the age of 60, they see working as a way of staying mentally sharp, physically active and sharing their knowledge through mentorship in contrast to younger employees who believe they will be working purely for financial reasons as they age. There is a perception that companies are unwilling to hire older adults and unable to provide adequate support.
Despite employees having a reasonable understanding of health-related issues and what needs to be monitored such as BMI and blood pressure, few are taking any action about it. For the first time, this year’s Cigna Survey looked at the issue of heart disease. It revealed that while the majority of those surveyed agree that a lifestyle change is a prerequisite to good heart health, one in six did not take any action over potential symptoms of heart disease. This inaction may simply be down to a lack of knowledge as to what help was available. The same, it seems, is true for seeking help for mental health issues. According to the Mind HK Research, over 60% of those surveyed in Hong Kong still have no idea of where to seek help concerning mental illness, outside of hospitals.
Awareness in Hong Kong of where to seek help for mental illness
Yes
No/Don’t know/Unsure Source MindHK Research
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Potential HR solutions To reduce the incidence of mental ill-health issues, it is critical that HR implement clear policies around this topic. Moreover, they should do what they can to create a more open culture around mental health and provide flexibility where needed to accommodate the differing needs of individual employees. However few are currently doing so. Reflecting on the need for employers to pay more attention to the health condition of employees, Lau noted the findings of the AIA Survey, “More than 21% of surveyed companies in Hong Kong do not provide any health and wellbeing activities for their employees—the highest proportion among markets across APAC. We advise employers to take proactive measures to improve the health of employees and provide them with appropriate medical protection, which will ultimately enhance their companies’ productivity.”
Unlimited leave policy Another positive measure is the providing of unlimited leave for employees to help alleviate mental stress. Sun Hung Kai & Co. is a company taking huge strides in enhancing the mental wellbeing of its employees with the introduction of an unlimited leave policy. The policy stems from research on global employee engagement best practices that work well in innovative and results-oriented workplaces. Mr Simon Chow, Group Deputy CEO, Sun Hung Kai & Co. explained, “Technology is also a big factor in making the launch of this new benefit possible with staff more in control, when, where and how they spend the time in delivering projects and achieving results…through the transformation of our human resource practices and breaking away from traditional HR practices in Hong Kong. We aim to help employees focus on producing exceptional results, with better control and flexibility over their work, space and time.”
He added, “We strongly believe that employees could focus on producing exceptional results through better control over their work schedule and personal time which would allow room for creativity and career growth. To both current and prospective employees— this policy is a clear manifestation of our corporate values – innovation, professionalism, integrity, excellence and prudence and we also put a lot of trust in our employees.” With the increased focus on innovation and the rapid development of disruptive technologies today, companies should rethink and review business processes including those traditional HR practices, as they are imperative to staff engagement and speak the culture of the company. Chow echoed these sentiments within Sun Hung Kai & Co, “Our values are Excellence, Integrity, Prudence, Professionalism and Innovation. Through rethinking and challenging more traditional functions, such as viewing Human Resources with a new lens to resolve challenges and adopting new technologies, we are creating a world-class team that focuses on delivering top results.”
Virtual health services Virtual health services for employees are already available—via telephone and online. The Cigna Survey found growing acceptance of virtual health services, with 59% willing to consider it for consultation and diagnosis. However, only one in five respondents fully understand its benefits. In the UK, Dr Julian Nesbitt recently launched an online mental health platform—both web and mobile apps— enabling employees suffering from mental health issues to connect with mental healthcare specialists quickly and securely through video and text-links using their phone/laptop. As well as being a step towards tackling the huge crisis in employee mental health, the platform has also been accepted onto the UK’s National Health Service digital accelerator programme to help propel the use of such technology into the wider community.
Flexible work arrangements In Hong Kong, there are 200,000 families in which both parents work on a full-time basis. Families are becoming increasingly concerned about work-life balance and having flexible working arrangements that facilitate this. Nancy Yip, Area Director, IWG Hong Kong— responsible for the overall performance of all flexible workplaces operated under IWG through the brands of Regus and Spaces—explained, “Flexible Nancy Yip, Area Director, working is now the number one benefit IWG Hong Kong for working parents. If employers do not have a flexible working strategy or have not investigated how to get one, then it could hurt your bottom line. Why? Because a business is only as strong as its talent—and if working parents are most concerned about the opportunity for flexible working, then they are very likely to take their talent to a different business that does offer it.” There is a clear lack of understanding around mental health, often magnified by a lack of support from organisations which can result in employees feeling uncomfortable about, or in extreme cases, unable to, talk about their mental ill health concerns. When HR Addressing each of these areas as part of an overall strategy to support good mental health in the workplace will bring benefits to both the employer and employee and ensure long‑term sustainability. HR needs to lead by example and send a clear message that mental wellbeing is of critical importance in the workplace. Providing a ‘safe’ and supportive environment in which employees do not feel stigmatised or scared to speak up is essential, as is listening to their concerns—as this can help HR identify problem areas and adjust working practices and policy to help mitigate undue workplace stress. Sadler noted, “There are simple ways we can help each other— reminding ourselves to take regular breaks from work—particularly to detox away from our computer screens and mobiles when possible. Taking a walk during lunch or taking some exercise can have a tremendous benefit.” He added, “Senior management needs to set the standard—creating ‘cut-off’ times outside working hours when staff are not expected to access their phones, email or messaging apps are hugely important. Companies can also set up employee assistance programs which combine face-to-face care, telephone advice and online help for employees and their families dealing with either physical or mental health issues.” By addressing and opening up the discussion on mental well-being in the office, companies can create a culture that offers the support that employees need, without intruding upon their privacy. Education and training are also key at all levels in the organisation to help the entire workforce better understand mental health issues. Nowhere is such training more useful than with the HR team—empowering them to nurture mentally healthy workplaces and ensure employee wellbeing stays a top priority for everyone.
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HR FEATURES
Watermelons to workplace transformations A chat with Stacey Kennedy reveals her journey to creating organisation-wide positive change Selling watermelons, might not be the first thing that springs to mind when you chat with Stacey Kennedy, President, South & Southeast ASIA, Philip Morris International—but this is how she first developed her entrepreneurial spirit and business acumen. When Stacey was just eight years old, with her father’s support, she got a USD100 loan from the bank and a lease for land. She then embarked on her watermelon business—Stacey’s Watermelons, which turned out to be a roaring success—generating over USD1,500 in her first summer of sales. She recounted her father teaching her the two fundamental principles of achieving great things: persistence and perseverance. She shared, “My parents were an instrumental role model to me. I learned that if anything was worth doing, it was worth doing well.”
Disruptive influence…for the better Fresh out of completing an undergraduate degree, at 22 Stacey launched into a career in what is often viewed by outsiders as traditionally male-dominated business. Never one to be put off by a challenge, Stacey began her career with Philip Morris International (PMI) and soon discovered that the team she worked in was in fact extremely diverse. She soon realised, however, that the more senior the level in the organisation, as with all too many organisations, the fewer the number of female executives. Most of her clients were male retailers, so as a woman, she had to demonstrate her credibility to help gain their trust.
“To facilitate such a change— ideas, creativity and innovation from the widest global talent pool was essential.” An HR transformation for PMI was crucial to not only better foster a workplace of equality and inclusion, but also to further boost business opportunities. Stacey noted, “We made the decision to completely disrupt both the industry as a whole and our own organisation—even cannibalising sales of our existing products. In order to facilitate such a change—ideas, creativity and innovation from the widest global talent pool was essential.”
24 | HR MAGAZINE
HR FEATURES Turning HR & PMI on its head PMI’s seismic transformation started with the organisation turning the industry on its head and committing to creating a smoke-free world by embracing science & technology. Yes, you heard right…a tobacco giant turning smoke-free. This was a bold choice in building an entirely new PMI future based on smoke-free products as a better choice than traditional cigarette smoking. HR also underwent a similar shift to help shape it for a new era of employee-centric policies. Several HR strategies have been introduced to help achieve this including flexible working hours, part-time-work schemes, remote working, a prayer room and facilities for new mothers. All strategies aimed at better facilitating employees to work (and live) better in line with their current real-life situations.
40% female management by 2022 Being the first international company in the world to be recognised for paying male and female employees equally for equal work, PMI transcends many organisations who still aspire to obtain equality in the workplace. While it may seem like an easy task to accomplish, PMI went through a rigorous procedure, ultimately landing them the Global Equal Salary Certificate. Stacey said, “There are no silver bullets to achieving gender balance. But, we have to start somewhere. We decided that starting with an equal pay certification was the right first step. The process to become globally EQUAL-SALARY certified actually helped us to bring awareness and transparency on many of these more complex topics —in recruitment, promotion and retention—which, once identified, action plans to improve were put in place.” Stacey noted, “We held focus groups with female employees to understand their perception of our commitment, reviewed all HR policies & practices, identified blind spots and created tangible action plans.”
W20 global sharing With further emphasis on a culture of diversity, Stacey recently attended the W20 event in Japan, where she spoke on closing the gender pay gap and leading an inclusive environment. She shared, “I had the privilege to join the W20 and see the ideas there become recommendations for women-related policy for the G20 to implement.” She continued, “This is a great platform to bring policy makers, diplomats and business executives together to discuss a wide range of issues on empowering women, and translate that into concrete action.” Business has an important role to play, and we need companies to make progress to help create the environment for our society. Although the summit covered a broad range of topics, including the digital gender gap, sexual violence, and women in the workplace, a theme that was raised repeatedly was the need to also involve men more in women’s issues. From humble beginnings at Stacey’s Watermelons, to breaking barriers and rising to President, South & Southeast ASIA at PMI Stacey is certainly a force to be reckoned with. Not only does Stacey encourage female voices and help transform PMI’s HR development and organisational vision, but she is also an inspirational role model for wannabe watermelon entrepreneurs everywhere.
“We held focus groups with female employees to understand their perception of our commitment, reviewed all HR policies & practices, identified blind spots and created tangible action plans.”
Third party auditor PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) appointed by Equal Salary Foundation created a sophisticated data set and analysis of salaries across our business. PwC talked with PMI management in each country to gain a better understanding of their needs and to confirm their commitment to creating a more inclusive gender-balanced workplace. Stacey added, “Another major goal at PMI is to reach at least 40% of women in overall management positions by 2022. Perfection is the enemy of moment. It’s far better to have a good plan and to move, because then you build momentum and progress breeds overall more successful outcomes.”
Stacey si ts in fro n t of a heart-w arming messag written e by one o f her tw daughte in rs durin g a day visit to th e PMI office.
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HR FEATURES
Minding your health Mental health in the workplace is surrounded by misconceptions and stigma. If an employee has a mental health problem, very often these employees will remain silent from the fear of being exposed and concern about what their colleagues will think of them. In the majority of cases, their colleagues will most likely not even recognise that they are struggling with symptoms. Mental health problems can include bipolar disorder, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and schizophrenia.
We sat down with Michelle Leung, VP HR International Markets, Cigna, to discuss the findings of Cigna’s 360O Well-being survey.
Q.1
What is the importance of mental health in the workplace?
For many of us, work is a major part of our lives. It’s where we obtain our income, spend most of our time, and often where we have significant social interaction and make friends. Having a fulfilling job can be good for mental health and general well-being. It’s also good for employers, as healthy employees are more productive employees.
Q.2
However, according to the 2018 Cigna 360o Well-Being Survey, stress is a major workplace health issue. Some 15% of workers said they are unable to manage stress, with millennials in the workplace viewing themselves as least able to cope. Those who said they are unable to manage stress are less physically fit, less sociable and more likely to seek professional help and be prescribed medication.
Where can organisations begin when addressing workplace mental health issues?
The workplace plays a critical role in health, wellness and planning for a secure future. According to the 2018 Cigna 360o Well-Being Survey, the year’s Workplace Well-Being Index increased from 67.5 to 69.1 points during 2017. People have an increasingly positive outlook towards their workplace wellness and recognise the value of work-life balance. However, stress remains the biggest workplace issue, so it’s important for employers to pay attention to the issue of mental health in the workplace.
26 | HR MAGAZINE
Employees with good mental health are more likely to be productive and engaged in the company’s mission. On the other hand, the impact of employees suffering from stress and mental health issues can be felt at many levels. It is vital that employers – like the rest of society – remove the stigma associated with mental illness by addressing and opening up dialogue on the topic. Employers are in a position to offer support and tools for
employees without intruding on their privacy. For example, they can provide training to employees on mental health awareness and how to manage their own mental health. More formalised would be an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), which combines face-to-face care, telephone advice and online help for employees and their families dealing with physical illness, as well as stress-related and emotional pressures that may limit their effectiveness on the job.
HR FEATURES
Q.3
There seems to be a stigma surrounding mental health in APAC, how can HR encourage staff and senior management to buy-in to addressing psychological health and safety?
Awareness of mental health is increasing, but we still live in a world where some people with mental health problems face discrimination, and have challenges getting the help they need. Asia has a work culture of particularly competitive and long hours and there is significant stigma associated with mental illness. This means mental health issues have been largely ignored in the past.
Q.4
For employers, stress management is a huge opportunity to address productivity and attract and retain talent. In fact, when asked about workplace wellness programs, 68% of people said they are important in choosing between two potential employers, and this rises to 73% for millennials. Facts like these make the need for workplace wellness programs compelling to all levels of staff.
How can HR ensure they create a nurturing and supportive workplace that fosters employee well-being?
By addressing and opening up discussion about mental well-being in the workplace, we can offer the support employees need without intruding on their privacy; and create a more positive and productive work environment. Working in a supportive, non-critical team is hugely important. There are simple ways we can help each other—reminding ourselves to take regular breaks from work—particularly to ‘detox’ away from our computer screens when possible. Taking a walk during lunch or doing a class can have a tremendous benefit.
Q.5
According to the 2018 Cigna 360 o Well-Being Survey, more than 50% of employees said they do not receive company support in dealing with stress and do not have a formal workplace wellness program in place. Yet, stress management has become the number one employee insurance benefit request, over traditional basics like dental and vision care benefits.
On a more formal level, companies can set up an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), which combine face-to-face care, telephone advice and online help for employees and their families dealing with physical illness, as well as stress-related and emotional pressures which may limit their effectiveness on the job. At Cigna, we have just moved our international headquarters in Hong Kong to another floor in the same building. We saw this as an exciting opportunity to rethink some of our working practices. For example, we have incorporated
a quiet room into the new design, where people can go for some ‘me time.’ We’ve also kicked off an official “work from home when practical” policy. This means when employees need a break after traveling on business or have personal activities to attend to, maybe involving children or parents, they can work from home without feeling guilty or causing inconvenience to colleagues.
How can employees be encouraged to speak up about mental health at work?
Clearly, we need to open up the discussion about mental well-being in the workplace, so we can create a positive and productive work environment, and a place where employees can talk to their managers about mental health issues and stress.
Not everyone wants to talk to their manager or even to an external therapist. This is why, as part of their formal wellness programmes; some organisations have introduced online employee therapy services for mild to moderate anxiety and depression. Employees who are reluctant or unable to meet a therapist or even make a telephone call, can still have access to online guidance and get some of the help they need.
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HR FEATURES
Q.6
Q.7
Understanding mental health issues is profoundly important for those of us working in HR. For example, as part of our own mental health wellness programs, Cigna provides training to employees on mental health awareness and how to manage their own mental health.
If an employee discloses a mental health issue, how can HR prepare themselves, the employee and the organisation to support them in their job or role?
We also include specific questions in our annual employee engagement surveys to collect insights on the perceived stress level of our workforce and causes of their stress, so that we can offer appropriate support.
Not everyone wants to talk to a mental health professional. A way companies can support their employees is by setting up an Employee Assistance Program (EAP). EAPs mix face-to-face care, telephone advice and online help for people dealing with physical illness, plus stress-related and emotional pressures which may limit their effectiveness on the job. EAPs are not just for employees, but also for their families.
Q.8
Q.9
What steps have been taken at Cigna to ensure the mental health of employees?
How can HR measure the mental health of employees?
What are the benefits to an organisation of ensuring good mental health among its workforce?
Having a fulfilling job can be good for mental health and general well-being of an employee. And, of course, it’s good for employers, as healthy employees are more productive employees.
Healthy Life is Cigna’s global health and wellness strategy for our employees. It is our way of applying Cigna’s mission to ourselves. Here are just a few examples: As you would expect, Cigna has its own Employee Assistance Program (EAP), which combines face-to-face care, telephone and online help for employees and their families dealing with physical illness, as well as stress-related and emotional pressures that may limit their effectiveness on the job. Cigna dedicated the first three months of 2018 to raising awareness to mental health. For example, we held seminars and discussions on various topics such as dealing with different personalities; coping with change and building resilience. We include specific questions in our annual employee engagement surveys to collect insights on the perceived causes of stress, so that we can offer appropriate support.
28 | HR MAGAZINE
In closing, Michelle said, “I hope that all employers can become aware of the importance of raising awareness about mental health in the workplace. By addressing and opening up discussion about mental well-being in the office, all companies whatever their size and industry - can create a culture that offers the support that employee’s need, without intruding upon their privacy. The benefits will be felt by both employees and employer alike—creating a better and healthier working environment.
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HR FEATURES
Navigating global minefields
in background screening Interview with Scott Staples, Chief Executive Officer, First Advantage
Protecting organisations in a changing digital world As technology progresses and organisations digitalise, effective background screening has become integral to successfully recruiting and onboarding talent to an organisation. A bad hire not only risks employees, but also the company brand. Global compliance issues also often hinder organisations from getting candidate information they require. HR Magazine sat down with Scott Staples, Chief Executive Officer, First Advantage to discuss these challenges and how they can be overcome. Q. How did you end up here? A. I wanted to go to an industry and organisation where I could bring my skill-set as a growth entrepreneur and also my understanding of tech. The HR and background screening spaces are often a little behind the times on tech. When I came across First Advantage, I knew it was a company I could help and an industry I could make a mark on because, in my mind, it was all about new products and getting products to market faster.
Q. What key technologies does First Advantage leverage to deliver global HR solutions? A. The global aspect is crucial here. When we talk about technology, across the key drivers and trends within the industry, we
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talk about being able to do things on a global basis. One of the biggest drivers within background screening—and HR as well—is compliance. Having one global platform is really important because the compliance engine is built into our technology. Whether it is in China, New Zealand or the United States, all the differing compliance rules are built into one tech platform. In terms of technology, having that single platform— with the compliance engine behind it—is important because we’ve put a series of applications on top to improve the overall candidate experience and drive turn-around times down. Getting data in HR managers’ hands is so important today because of the way it helps with decision-making. We’ve got
an analytics tool that can give data to HR managers as to the effectiveness of their screening programme. It even gives insights into the effectiveness of their recruiting channels. The combination of a global single platform, a slick mobile app and these analytics tools has helped First Advantage in the market and helped our customers as well.
HR FEATURES
Q. Background screening has traditionally been conducted for more regulatory roles. Will this change? A. It’s already changing. Background screening trends tend to start in the West and move East. What we can learn from what’s happened in North America and Europe is that while background screening started in regulatory driven industries—banking, insurance and healthcare—it’s now prominent in other industries. The main reason is brand protection and we’re seeing a lot of retailers, gig-economy companies with direct contact to the consumer background screening potential candidates. They are really driving a lot of the need and maturity within the background check market because of the exposure they have to their brand. It doesn’t matter if an industry is regulated or not, they need to protect the brand because brands can topple very quickly.
to do real-time, ongoing monitoring to protect brands and ensure co-workers are provided with a safe workplace. We will also see social media searches becoming more prominent as technology advances. I think there is a lot to learn about potential employees from social media activity. In general, a lot of this development will create a better candidate experience by managing risk, but it will also drive down costs and make things faster. For APAC particularly, a lot of it will come down to the compliance within each country and region. Digitalisation and technology will have a huge impact there because as laws change, it will be much easier to change technology and processes to control risk based on changes made at a regional level.
Q. What changes do you foresee in the next five years? Q. What can be done to speed up HR A. The next five years for background screening, digitalisation? particularly within APAC, will be all about A. HR managers and their teams often are seen technology development. As technology gets better and matures, background screening will become faster and cheaper. It will also be a platform in which additional services can grow. One of those services we’re seeing which is particularly hot in the market—not as much in APAC just yet but it will grow—is post-hire monitoring. Most background checks are done pre-hire. You get checked, you get approved and you can start your job. Once that person starts a job, say they’ve been working there for several years—how do you know they haven’t committed a crime or done something that could bring harm to a co-worker or to the company brand? As technology improves and as more digitalisation comes into the system, this will enable background check providers
within organisations as a cost centre that never gets the proper funding or the proper attention either. In today’s world, everyone is fighting for budgets, which tend to go to the revenue producing business units first. HR often gets left behind and has to play catch up. But I think what’s happening with technology and especially with analytics is that HR is able to state a case of how certain things affect the business from a revenue and cost standpoint. By having a single global platform, as First Advantage has, recruitment processes are run on a compressed timeline. HR managers can say, ‘We can bring this talent on board faster which has an impact on the company from a revenue standpoint.’ The result is that HR departments are able to justify the need
for funding around certain initiatives by using pure analytics.
Q. How can HR preserve face-to-face candidate interactions as AI becomes increasingly prevalent? A. It’s important to note that AI is really a catchphrase that means a lot of different things to different people. In regards to its implementation in HR, the fear is that HR looks to AI as the panacea for something they’ve neglected, a solution to fill a gap. In reality, AI only works when a process is already in place and running well, AI makes it better. As companies get more and more into AI, HR departments are still going to have to figure out how to have these personal connections. We’ve all heard people buy from people and I think people join companies because of people as well. The brand and reputation of a company get you so far, but when a candidate says yes to a company, they’re often associating the job with a person. It could be the manager, the team, or even someone in the HR process that impressed them. There’s no way AI can be a substitute for that. These two, HR and the interpersonal connection, need to be married.
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HR COMMUNITY
HR dummies guide to
blockchain, AI and HR tech
Regal Hongkong Hotel (basement), Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
Our HR Conference on 8 March 2019 looked at the latest trends in blockchain, AI and HR tech. We share juicy insights from all of our speakers who gave tips on how best HR can leverage workplace technology and how to effectively navigate tech rollouts. From AI in recruitment to gamification to HRIS, find out what works and what doesn’t when it comes to digital transformations.
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HR COMMUNITY
Talent management in the new digital era In this age of exponential innovation and development, it would be easy to assume a company synonymous with technology like Microsoft would have no issues rolling out new tech tools for their staff to leverage. Maria Hui, Director of HR, Microsoft Hong Kong shared, “Well yes and no. We obviously do have people with a high level of technological capability and passion but they are still people who get used to doing things a certain way and can resist change like employees from any other company. Digital transformations rely on the willingness and enthusiasm of your people because tech is just a tool.“ Talent management has always been critical to achieving success but amid digitalisation— the scarcity of critical talent has created an all out talent war. New research from Gartner and the World Economic Forum predicts significant changes to the future of work and finding the right people is not a clear cut process. Hui explained, “Right now we want to hire people who can deal with AI or
machine learning. We don’t really have the talent to fill these positions and they are not readily available.” She added, “The future is changing so rapidly that 65% of children entering primary school will end up doing a job that doesn’t exist right now.” Microsoft has focused its talent management around three areas— engagement and retention; talent development; and empowering everyone. Hui expounded, “How do we empower everyone? We leverage analytics tools so our staff can perform some self-reflection. Using an app, our employees can see a summary of how they spend their time at work to help them analyse their working habits. Goals can then be set to reduce unproductive hours, and data can be used to diagnose and address productivity challenges. Employees can even track and optimise time for productive activities such as 1-1 meetings with key stakeholders.”
MARIA HUI Director of HR, Microsoft Hong Kong Topic | Talent management in the new digital era
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CY CHAN SAMUEL HUI
Co-Owner, Head of Talent Engagement and Corporate Social Investment, HKBN
Co-Owner, Head of Digital, HKBN Topic | HKBN: talent-first approach to driving impactful digital transformation
HKBN: talent-first approach to driving impactful digital transformation With digital transformation being a key driver to thriving in a competitive business, HKBN sets the talent bar high as one of the fastest growing telecommunications companies. Samuel Hui, Co-Owner, Head of Digital, HKBN explained, “The idea is to keep looking to disrupt not only the industry but also ourselves.” When Hui first started at HKBN, he did not have a digital background. In fact, he did not even know the difference between an organic and paid search, but is now an expert in all these areas and more. After only one year, his team has already quadrupled digital revenue contributions—a remarkable feat made possible by HKBN’s unique approach to leveraging its Talents to achieve digital transformation. While digital transformations are often led from the top, HKBN has taken a different approach, challenging norms and driving creativity with start-up like agility. HKBN
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digital transformations are led from the bottom up—a customer-oriented focus, led by its Talent. As the team’s Minimum Viable Products (MVPs) gained business traction, managers and executive leaders threw in their support. Hui shared, “Digital transformation is about letting Talent do what they are good at. Once top sales Talents started seeing their take-home pay increase by 30%, made possible by the innovations, they started embracing our transformation agenda.” Hui then introduced his colleague, CY Chan, Co-Owner, Head of Talent Engagement and Corporate Social Investment, HKBN. Chan went on to discuss further the organisation’s ethos towards digital transformation. Chan pointed out, “The secret is making sure leaders are all on the same page.
Interest alignment is what makes us a success.” A Co-Ownership scheme was started where management level or above leaders were invited to invest up to one-year of their salary into the company to become a Co-Owner. As these Co-Owners had ‘skin in the game’, they were incentivised to work towards the same goal—to make the company a success.
HR COMMUNITY
Marrying technology & HR: forced union or match made in heaven? To remain competitive, business leaders must be equipped to understand digitalisation and its effect on their organisation. Marieke van Raaij, Director, Up! Advisory discussed how HR is often tasked with getting their leaders up to speed in this environment. To become experts themselves, many HR departments have turned to gamification as a more engaging learning and development tool. Van Raaij delved into the latest tools used by C-suite members and HR across APAC to develop digital literacy and manage organisations through digital disruption.
She highlighted, “Successful companies have a fantastic skill of balancing the now and the next. Uber, for example, is looking for thousands of drivers to meet demand but simultaneously they are massively investing in autonomous driving vehicles.” While it is crucial leaders understand where their organisation is going digitally, van Raaij also discussed how companies have sourced ideas from across their workforces. She expanded, “I think it’s wonderful to see that the most senior in the room is no longer the only one providing ideas on change and innovation.”
MARIEKE VAN RAAIJ Director, Up! Advisory Topic | Marrying technology and HR: forced union or match made in heaven?
Legal implications of AI and Tech in HR In a rapidly developing digital environment, the law is playing catch up when it comes to legislating on new technologies. From chatbots and e-signatures to blockchain and big data, David Smail, Senior Associate, Employment Law, DLA Piper, divulged what HR needs to be aware of from a legal perspective when it comes to harnessing such technologies in the workplace. While AI technologies, such as anonymous candidate-screening programmes, remove biases from the recruitment process, AI needs to be implemented with care to ensure biases are not built into the programme. Previous recruitment processes—and the CVS that come with them—are often used as base knowledge for AI and many of these processes over the years have been inherently biased. If things go wrong, blaming the AI is not a legal defence and HR should closely monitor the outcomes and keep a record of
AI-decisions to help them troubleshoot any potential issues as early as possible. Smail noted, “Although AI can help dramatically speed up HR processes, you still require and experienced HR ‘human’ final checking such processes.” In the #metoo age, care around emerging technologies is particularly important around gender-sensitive processes. AI chatbots are beginning to be used in organisations for people to report harassment, but often these programmes have issues with anonymity. There are also issues with such programmes immediately escalating grievances to the C-suite rather than to the best person to help. Smail stated, “The best outcome is to create a culture where harassment is simply not tolerated. Emerging AI in itself is not a solution but part of a wider set of tools to drive outcomes.”
DAVID SMAIL Senior Associate, Employment Law, DLA Piper Topic | Legal implications of AI and Tech in HR
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Weaponising workflows—fearlessly entering the augmented age of HR There is no denying the overwhelming uncertainty that comes with digital transformation. Most HR professionals still feel their organisation is lagging behind developmentally and that their company has flaws. It is, however, not as big of a race and not as urgent as most might think. Given the fact that Jordan Kostelac, Director of PropTech, Asia Pacific, JLL, is not actually a person working in HR, he was able to provide an objective perspective to digital transformation. Few in HR know what blockchain is, let alone its impact on HR. Kostelac opined, “We are in a workforce that is continuously afraid of being irrelevant. Whether an optimist or pessimist about technology, we have to be
realists to make our workforces ready for that kind of change.” Technology is becoming smarter and faster than we are, so the real question is—how do we get people to overcome that fear? Kostelac continued, “Innovation starts with conversation. We need to make people play to their strengths. We have to understand technology and eliminate that fear.” Kostelac wrapped up his speech discussing three A’s which are helpful points of reference for HR units managing digital transformations. Agency—a degree of individualism; authenticity—commitment; and lastly, awareness—of possible challenges to be faced.
JORDAN KOSTELAC Director of PropTech, Asia Pacific, JLL Topic | Weaponising workflows—fearlessly entering the augmented age of HR
Generation C—the ‘Connected’ generation Embarking on a digital transformation journey is a daunting task in itself but currently those in HR have to make this critical transition while motivating a multigenerational workforce. Fyiona Yong, CEO, Wholistic Coachsulting explained, “It’s the first time in history that we have four generations working side by side. As leaders, it’s important not to get bogged down in the generalisations and myths ascribed to each generation but instead to engage everyone as unique individuals and create an inclusive and diverse culture. When I say diversity, I’m talking about diversity of thoughts and mind-sets. Consciously pairing up baby boomers and millennials creates an environment that allows the generations to empathise with each other.” The key to success in digital transformation is for organisations to understand how their people use technology to enhance their strategy. Yong explained, “It comes down to
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leadership and people—people need to be unafraid of making mistakes. Digitalisation needs to be well communicated, as well as the justification and purpose of the transformation. Transparency within your workforce helps to remove the fear of technology—let them know it is not being implemented to take over their jobs. It is there to help them break free of the mundane and repetitive tasks of data production and administration.” Being a millennial does not automatically make one tech-savvy, nor does being a baby-boomer mean they are incapable of learning digital skills. Yong believes it is time organisations ditch the generation conversation and instead focus on the generation that matters—Generation C. She explained, “The ‘Connected’ generation is not defined by their age but defined by their mind-set. Gen C will be the ones who are the early adopters of technology.”
FYIONA YONG CEO, Wholistic Coachsulting Topic | How to create an engaged multi-generational team to embrace digital transformation
HR COMMUNITY
PANEL DISCUSSION The panel (left to right ) • Marieke Van Raaij, Director, Up! Advisory • Andrew Ma, Executive Director & Founder, STEAM Building • Jordan Kostelac, Director of PropTech, JLL • Stephen Smith, Head of Learning and Development (Asia), Mayer Brown • Flora Yu, Director, Technical Solutions, Microsoft Hong Kong Facilitator: Paul Arkwright, Publisher & Editor-in-Chief, HR Magazine
The panel first discussed what they saw as the biggest hurdle for HR professionals when engaging the organisation with digitalisation. Marieke van Raaij, Director, Up! advisory shared, “In this enormous world of data and analytics, HR people are not traditionally employed for being brilliant at numbers or deriving insights or processing data, but they’re being asked to do that now. Learning to be more comfortable with data and representing it throughout evidence-based HR situations is a concrete way HR professionals can develop their skills for a digital future.” Discussing the idea of picking up new technologies through gamification, Stephen Smith, Head of Learning and Development (Asia), Mayer Brown commented, “Some will adopt these technologies and be more open to it than others. There are, however, those who just don’t want to pick
it up and it’s not age related. We’ve tried a range of ways to persuade people to adopt technology, including making it mandatory, which worked for some even if they would do it grudgingly.” Next, the conversation turned to blockchain and what it means within the context of modern organisations and HR. Flora Yu, Director, Technical Solutions, Microsoft Hong Kong clarified “It’s an emerging technology we recognise from its use in cryptocurrency. It’s also an alternative way for us to do smart-contracts, contract management and manage complex agreements between parties.” Jordan Kostelac, Director of PropTech, Asia Pacific, JLL added, “Many people lie on their resumes, right? Blockchain will eventually allow for HR to verify people’s records and detect evidence of tampering.”
With mental health gaining traction in Hong Kong workplaces, the panel discussed how HR tech and digitisation can play a role to improve mental health outcomes in the workforce. Andrew Ma, Executive Director & Founder, STEAM Building stressed, “With digital technology such as smartphones, we are bombarded with notifications and addiction to such technology can be detrimental to mental health. This has been shown to lower creativity, and other serious mental health issues can result.” Yu mentioned that in HR’s hyperconnected world, it is particularly important for managers to set the work culture. She opined, “Your behaviour will ripple towards your employees’ behaviours and if you are a manager sending emails after hours and on weekends, then your team will feel responsible that they have to reciprocate.”
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HK Employers Endorse Racial D&I Charter The Racial Diversity and Inclusion Charter for Employers (Charter) of the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) has seen a threefold increase in the number of signatories since its launch in December 2018. HR Magazine is among the latest signatories, including locally based conglomerates, global companies, utilities, publishers, professional bodies, chambers of commerce, SMEs and social enterprises which were acknowledged at the recent ceremony, organised by the EOC and supported by HSBC–one of the founding signatories of the Charter.
Mr Paul Arkwright, Publisher & Editor-In-Chief (pictured above), attended the ceremony held at HSBC’s headquarters on 29 March 2019 to recognise the Charter on behalf of the entire HR Magazine team (a few of whom are pictured below). The Charter aims to ensure a more inclusive workplace but help reduce discrimination throughout Hong Kong. HR Magazine is proud to be part of this transformation and encourage more employers to provide inclusive hiring policies.
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The Charter was introduced as a voluntary initiative in August 2018 to foster racial diversity and inclusion in workplaces. It consists of a set of nine guidelines that cover three broad areas, namely policy, culture and work environment. The EOC will act as an advisor to the participating companies helping them to formulate and implement minority-friendly policies and practices in order to support the Charter goals. Mr Andy CHAN, Under Secretary for Constitutional & Mainland Affairs, officiated at the ceremony. Acting Chief Operations Officer of the EOC, Dr Ferrick CHU Chung-man said, “The EOC is happy to see a growing number of employers showing strong support for racial equality. We expect more participation this year as the campaign gathers momentum. The EOC will continue to play a pivotal role in fostering equality and inclusion in all areas including employment for people of all races.” “There is no room for racial discrimination in the world. We are all born from the same place and therefore racial diversity means equal
opportunities for all,” added Dr Allan ZEMAN, Chairman of Lan Kwai Fong Group and keynote speaker at the event. In her closing remarks, Ms Helen WONG, Chief Executive, Greater China, HSBC said, “We are proud to be among the first companies to sign the Charter last year. A diverse workforce makes good business sense. It gives us access to a wider pool of talent and helps us better understand the diverse needs of the community we serve.” In the two panel discussions, ethnic minority young professionals and senior executives from some of the Charter signatory companies drew on their first hand experience and talked about how racial diversity and inclusion benefits them and their organisations. Interested companies can contact the EOC on (852) 2511 8211 for enquiries about signing the Charter. For details of the Charter, please visit the EOC’s website at http://www.eoc. org.hk/eoc/graphicsfolder/showcontent. aspx?content=content
HR COMMUNITY
HR warning: don’t try to change an engine mid-flight Dos and don’ts for digital transformations and leveraging HR tech
HR Magazine and BPP recently boarded flights to embark on an HR digital transformation roadshow— with events in both Hong Kong and Singapore to discuss how HR can best leverage digital technology in their service delivery. We share key advice from Florence Tsang, Global Head of Talent and Organisational Development CoE, Li & Fung; Muktha Arya, Head of HR, SE Asia, Société Générale; and Vicky Knight, Director of Programmes, BPP University on the best flight path for HR.
Digitalisation—key HR pain points Before entry was permitted to the event, delegates were given an HR Digital Passport and sent on a mini HR journey to four stations to share key pain points during their digital transformations. We reveal key takeaways from each station.
Watercooler station: biggest challenges in communicating digitalisation “The culture change has been difficult— there has been a lot of resistance from different divisions. Our main challenge has been getting all departments to move away from old processes and see the transformation as a priority.” “Many meetings have ended in agreement that digital transformation needs to happen, but few are willing to actually take the lead in this regard.” “Changing the existing mindset has been a real challenge as well as trying to justify the budget to our C-suite.”
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Photocopy station: tedious tasks that occupy too much HR time
Headache station: the biggest HR challenge in 2019
“We still engage in manual processes like data entry and all our customer service lines are still manned by company personnel.” “Interviewing is still incredibly time-consuming; the process needs to be updated or simplified.”
“While we are already quite far along digitising many of our processes, there is reluctance from our staff to actually use the new systems. This year will be about helping staff apply themselves to use the technology which will include training and upskilling.” “Partnering the business side with the digitalisation—getting staff out of the mundane traditional process and upskilling them to use the new systems.” “Succession planning is a challenge for us at the moment, making sure we replace the retiring staff with an up-to-speed younger generation.”
Engagement station: motivating and rewarding talent to engage throughout transformation “We have frequent town hall meetings where we encourage company-wide input and feedback to ensure everyone is on top of their role, as our organisation transitions to digital.” “We really try to build engagement and excitement through the transparency of our ultimate destination. We want our people to understand that we are taking the organisation to the next level and they are vital to achieving this.” “The bottom line is communication and transparency. It’s a critical part of the change journey because it requires buy-in at every level.”
HR COMMUNITY
Appetite for change & time to digest
Digital literacy to digital organisations
HR has come a long way since the days In an era of exponential change, the convergence of being seen as simply a department for of technologies has changed the way business is employee management. Traditionally focused conducted. Data-driven insights allow for more on employee services and transactional accurate predictions and engaging, speedier management of HR data, the transformation interactions with both internal talent and of HR towards a strategic business role is customers. But while technology is changing well and truly underway. This new HR role at an unprecedented rate, internal productivity requires honed analytical skills to garner has often stagnated—creating a chasm between data that is not only clean but also useful technology and the business. HR’s ability to for planning and business purposes. HR tap into the true performance potential of their must also have the ability to leverage digital talent is, however, often hindered by the inertia champions—through motivation, reward and of slow-moving internal processes, outdated new career siloed IT systems “Pressure is always on to maintain paths. Knight and the need to profitability throughout digital highlighted, try and achieve “This all of this on a transformations—so often this feels like transformation shoestring budget. trying to change a plane engine mid-flight.” is led by employee experience, cloud capabilities, Helen Cole, Recruitment Manager, Citi summed a renewed focus on talent and specifically up these sentiments, shared by many in HR, concerning the development and availability of “There is definitely an appetite for digitalisation, new digital technologies like machine learning but people need to be given sufficient time to and Artificial Intelligence (AI). It’s about eat and digest things. The pressure is always developing digital mindsets and enhancing on to maintain profitability throughout digital digital literacy to create a digital workforce that transformations—so often this feels like trying ultimately drives a digital organisation to achieve to change a plane engine mid-flight.” its business goals.” Vicky Knight, Director of Programmes, BPP University expounded, “HR now has a unique opportunity to help close the gaps between technology, talent, businesses, society and governments.” She added, “HR is centre stage— having the ability and resources to engage talent at all levels and leverage their functions to help deliver this transformation organisation-wide.”
These technological capabilities are enabling those in HR to re-imagine new ways of delivering HR services and strategies throughout their organisations. Using advanced prediction and optimisation technologies allows a shift from time-consuming candidate screening processes to innovative HR strategies and business models
that support growth. Employees are also empowered by the technology to pursue more tailored career paths. A clear strategy during implementation is also critical to success. Maggie Choi, Associate Director, PWC cautioned, “HR must take care during digital transformations to clearly plan, communicate and lead the change in phases. Many organisations rush in to digitalise multiple processes, but fail to plan and phase this process properly which, in terms of HR structure, often means the roles and responsibilities of each member become very unclear.”
VICKY KNIGHT Director of Programmes, BPP Topic | Digital transformation and the future of HR
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HR COMMUNITY Multi-stakeholder drive Technology and innovation are at the core of today’s business world. HR plays an indispensable role in leading the transformation of both the organisation and the business—a journey that requires collaborations between HR, IT and L&D functions. Technology and executive alignment, however, are not enough to drive a company’s digital transformation. At the heart of every organisation are its people—its most expensive and valuable asset. Keeping them engaged and motivated fosters an innovative culture that is essential for success. Knight explained, “Developing and installing your new software might actually be the easy part. Many in HR are discovering that, actually, their key challenge is changing employee mindsets—getting them to embrace new technology and adapt to a new way of working.” Echoing this potential pain point was Jessica Chan, Senior Manager, HR Shared Services, Kerry Properties Limited who affirmed, “Numerous organisations have tried to digitalise and automate some processes, only to find that their frontline staff don’t use it. Frequently, there may also be significant resistance from middle management to such digital change.”
Getting 22,000 staff digitally savvy In 2013, Florence Tsang, Global Head of Talent and Organisational Development CoE, Li & Fung found herself right in the middle of the organisation’s digital transformation. With over 22,000 employees in more than 250 offices worldwide, this was never going to be an easy ask for an organisation with a 110-year legacy. Tsang quipped, “It all began when the CEO came to me and said that he wanted all new hires to be digitally savvy… immediately. I accepted my challenge, although at the time I didn’t even know what ‘digitally savvy’ meant.”
To help assess the mindset of candidates, Tsang utilised innovative recruiting technology, Seedlink, which uses AI to help release in-house recruiters from the time-consuming procedure of screening CVs. This technology works on the concept that written language helps predict one’s behaviour, intelligence, personality, knowledge and experience. Tsang highlighted, “The AI solution was able to identify who would perform well at Li & Fung by analysing the way the candidate wrote and their choice of words rather than just looking at their CV.”
The first step was to clarify what it meant to be ‘digitally savvy’. After a follow-up conversation with her CEO, Tsang realised The AI programme was then used to look that he was referring to the mindset of new inward as a tool for talent management. By recruits rather diagnosing “There is a fear that AI will replace than them individual human talent but in fact, it is just a tool necessarily capabilities, already having Tsang realised to enhance your existing processes.” the technical that they could skills. Tsang highlighted, “We can teach build far more effective teams and identify technical skills, but we cannot teach potential leaders with greater predictive personality and we cannot force an innovative accuracy. Tsang highlighted, “There is a mindset upon people.” Tsang was initially fear that AI will replace human talent but in unsure how to identify potential high fact, it is just a tool to enhance your existing performers who would fit the organisation’s processes. In utilising technology, we are able culture. She explained, “Almost every to maximise and leverage the strength of our potential hire will express a willingness to talent by putting the right people in the right innovate during their interviews, but whether place at the right time.”
FLORENCE TSANG Global Head, Talent & Organisational Development, Li & Fung Topic | HR digitalisation and transformation journey
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this willingness would actually materialise, once hired, was very much unknown.”
HR COMMUNITY Human interfacing
MUKTA ARYA Head of Human Resources, South East Asia and Head of People and Talent Development, Societe Generale Topic | Digitalisation in Societe Generale HR: a balancing act Avoiding fast caterpillars Charles Darwin, English Naturalist and Biologist once said, “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, it is the one that is the most adaptable to change.” Likewise, in 2010, after the lessons learned from the Global Financial Crisis (GFC), the banks who had survived were the ones who had adapted to the new economy. Survivors had already begun to reinvent themselves and rethink their business models. Société Générale, with over 150,000 employees across 67 countries, was one organisation able to adapt. Muktha Arya, Head of HR, SE Asia, Société Générale explained the importance of HR in this adaptation, “HR was squarely at the centre of our organisation’s transformation, which was one of necessity. We had to create a cultural shift towards sustainability and to re-focus our mindset.” After the turmoil of the GFC, and business-driven necessity of the transformation, the HR team at Société Générale had the full backing of the C-suite. She also highlighted the importance of getting her own HR teams on board as well, “If the HR team did not believe in the necessity of the transformation and lacked conviction, it would have been impossible to convince other departments to follow us.” The implementation of technology across Société Générale started in 2010 and was phased across five key HR functions to help stagger its implementation and allow time for adaptation
to new systems and processes. Arya discussed, “We began small by digitalising standard administration forms and processes to help with the HR on-boarding and by incorporating social media into our existing talent recruitment process. Step by step, we added in new technologies to speed up and streamline onboarding and day-to-day operations. Then we introduced tools for performance management with in-built succession planning models. The next stage we augmented our LMS and added in digital education systems and mobile learning apps. More recently, we have adopted Tableau software to help with dedicated people analytics and reporting. HR now has access to a wide range of dashboards including turnover, career interviews and evaluations”
“When digital transformation is done right, it’s like a caterpillar turning into a butterfly, but when done wrong, all you have is a really fast caterpillar.” A key challenge in the introduction of such systems and tools across organisations is that they are often developed in isolation and consequently may not interface very well on a global level. So HR must be mindful of finding a way to facilitate these separate systems talking to each other so they work in unison. Arya concluded with advice on digitalisation from George Westerman, Principal Research Scientist, MIT who said, “When digital transformation is done right, it’s like a caterpillar turning into a butterfly, but when done wrong, all you have is a really fast caterpillar.”
Digital transformations are a daunting prospect for those in HR starting out on this journey and there are a range of routes to explore. No matter what technology is adopted and which implementation process is followed, one thing remains essential—HR must ensure that everyone in the organisation has the appetite for change. If talents are not engaged or lack senior-level support for the transformation then change will be extremely slow. It is up to HR to ensure there is buy-in at all levels. Ken Lai, Senior HR Transformation Manager, MTR reiterated this point by saying, “There needs to be a clear message from the top down and the benefits of the transformation must also be made clear to all employees.” Harshit Anand, Head of HR strategy, Asia Pacific, QBE Insurance echoed this advice, “During the transformation, buy-in at all levels is important. To facilitate this, we have created ‘influencer’ groups at the middle management level who hear regularly from the C-suite and senior management. They are supported with the necessary resources to enable them to have conversations with their peers and their teams at the grassroots level.” Digital disruption is challenging and organisations need to rethink their traditional models and foster new methods of selection, retention, training and development but the process of change required must begin with the centrality of their talent kept front-of-mind. While there are no perfect recipes, organisations must realise that they are only truly made unique by their people. A key challenge for HR departments, in the face of digital transformations, is to get to know their talent better—their motivations, their personalities, their adaptability, the value they place on their work and how they interact with various technologies. So while enhancing and implementing digital change and reallocating work foci for talents—as new technologies come into play—is critical, it is equally important for HR to remember that it will be the people and not the technology that will continue to grow the organisation.
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Mental wellness still taboo in the workplace
Aetna and HR Magazine recently joined forces to facilitate a ground-breaking event promoting mental wellness within the workforce. We share potentially life-saving advice for those in HR from Kevin Jones, CEO, Aetna International (Hong Kong); Dr Hannah Reidy, CEO, Mind HK; Dr Charles Brantly, General Practitioner, Central Health Medical Practice; and Dr Victoria Tan, Chief Medical Officer, Gleneagles Hospital that organisations should consider to positively impact the mental health outcomes of their staff. Jones opened the discussion by highlighting the scale of workplace mental health issues from a recent Financial Times study. He stated, “In Hong Kong, the average amount of time lost per employee annually as a result of absence or presenteeism amounts to nearly 71 days.” He continued, “In Hong Kong and Singapore, these facts are supported by a 30% rise in claims for psychiatric and mental health treatment that we have received over the last three years.”
Kevin Jones, CEO, Aetna International (Hong Kong)
Since 1853, Aetna, an American-managed insurance and healthcare company, has been predominantly focused on treating physical sickness and injury. Recently the organisation has placed increased emphasis on whole-person wellness—adopting a more holistic approach to treating both the mind and body. Jones acknowledged, “From 2015, we decided it was necessary to automatically include coverage for psychiatric conditions as a standard benefit for both in-patient and out-patient services across all of our insurance plans.” Mental wellness is about the preservation of a person’s emotional, psychological, and social well-being. Unfortunately, talking about mental wellness at work is often co Deputy Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data nsidered taboo. It is, however, important to discuss because it can save lives and bring to light the support that many people need. Jones revealed, “Unfortunately, many psychiatric claims that we have received from Asian clients have often been too late. Due to intense stigma in this region, instead of seeking help early on, the claimant held out until the situation became unbearable—some have even taken their own lives.”
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HR COMMUNITY Fear of opening up
Misconceptions and stigmas
As the panel took to the stage, HR Magazine conducted a quick straw poll to gauge delegates’ openness to talk about mental health issues in the workplace.
Although public awareness of mental illness is increasing, many people with mental health issues still face discrimination and challenges getting the help they need.
Q1 Have you consulted a doctor for a physical illness in the past year?
~95% said yes
Q2 Have you been prescribed medication for a physical illness in the past year? ~85% said yes
Q3 Have you taken a day off work for a physical illness or injury?
~70% said yes
Q4 Have you had a consultation with a psychiatrist or psychologist regarding your mental health? ~10% said yes
Q5 Have you been prescribed psychiatric medication?
~15% said yes
The poll’s results demonstrated the disparity regarding what people are and are not comfortable talking about. While most of the delegates in the room admitted to receiving treatment for a physical ailment, few were willing to disclose if they had received any psychiatric treatment or medication.
Dr Reidy expressed, “In comparison to physical health, we don’t have equal funding to treat mental health, and we don’t talk about it in the same way. However, globally, one in four people will experience a mental health issue. We recently surveyed 1,200 people from the University of Hong Kong and King’s College in London regarding attitudes towards mental health, and the results were quite surprising. As many as 90% of respondents agreed that we all should adopt a more tolerant attitude towards mental health, but when we asked the same people if they would live near someone with a mental health issue, only 40% of people agreed that they would.”
Kevin Jones, Dr Reidy and Dr Brantly uncover scale of workplace mental health challenges in Hong Kong
Dr Brantly and Dr Tan field a humorous question
Dr Reidy continued, “The study also revealed a disparity in the perceptions people have around what mental health issues actually are. The majority of participants seemed to automatically associate the term with really severe disorders like psychosis or bi-polar, when these could in fact be referring to something like anxiety or depression. We need to have more open conversations and destigmatise the subject.”
Roundtable discussions in full swing
“In Hong Kong the average time lost per employee annually as a result of absence or presenteeism is nearly 71 days.”
HR Magazine conducts straw poll on workplace mental health issues
While facilitating and encouraging discussions about mental wellness in the workplace can create a more supportive environment, Dr Brantly cautioned, “Conversations around mental health are very similar to the ones that surround sexual health—most people would rather pretend they do not have a sex life than openly discuss it. Of course, I agree with destigmatising the issue, but I do not think we should dispense with the idea that we are all entitled to some confidentiality on our medical issues whether they are physical or mental. My advice is always for someone to find and talk to the appropriate person for them—it might not be a family member or their HR or even the GP but find the right person for you.” A connection not often observed is the link between physical health and mental health. Dr Tan illustrated, “Physical health problems significantly increase the risk of poor mental health, and vice versa. Around 30% of all people with a long-term physical health condition also have a mental health problem, most commonly depression or anxiety.” She added, “Many local GPs have little psychological training and are too focused on treating physical symptoms. I have noted with many of my patients that their chronic disorders tend to flare up during times of heightened stress and anxiety.”
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HR COMMUNITY
Confronting workplace mental health issues Mental health concerns are often not ‘clear-cut’ and they exist on a broad spectrum—from mild psychological difficulties such as lethargy and insomnia to severe psychological disorders such as schizophrenia and acute depression. As milder mental health problems are far more common in the workplace and are invisible to the untrained eye, those affected often tend to suffer in silence or are labelled as lazy or unreliable when their performance suffers. Hong Kong, in particular, has a notorious work-culture of long hours and there is a significant stigma associated with taking time off for mental illness. There is often a stigma attached to any type of absence from work. Brantly explained, “Hong Kong is still slightly behind Europe and North America with regards to the persisting cultural association between feeling bad and being bad. It is important employees feel comfortable enough to take time off, and managers and supervisors need to accept that these absences are most likely legitimate.” Tan echoed these sentiments and highlighted key advice for those in HR, “What I observe in my workplace is a pattern of rising absenteeism and presenteeism that precedes the resignation of an unhappy staff member. Those in HR should track such employee behaviour patterns and try to intervene before it’s too late and they leave permanently.”
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Panel: Kevin Jones, Dr Reidy, Dr Brantly and Dr Tan
Three signs to help identify employees facing mental health issues Most employees actively manage their mental health and lead fulfilling lives. Sometimes, however, a multitude of issues can leave someone feeling anything from stressed to desperate and completely hopeless. Those who are struggling may show one or more of the following three signs of mental health challenges.
1 Feeling trapped Employees may feel that they are trapped, are a burden to others or report having unbearable pain.
2 Withdrawal Employees may withdraw from activities, show signs of increased use of alcohol or drugs. They may also display aggressive behaviour.
3 Being moody Employees may display signs of sadness or depression. They may lose interest in activities, become irritable, agitated and enraged which may lead to episodes of humiliation.
At Aetna International, we know your employees are your most valuable asset Businesses that care about the mental health and well-being of their employees attract and retain top talent because they are great places to work at. In a bid towards helping employers have a greater awareness and understanding of mental health in Hong Kong, Aetna International funded a study to reveal public attitudes and stigmas toward mental health issues. The statistics revealed that while many believe Hong Kong should be more tolerant of those experiencing mental health problems, they do not consider it to be a personal responsibility and are less willing to engage closely with this issue. The research was conducted by Mind Hong Kong in collaboration with the University of Hong Kong, and King’s College London. We’re here for you. For the full research report, email: Emma Kenyon E KenyonE@Aetna.com T +852 2860 8076 linkedin.com/in/emma-kenyon/
Aetna® is a trademark of Aetna Inc. and is protected throughout the world by trademark registrations and treaties. Information is believed to be accurate as of the production date; however, it is subject to change. For more information about Aetna International plans, refer to www.aetnainternational.com.
©2018 Aetna Inc. 46.12.106.1-SG (9/18)
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HR COMMUNITY
AmCham 2019 Future of Work Forum Digital disruption, changing cultures and mindsets: is your organisation future-proofed?
The future of work has arrived. Technological advances, entrepreneurship, and an emphasis on digital skills are shaking up the workplace at an unprecedented pace and ushering in a new set of rules for both employers and employees. This year, AmCham HK hosted its first ‘Future of Work’ forum. Leading industry experts were assembled to help grapple with some of the most pressing questions of this era: Will technology eliminate jobs or create new ones? How are young people changing the workplace? What role should corporate businesses play in providing a positive working atmosphere? Here are five key insights from the event:
Creativity, soft skills always in fashion A theme that came into focus throughout the day was the value organisations continue to place on human attributes such as creativity and soft skills. Members of the panel discussions were all in agreement that soft skills will stand the test of time and will continue to shape talent requirements over the next few decades.
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Andrew Simmonds, Founder & Managing Director, Talent Tree summarised it best when he said, “People don’t just want specialist skills; they want more generalist skills. They want people who are commercially savvy; they want people with good communication. They want people who are multilingual.”
Talent retention key As more and more employees abandon their positions to seek new opportunities—what can employers do to increase talent retention? Bernard Chan, Hong Kong Executive Council Member, believes that shared values, a sense of purpose and community are key to employee engagement. Talent who are engaged and have bought into their company’s mission are far more committed to their organisations. Chan explained, “Employees need to feel that they are associating with a company that they are proud of.” Chan, whose new initiative, Big Little Things, calls on businesses to help address
Tara Joseph
President, The American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong
issues faced by grassroots communities, emphasised that employees’ perception of their company’s values is a key driver in employee retention. Additionally, the modern workforce is operating at a higher level of social responsibility than ever before. When employees see support for causes they care about—that go beyond just charity walks—it creates a sense of shared values between employees and their corporations.
HR COMMUNITY
Employee agility—the digital edge Skills and knowledge requirements can change at a breath-taking pace in the digital economy. How can employees and corporations make sure their skill-set remains competitive? Since expectations are rapidly changing, it’s important for employees to be agile and adopt a growth mindset to remain competitive in the digital environment. Karrie Dietz, Principal, Stamford American School, who offers coding classes at her school, says digital skills are important but employee agility is critical.
Dietz expounded, “Coding is just one piece of the future of work. Soft skills are equally important. So we’re teaching students to be innovative, creative, to have a global mindset, to take risks and learn from failures.”
Adapt to inclusive workforces Companies will need to become more inclusive if they hope to attract younger female talent. It is also critical that women are made more visible in senior and management roles to project the right message to potential hires. Emma Kenyon, Senior Manager, Business Development, Aetna International explained, “I don’t see why I would work for a company where I stop seeing women at the management level because it tells me I’m not going to get very far at this company, why would I work for them?” Industry trends indicate a preference for personalised benefits and life experiences over salary and compensation, within the employee value proposition of the contemporary
The panel discuss future proofing organisations
workforce. To satiate this desire, companies will also have to become well-versed in technology to provide flexible, efficient and productive work experiences to engage the younger generations of the workforce successfully.
Health and well being key to future As the stigma surrounding mental illness begins to erode, organisations are taking a more proactive stance when it comes to employee mental health, well-being, and stress at the workplace.
Striving to create a work-life balance is a struggle for modern families, but prioritising the well-being of employees is one of the keys to productivity in the workplace. David Cruikshank, Chairman of Asia Pacific, BNY Mellon reflected, “My job is just one part of my life. Life is much broader than that. Think about the other things you’re passionate about that give you energy and go out and do them.”
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HR TECHNOLOGY
Hyper-Intelligent Workforces
How AI is paving the path towards a post-work society
by Ben Goertzel, CEO, SingularityNET
When HR asks which industries are going to be most impacted by Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the coming years and decades, is akin to someone in the 1980s asking which industries are going to be most impacted by computer chips and software. In the ‘80s it was possible to predict that computers were going to revolutionise retail and medicine, but not to forecast the advent of Amazon or Taobao. Prediction of AI’s future influence is likely even harder than was the case for earlier technologies, due to the exponential nature of change in an era of unprecedented connectivity.
AI adoption ramping up What is clear is that AI and its associated technologies will continue to advance. In Southeast Asia alone, the adoption of AI technologies stood at 14% in 2018, a marked increase from just 8% in the previous year. The use of AI will only trend upwards as organisations turn to this technology to plug the skills gap created by the digital transformation of traditional industries. This significant jump in adoption is set against the backdrop of a potential talent deficit of 47 million workers across APAC by 2030.
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As AI becomes mainstream, today’s AI capabilities will open up to more general uses, otherwise known as Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). Once this happens, there will be fewer tasks which humans can perform more efficiently or economically. The unique economic value of humans will then be restricted to special cases like psychological therapy, entertainment and arts or roles that require human engagement or interaction to deliver value.
making and customer interaction. Only with the emergence of AGI over time, will we see AI taking over these roles and by then, only a handful of humans will be needed to oversee the running of an organisation’s entire finance function. When this happens, we would be living in the reality of a hyperintelligent workplace—where humans simply provide mission-critical thinking while incorporating intuitive skill sets of AI and robots to increase productivity.
Before we get there, we must acknowledge that AI will generally not take over the human workforce all at once. Instead, it will start by prompting businesses to reorganise their structures to best leverage the strengths AI has to offer. In doing so, pieces of people’s jobs will be reallocated to AI, giving way to the creation of new roles and requiring humans to upskill themselves accordingly.
A key thing to note is that AI will not instantaneously eliminate jobs or job functions. Using the case of biological lab testing as an example, equipment which is mostly already computerised will become more automated and intuitive. Lab robots will then start bridging the gaps between the lab equipment – be it carrying materials from one machine to the other, or keeping each equipment informed about their respective test subjects, parameters and results. This process weeds out the role of a lab technician gradually as it is replaced by an integrated lab robot system that takes verbal instructions directly from the scientist in charge of the lab. Eventually, the scientist’s role will mainly be to rubber-stamp the AI’s suggestions,
Hyper-intelligent workplaces For instance, AI will first take on more routine accounting work such as calculations and backend processes, similar to intelligent adaptive Excel macros, while allowing accountants to handle strategic decision-
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knowing that what he needs from the AI has been effectively executed. Of course, this is not to say that there will be widespread adoption of automation within all industries. While generic graphic designs can now be achieved with AI design programs, the conceptualisation of deeply creative new images and visual themes will remain largely in the domain of humans, especially on highly subjective matters which require a highly nuanced understanding of consumer taste and preference.
Roles that will wane In general, one may say that among the last job roles to be eliminated will be those relying heavily on novel creativity, strategic decision-making, critical thinking and physical manipulations in life-or-death situations. That said, among the roles to go—routine and labour-intensive tasks will most likely be automated first as that is where most cost savings will be obtained. To put this into context—there is more money to be saved by automating car driving than helicopter piloting, and more to be saved by automating medical research than particle physics research.
Positive way forward The reduction of the need for humans to work for a living should be massively positive and, in an ideal world, would free up talents’ time to pursue more social, artistic, intellectual and spiritual endeavours. Imagine living in a society where through the work achieved by technology, the psychology of defining one’s importance, status and identity no longer relies on one’s career or income. While that is almost sure to be a rocky road given the realities of geopolitical issues and income inequality, projects such as the decentralised AI movement, championed by SingularityNET, aim to smooth the path towards it in a democratic and participatory way. If a substantial portion of the world’s AI brainpower is running on decentralised networks that are owned and controlled by their participants, it is more likely that the replacement of human labour with AI will unfold in a way that is beneficial for a large percentage of humanity. When that happens, we will know that the AI revolution has reached its point of full success.
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HR LEGAL
Mental Health Stigma Challenges and Risks for HR
By Helen Colquhoun, Head of Employment & David Smail, Senior Associate, Employment Team, DLA Piper Hong Kong
According to recent studies, one in six Hongkongers suffers from a diagnosable mental health illness. With cramped living conditions, a strict education system and some of the longest working hours anywhere in the world, Hong Kong is uniquely poised to encounter challenges around workplace mental health and wellness. There continues to be a stigma around mental health—particularly in Hong Kong. Employees may still be reluctant to disclose health issues, experience some form of discrimination, bullying or victimisation when raising issues, and have managers who feel ill-equipped to respond appropriately. Similarly, employers can face challenges in knowing how to proactively promote workplace wellness and also how to support and manage employees who exhibit signs of mental ill-health or become too unwell to work.
Breaking the Stigma
The first challenge is getting businesses, management and staff alike, to talk about mental health and wellness. It is too often seen as a ‘weakness’ to seek help for mental health issues. And it is not an all or nothing approach. We all have mental health, and we all have varying degrees of it. Whether we like it or not, stress is part and parcel of our daily lives, particularly for those in professional services and those working for multinationals across time zones. We cannot (and should not) pretend that we can completely eradicate stress—in fact, stress often makes us more productive
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and helps us cope under high-pressure situations in the workplace. However, we have historically been poor at identifying and tackling the point at which good stress turns into bad stress, from nervous energy into complete burnout.
What are the Legal Risks?
Mental health is not a particularly well-protected characteristic in Hong Kong. While some jurisdictions in the Asia Pacific have introduced legislation that specifically targets workplace bullying—notably Australia and (more recently) South Korea, Hong Kong still lags behind. Nevertheless, there are several risk areas which HR should be mindful of.
Disability Discrimination. It is unlawful for an employer to discriminate against or harass any person on the ground of their disability, and this applies to all stages of the employment process—recruitment, employment, promotion, transfer, and ultimately termination. As the definition of ‘disability’ is extremely wide in Hong Kong, covering both physical and mental conditions as well as those of a permanent and temporary nature, illnesses such as depression, anxiety disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder all benefit from protection.
In practice, discrimination risks tend to materialise when dealing with employees who are on long-term sick leave. It is notoriously difficult for HR to manage these types of cases sensitively. It is no easy task to strike a balance between being sympathetic to the individual’s situation, and managing the needs of the business and other colleagues who may be feeling the impact of lower attendance and reduced productivity. If an employee brings such a claim, the employer will typically rely on the defence that the employee is unable to fulfil the inherent requirements of the particular role. However, even then the employer has a responsibility to consider making reasonable adjustments unless these would impose an unjustifiable hardship on the business. What exactly is considered to be an “unjustifiable hardship” will of course change depending on the situation, but it requires more than mere lip service— particularly for long-serving employees. Finally, it is worth bearing in mind that employers are vicariously liable for the wrongful acts of employees unless they can show they took all reasonably practicable steps to prevent the discrimination from happening.
HR LEGAL
Stress-Related Personal Injury.
Under the common law of negligence, employers have a duty to provide a safe place of work as far as reasonably practicable. In the course of a claim, the court will ask what a reasonable employer would have done in light of what they knew or ought to have known, and how they responded. While this may not be the natural stomping ground for employee mental health claims in Hong Kong, there is no reason in principle why general negligence principles cannot extend to failing to provide a mentally safe working environment; not just a physical one. A critical issue is whether the employer has been put on notice of the harm. In addition to whether the employer did, in fact, have knowledge of the employee’s condition, it is also relevant to liability whether they should have known—and a court will want to know what steps the employer took to proactively address warning signs that employees were suffering from mental ill-health. Saying to the court, “The employee didn’t directly tell us” is unlikely to be a valid defence, nor is the fact the business has a workplace health and safety policy gathering dust on the shelf. Here it is about educating and empowering employees and management to proactively spot the warning signs and report this to the right people.
Unlawful Dismissal. A last resort, but
sometimes an inevitable one. In a worst case scenario, if the employee has been out of the business for too long, termination may be the only viable alternative. Mental health conditions can have serious and long-lasting effects, and it is not always easy to identify a return to work date. It is always important to bear in mind the general prohibition under Hong Kong law against terminating the employment of an employee who is on paid statutory sick leave. Failure to comply with this requirement is a criminal offence and liable, on prosecution, to a fine of up to HK$150,000 in addition to the employee’s terminal payments and other remedies for ordinary unreasonable dismissal. Employers need to ensure they manage exits such that any termination does not fall on a statutory sick day—otherwise, they need to wait until the employee has returned to work or exhausted their statutory sick leave entitlement.
David Smail Senior Associate, Employment Team, DLA Piper Hong Kong
Employees’ Compensation. Similarly,
there is the potential for claims to spill over into employees’ compensation. If an employee sustains an injury or dies as a result of an accident arising out of and in the course of their employment, the employer is generally liable to pay compensation under the Employees’ Compensation Ordinance. The statutory framework is no-fault, meaning that liability still arises even if the employee might have committed acts of fault or negligence when the accident occurred. As ‘injury’ and ‘accident’ are not defined in the legislation, there is no reason in principle why the statutory employees’ compensation system cannot extend to injuries or accidents to one’s mental health, and indeed mental health is not expressly excluded from the scope of the Ordinance. There have therefore been cases where employees have attempted—on occasion successfully—to claim for mental illnesses caused by work.
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HR LEGAL
10 Practical tips for HR on mental health
Mental health can be a daunting issue for HR to navigate. However, there are a number of steps HR can take that will not only provide real and meaningful support to help break the stigma surrounding mental health but will also help protect the business from liability.
1. Review and revise your existing Helen Colquhoun Head of Employment, DLA Piper Hong Kong
3. Identify insurance providers who
cover psychological ailments, for both inpatient and outpatient services preferably. Such products are relatively new in Hong Kong, but they are increasingly available.
equal opportunities policy to ensure it prohibits discrimination and harassment on the ground of an employee’s mental health. Better still, why not introduce a standalone mental health and wellness policy? Even then that is only half the story. Don’t let your policies gather dust on the shelf, but instead make sure your employees know they exist and receive regular and meaningful training on them.
4. Revisit your workplace mental health
training and disability discrimination training. Too often, training content is old and lacks relevance to real-life work situations. This can create difficulties if the business is later trying to demonstrate to the court that it has taken all reasonably practicable steps to prevent harm from occurring in the workplace.
6. Consider ways in which you can
promote a positive culture around mental ‘wellness’, rather than a negative campaign which targets ‘health’. Mindfulness/meditation classes and promoting physical health are increasingly popular with staff and show real signs of making a difference.
9. Maintain accurate sick leave records
and keep an open dialogue with employees who are on long-term absence. If they are left away without any contact, this can often leave them feeling alienated and not wanting to return to work.
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7. Look out for the warning signs. Mental
health training should be as much about empowering other colleagues to pick up on the warning signs as it is about helping the individual themselves. Staff often do not know what to look out for, or do not know what to say, and need guidance. As a business, to avoid liability under general negligence principles, it is helpful to demonstrate that you have given staff the tools they need to handle these issues.
10. Don’t assume that just because you have not been directly informed, you don’t need to do anything. A court will ask what a reasonable employer would or should have known which means being proactive in seeking to identify issues.
2. Consider whether your Employee
Assistance Programme (EAP) is fit for purpose. EAPs can provide an invaluable lifeline for employees who feel they have nowhere else to turn, and it helps the business demonstrate that it is taking all reasonably practicable steps to prevent harm in the workplace. But is the employee being put through to the right person at the EAP—ideally someone locally on the ground—and is the EAP officer equipped to handle conversations around mental health? If not, EAPs can actually do more harm than good, as they can make individuals feel unsupported and even more alienated.
5. Get buy-in from senior leadership and
management. Always easier said than done, but in this space it is simply essential to get the appropriate support from leadership in terms of training, leading by example and transforming culture. A harder task is getting support from middle management, who may have been strong performers for the business but lack the management skills required to deal with sensitive issues like mental health.
8. Keep an open record of conversations
regarding underperformance and reduced productivity. Document the impact this is having on the business and other colleagues and the extent to which you have considered alternatives to dismissal, e.g. redeployment, reduced working hours, in-house therapy.
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HR BOOK REVIEW The Business Developer’s Playbook By Peter Nixon Whether we are selling ourselves, our ideas or our services, the selling process is considered by many to be a challenge. The Business Developer’s Playbook by Peter Nixon details an ‘innovative dialogue sales process’ and the relationship sales principles underpinning it, while capturing the most important elements from Nixon’s decades of consulting and training experience. This is a must read for leaders around the world in search of practical solutions for selling professional services, ideas, or even themselves. The Business Developer’s Playbook provides easy to follow guidance for three key groups of people: professionals wanting to sell their services and improve their business development; thought leaders, change agents, innovators, entrepreneurs, senior public servants, and advocates wanting to sell their ideas to others; retirees, mid-career job seekers and recent graduates aiming to sell themselves into a dream job role either full or part-time. Nixon notes that in every sales situation, there is both a seller and a buyer and, at different times, either the buyer or the seller may take the lead. The dance they perform may or may not lead to a deal, but it will leave them knowing a little more about each other’s strengths and weaknesses. These two dancers are ‘connected’ and follow the same five steps—to plan, connect, dialogue, record, and follow up. The five steps are the basis of the dialogue process.
Human Resources Changes the World: How and Why HR and HR Directors Should Step-Up as Leaders in the 21st Century By Glenn G Jones Why do HR Directors often struggle to make the move to CEO? Have you ever questioned why Boards sometimes ignore HR, and whether the department really has any significant influence in the boardroom? Human Resources Changes the World examines why HR is not progressing to its full potential. Uncover why it is almost impossible to move from HRD to CEO while directors in other business areas do so on a regular basis. The book explores what HR can do in the boardroom to help bring better parity between business units. It also examines how HRDs can equip themselves with the behaviours, competencies and skills required to add value to the boardroom. The book also looks at the human part of HR and examines what can be done to increase ‘HRness’ i.e. the ability of successful HRDs to set policies that not only engage and retain talent, but also directly link this with measurable business outcomes to drive their organisation forward.
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HR BOOK REVIEW
Work is Love Made Visible By Frances Hesselbein, Marshall Goldsmith and Sarah McArthur Work is Love Made Visible is a collection of essays addressing a common HR and recruitment talking point; finding purpose in what we do. Among the most common reasons employees quit their jobs, good businesses ignore it to their peril. All 27 contributors to the book detail how they tackle the universal struggle with individual purpose and meaning; how personal thought patterns contribute to real-world action; how leaders turn challenges into opportunities; and how these successful professionals arrive at their life’s purpose, and what they sacrificed to get there. Based on the leadership philosophy of centenarian Frances Hasselbein, who was recognised by the former US president Bill Clinton for her transformation of the Girl Scouts of USA in the 1970s, as a Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient for her work as “a pioneer for women, volunteerism, diversity and opportunity.” The book starts the conversation with some of the world’s greatest thought leaders on what they see, and how their vision shapes their lives, decisions, and contributions. In addition, the book features new thoughts from some of today’s most influential leaders in business (World Bank Group, Inc. and Best Buy), academia (Rice University and University of Pennsylvania), social enterprise (Doctors Without Borders and Junior Achievement Worldwide) and military.
HK CLASSIFIEDS
HR Classifieds Index Business Process Outsourcing Education / Corporate Training Employee Wellbeing / Insurance HR Consulting HR Technology Solutions Leadership Development Legal / Employment Law / Tax
| 90 | 90 – 91 | 91 | 91 – 92 | 92 | 92 – 93 | 93
Management Consulting | 93 MICE Venues / Event Organisers | 94 Recruitment / Executive Search | 94 Relocation / Logistics | 95 Service Apartments / Hotels | 95 – 96 Staff Benefits | 96 Talent Management | 96
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 managed compliance services, TMF Group is the global expert that understands local needs.
TMF Hong Kong Limited 36/F, Tower Two Times Square, 1 Matheson Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
Tricor Business Services draws on our diverse professional expertise, backed up by the latest technologies and systems, to provide a comprehensive range of services, including but not limited to: Business Advisory; Accounting & Financial Reporting; Treasury & Payment Administration; Human Resource & Payroll Administration; Tax Services; Trade Services; Trust Assets Administration; Fund Administration; Governance, Risk & Compliance; and Information Technology Solutions.
Tricor Services Limited Level 54, Hopewell Centre, 183 Queen’s Road East, Hong Kong
Our work processes and controls in the rendering of accounting and payroll services are externally audited by Ernst & Young Hong Kong and accredited each year in accordance with the International Standard on Assurance Engagements (ISAE) 3402.
Tel: (852) 3589 8899 Fax: (852) 3589 8555 info.apac@tmf-group.com www.tmf-group.com
Tel: (852) 2980 1888 Fax: (852) 2861 0285 info@hk.tricorglobal.com www.hk.tricorglobal.com
EDUCATION / CORPORATE TRAINING As a trusted international organisation and a global leader in English training, the British Council has over 70 years’ experience in English assessment. We develop and deliver English language programmes for businesses in Hong Kong. Aptis, British Council’s English testing tool, is a robust four skills test used by corporate businesses, government organisations and educational institutions. It provides an accurate and affordable way to benchmark language levels of employees for recruitment or career advancement purposes. With results available in as little as 24 hours, Aptis assesses ability in the areas that HR want to focus on – in individual skills or combinations of speaking, writing, listing or reading. Dew-Point International Ltd. is a leading provider of training and management consulting services throughout Asia. We assess the specific needs of our clients and respond with customised, practical training programs and consulting services. Established in 1973, we combine in-depth knowledge with genuine enthusiasm and highly dynamic training techniques to create productive and effective learning experiences. Dew-Point enhances organisational and individual effectiveness by building the capacity within organisations without the need of continued outside help. Through assessment, skills training, team facilitation and executive coaching, we have ensured the long-term success of countless clients.
British Council 3 Supreme Court Road, Admiralty, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2913 5100 aptis@britishcouncil.org.hk www.britishcouncil.hk/en/exam/aptis
Dew-Point International Ltd. 21/F., Ritz Plaza, 122 Austin Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2730 1151 Fax: (852) 2730 0164 info@dew-point.com.hk www.dew-point.com.hk
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HK CLASSIFIEDS An Asia-based communications agency, Giles Publications works with many of the region’s most respected organisations, providing tailored support for the internal teams. Our full suite of services, including editing, copywriting, translation, design and production, means we can handle projects from concept through to delivery. We also offer a range of hands-on training courses designed to address questions and concerns often raised by our clients. Topics include copywriting, business communications and presentation skills. Tailored workshops are also available.
Giles Publications Unit B, 21/F, 128 Wellington Street Central, Hong Kong
The PTI Group is a consulting, training, and publishing group. In conjunction with the internationally-renowned professional association, International Professional Managers Association (IPMA) of UK, we offer online pure distance learning courses (PDLCs). IPMA’s website: http://www.ipma.co.uk/conferences.php
The PTI Group 20/F. Wellable Commercial Building, 513 Hennessy Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
Our “Financing & Capital Raising Professional™ (FCRP™)” and “Environmental, Social & Governance Expert™ (ESGE™)” programmes seek to enhance candidates’ practical & international knowledge in raising funding for companies (bank financing, IPO, private equity etc.) and ESG respectively. Upon qualification, candidates can use respective professional designation, awarded by IPMA.
Tel: (852) 2815 9880 enquiries@gilespublications.com www.gilespublications.com
Tel: (852) 3511 9288 info@the-pti.com www.the-pti.com
Raise your colleagues’ ability to add value through practical & international knowledge by enrolling in our PDLCs.
The Vocational Language Programme Office aims at offering quality vocational English, Chinese and Putonghua training for working adults to meet their language needs at work. We have run various courses for public organisations and private corporations before, such as HKSAR Water Supplies Department, Hospital Authority and Pizza Hut Hong Kong Management Limited. With the support from the Language Fund, the QF-recognised Vocational English Enhancement Programme is on offer for enhancing the practical English skills of the Hong Kong workforce. Individual corporations can enjoy great flexibility by having the VEEP courses operated at their training venues and preferred schedule. On completion of the course, learners can receive 60% of the course fee reimbursement and obtain certificates issued by the Vocational Training Council and LCCI.
H.R. Solutions specialises in training in leadership, performance management, sales and general skills development including negotiating, project management, presentation skills and communication skills. We are official partners of Think on your Feet® and engage-universe, and accredited DISC and MBTI® facilitators. Based in Hong Kong, we work regionally with local languages delivery as required. Our workshops incorporate simple frameworks and processes to provide effective, structured learning, supported with tailored experiential exercises, cases and role-plays. Our long-term development programs combine classroom training with on-the-job learning, ongoing coaching and on-line resources as appropriate. We aim to ensure participants can apply the skills immediately in the workplace for better team performance and superior business results.
Vocational Language Programme Office, Vocational Training Council Room 437, 4/F, Academic Block, 30 Shing Tai Road, Chai Wan, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2595 8119 vlpo-veep@vtc.edu.hk www.vtc.edu.hk/vlpo
H.R. Solutions (Int’l) Ltd. H. R. Solutions (Int’l) Ltd. Room 2802, Tower Two, Lippo Centre, 89 Queensway, Admiralty, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2573 0501 abrophy@hrsolutions.com.hk www.hrsolutions.com.hk
EMPLOYEE WELL-BEING / INSURANCE Hong Kong Adventist Hospital — Stubbs Road is one of the leaders in medical services, providing organisations with comprehensive health assessment packages to choose from. The hospital works closely with HR and Benefits specialists to design tailor-made programmes to satisfy your staff’s unique requirements. The checkups not only assess staff’s health status and identify the risk factors, it also provide preventive programmes to help clients fine-tune their lifestyles for healthy living. All the services are supported by experienced professional staff using advanced equipment in modern facilities.
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Hong Kong Adventist Hospital— Stubbs Road 40 Stubbs Road, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 3651-8835 Fax: (852) 3651-8840 www.hkah.org.hk
HK CLASSIFIEDS Major Compare is a leading international employee benefits consultancy, risk management advisory and business insurance brokerage firm. They work with companies of all sizes both in Hong Kong and around the world to advise and implement customised employee benefit plans with the goal of retaining and attracting employees. Through industry specific due diligence Major Compare also help reduce HR overheads with policy management and by ensuring your company is fully and properly insured with the guarantee of the lowest premium(s). All services provided by Major Compare are completely free to their clients.
Major Compare 1/A, 128 Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong
Pacific Prime Insurance Brokers is a leading international health insurance brokerage specialising in providing comprehensive coverage options to individuals, families, and companies throughout the Asia-Pacific region. Working with over 120,000 clients in 150 countries, Pacific Prime can deliver advice in more than 15 major languages. With offices strategically located in Shanghai, Singapore, Dubai, and Hong Kong, Pacific Prime is able to provide immediate advice and assistance to policyholders located around the world. Pacific Prime works with over 60 of the world’s leading health insurance providers, giving customers unprecedented access to the best medical insurance products currently on the market.
Pacific Prime Insurance Brokers Ltd. Unit 1 - 11, 35/F, One Hung To Road, Kwun Tong, Hong Kong
Tel: (852) 3018 1353 www.majorcompare.com.hk
Tel: (852) 2586 0731 Fax: (852) 2915 7770 info@pacificprime.com marketing@pacificprime.com www.pacificprime.com
HR CONSULTING 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
HR TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS COL, based in Hong Kong with over 40 years of experience, is a leading IT services subsidiary of WTT. COL is the vanguard of HRMS providers, crowned Excellent HR Information System Provider of HR Excellence Awards 2014 by the Hong Kong Institute of Human Resource Management (HKIHRM). COL offers a comprehensive IT services portfolio, including application development and implementation, Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), IT infrastructure, etc. With domain expertise in business applications, we deliver the best practice Human Capital Management (HCM) solutions ranging from award-winning HRMS, web-based employee self-service portal to outsourcing services for MNCs, enterprises and SMEs.“Doc:brary” Document Management System is another flagship application in our HCM product portfolio that securely manages HR related documents including employees P-file, appraisal records, training materials, etc.
COL Limited Unit 825 - 876, 8/F, KITEC, 1 Trademart Drive, Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2118 3999 Fax: (852) 2112 0121 colmarketing@col.com.hk www.col.com.hk
COL is an Avaya partner, a Cisco Gold partner, an EMC Velocity Partner, a Juniper Networks Elite Partner, an Oracle Gold and ISV Partner, a TmaxSoft ISV Partner and a VMware Partner. COL was CMMI Level 3 assessed in May 2005.
With strategic offices in Hong Kong, China, UK and US, DaXtra is a world leading specialist in high-accuracy multilingual CV parsing, semantic search, matching and process automation technologies. Our solutions are compatible with most leading recruitment ATS and CRM systems and are designed to bring efficiency and automation, while dramatically reducing the overall ‘cost of hire’. Over 1000 organisations globally use DaXtra products every day – from boutique recruitment firms to the World’s largest staffing companies, from corporate recruitment departments to job boards and software vendors.
FlexSystem is a recognised leader in enterprise management software industry in the Greater China region. Over the past 28 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. 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 keep up with technology development and create a complete platform of new generation enterprise resources management solutions.
Daxtra Technologies (Asia) Ltd. Unit 401, OfficePlus 93-103 Wing Lok Street Sheung Wan Hong Kong Tel: (852) 3695 5133 asia@daxtra.com www.daxtra.com
FlexSystem Limited Block A, 4/F., Eastern Sea Industrial Building, 29-39 Kwai Cheong Road, Kwai Chung, N.T, H.K Tel: (852) 3529 4123 Fax: (852) 3007 1424 infodl@flexsystem.com www.flex.hk
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HRM Essentials is an energetic and innovative company that focuses on HR solutions. Our customers range from trading to financial institutes. We provide on-premises and cloud solutions. Users can access their systems anywhere at anytime. • Unlike other solutions which are either too complicated or lack of focus. Our solutions are easy-to-use and powerful. • We invite users to participate in our development process. Users are happy and excited to see every release with the new features they requested. • We commit to provide excellent after-sales services. • Our solutions are budget-friendly. • Most importantly, we serve our customers by HEART.
HRM Essentials System Consulting Limited 23/F, Weswick Commercial Building 147 – 151 Queen’s Road East Wanchai, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2111 2980 Fax: (852) 8209 3800 info@hrmessentials.com www.hrmessentials.net
Still not sure? Call us now and let’s talk.
SuccessFactors, an SAP company, is the leading provider of cloud-based Business Execution Software, which drives business alignment, optimises workforce performance, and accelerates business results. SuccessFactors customers include organisations of all sizes across more than 60 industries. With approximately 15 million subscription seats globally, we strive to delight our customers by delivering innovative solutions, content and analytics, process expertise, and best practices insights. Today, we have more than 3,500 customers in more than 168 countries using our application suite in 35 languages.
SuccessFactors 35/F, Tower Two, Times Square, 1 Matheson Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2539 1800 Fax: (852) 2539 1818 info.hongkong@sap.com www.successfactors.com
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT 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 established our first footprint in Singapore in 2015. 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
MDS Company Listing
Institute of Executive Coaching and Leadership (IECL) Suite 901, Level 9,The Hong Kong Club Building, 3A Chater Road, Central, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 3125 7572 coach@iecl.com www.iecl.com
For over 20 years MDS has been the market leader in talent development, leadership training, sales effectiveness and executive coaching, producing great results for global companies in the Greater China and APAC regions.
Management Development Services Limited 1701 – 3 Kai Tak Commercial Building 317 – 319 Des Voeux Road Central Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
MDS is the certification centre and distributor of leading personality and leadership assessments for talent development programmes including the MBTI® and FIRO® , Leadership Effectiveness Analysis (LEA360™) and GMI® , Strong Interest Inventory ® for career planning, Sales Performance Assessment™ (SPA™) for sales development, and TKI® for negotiation skills.
Tel: (852) 2817 6807 Fax: (852) 2817 9159 mds@mdshongkong.com www.mdshongkong.com
From MDS offices in Hong Kong, Singapore, Beijing, Shanghai and Taipei we manage an outstanding team of international trainers and executive coaches delivering a vast collection of leadership and sales programmes including the Miller Heiman products. In 2016, MDS launched the Smith-MDS partnership with University of Maryland Robert H. Smith School of Business. The partnership draws on a world-class faculty, facilitators and executive coaches to deliver leading edge executive development solutions.
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ACT is a corporate L&D consulting and training company based in Hong Kong & Singapore with over 15 years’ experience in people training and development that partners with forward-thinking organizations and leaders who understand the importance of their greatest asset - their people.
Asia Corporate Training Ltd. 13B, Shun Pont Commercial Building, 5-11 Thomson Road, Wanchai, HONG KONG
The acronym for the company name, ACT, simply and powerfully represents the philosophy of taking ACTion: to understand how one’s belief will lead to specific behaviours which will result in specific outcomes. ACT believes that selfawareness of how we think and act is critical for personal growth, to translate into leadership effectiveness, contributing to greater corporate success as a result.
Tel: (852) 25756470 contact@act-asia.com.hk www.act-asia.com.hk
HK CLASSIFIEDS 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 19, Two Chinachem, 26 Des Voeux 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 conjunction with our international network, we can assist you in almost 100 locations worldwide.
Tel: (852) 2297 2863 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 Limited is a member of Tricor Group dedicated to creating value for clients and strengthening their organization capabilities through:
Tricor Consulting Limited Level 54, Hopewell Centre, 183 Queen’s Road East, Hong Kong
• • • • • • •
Strategic Management—Shaping your future and making it happen Organization Structuring—Aligning organization structure with strategies HR Consulting—Maximizing performance and return on investment of human assets Talent Management—Cultivating talents to create competitive advantage Director Remuneration and Board Evaluation—Ensuring appropriate remuneration of senior executives and building an effective board Training Resources Consulting—Maximizing business impact of training with on-demand scalable resources Change Management—Partnering with clients to drive and enable organization transformation
Tel: (852) 2526 6516 / 2774 8500 Fax: (852) 2365 1000 hkma@hkma.org.hk www.hkma.org.hk
Tel: (852) 2980 1027 Fax: (852) 2262 7596 john.kf.ng@hk.tricorglobal.com www.hk.tricorglobal.com
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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
France Macau Business Association (FMBA), founded in 2008 by Hon. Chairlady Ms. Pansy Ho, is a non-profit organization with membership open to French and non-French professionals, entrepreneurs and corporations with interests in developing commercial and trade relations. FMBA’s objective is to promote and foster business relations between France within the European community and Macau within the Pearl River Delta. The association aims to provide members with platforms to exchange ideas and network, while providing support to new entrants to explore trade opportunities in Macau, contributing to the internationalization of Macau.
France Macau Business Association Alameda Dr. Carlos de Assumpção, N.263, Edif. China Civil Plaza, 20 Andar, Macau SAR
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
Tel: (853) 8798 9699 Fax: (853) 2872 7123 info@francemacau.com www.francemacau.com
RECRUITMENT / EXECUTIVE SEARCH Headquartered in Switzerland, Adecco is a Fortune Global 500 company with around 5,000 offices in over 60 countries and territories around the world. We possess the skills and global intelligence to develop human resource strategy for the highest levels, yet remain close to clients, local markets and needs. Adecco Hong Kong has over 30 years of experience in the region, with a comprehensive service offering that includes permanent placement, temporary & contract staffing, recruitment process outsourcing, HR consulting & assessment services, employment contract services, recruiting projects & overseas search, payroll outsourcing & administration services, and training.
Adecco Personnel Limited 12/F, Fortis Tower, 77-79 Gloucester Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong
Established in 1996, Frazer Jones is a Human Resources Recruitment Consultancy. Contact us to find out how we can assist you in your next Human Resources hire or if you are looking for a change in your HR career. As part of The SR Group, Frazer Jones has wholly owned offices in Singapore, Sydney, Melbourne, Dubai, London, Düsseldorf and Munich and has access to the best HR talent around the world.
Frazer Jones 1918 Hutchison House, 10 Harcourt Road, Central, Hong Kong
Headquartered in the Netherlands, Randstad is a Fortune Global 500 Company and the second largest recruitment & HR services provider globally, with operations spanning across 39 countries with over 29,700 corporate staff that help talented people develop their career potential and provide companies with the best people to reach their business goals. Founded in 1960 by Frits Goldschmeding, our Asia Pacific operations reaches across Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, China, Japan, India, Australia and New Zealand. Randstad Hong Kong was established in 2009 and specialises in permanent and contract recruitment across specialized areas including Accounting & Finance, Banking & Financial Services, Construction, Property & Engineering, Information Technology & Telecommunications, Sales & Marketing, Supply Chain & Logistics.
Randstad 5/F, Agricultural Bank of China, 50 Connaught Road, Central, Hong Kong
Tricor Executive Resources has for the past 28 years built an unrivalled reputation for integrity and professionalism in the executive search business. Our team of specialist consultants and researchers provide a range of practical and innovative solutions to help you search for the right talent to meet your business needs. We utilize in-depth research, intense resourcing and a highly focused approach in the identification of qualified candidates in the appropriate industry sector. Our clients consists of multinationals, publicly listed and private companies as well as family-owned and start-up companies.
Tricor Executive Resources Limited Level 54, Hopewell Centre, 183 Queen’s Road East, Hong Kong
We also provide advice on HR best practices to enhance your human capital. Our HR Solutions can help drive your business performance through the effective use of talent. These include Compensation and Benefits Benchmarking; Soft Skills and Management Development Training; Performance Management Systems; Talent Assessment Centre; Human Resource Outsourcing; Career Counselling and Talent Transition Management and Employee Engagement Surveys.
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Tel: (852) 2895 2616 Fax: 2895 3571 hongkong@adecco.com http://adecco.com.hk/
Tel: (852) 2973 6737 info@frazerjones.com frazerjones.com
Tel: (852) 2232 3408 www.randstad.com.hk
Tel: (852) 2980 1166 Fax: (852) 2869 4410 fiona.yung@hk.tricorglobal.com www.hk.tricorglobal.com
HK 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
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
SERVICED APARTMENTS / HOTELS Four Seasons Place, the epitome of luxury and elegance, Four Seasons Place creates a relaxed and homely living environment amidst the surrounding opulence. With 519 serviced suites designed by internationally renowned designers, guests can choose from a range of stylish accommodations from studios and 1/2/3-bedroom suites to penthouses that open up to spectacular views of Victoria Harbour. It also features a rooftop heated pool & jacuzzi, sky lounge, gymnasium, sauna and multi-purpose function room to meet business and recreational needs. Heralding a comfortable, hassle-free living experience, all guests are pampered with personalised hotel services from VIP airport pickup to 24-hour multi-lingual concierge services.
Four Seasons Place 8 Finance Street, Central, Hong Kong
GARDENEast is prestigiously located at the heart of Queen’s Road East, Wan Chai, boasting 216 luxurious units in 28 storeys.
GARDENEast Serviced Apartments 222, Queen’s Road East, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Each of our luxurious units is subtly unique. Spacious studio, studio deluxe, deluxe 1-bedroom, executive suite and twin-beds in selected rooms, with their sizes ranging from 395 to 672 square feet, are comfortably-appointed with an all-encompassing range of fittings and furnishings. The landscaped gardens offer a relaxing lifestyle, peace and tranquillity of green living and a diverse choice of dining and entertainment is right on your doorstep.
at the ICC megalopolis
Tel: (852) 3196 8228 Fax: (852) 3196 8628 enquiries@fsphk.com www.fsphk.com
Tel: (852) 3973 3388 Fax: (852) 2861 3020 enquiry@gardeneast.com.hk www.gardeneast.com.hk
The HarbourView Place is part of the Kowloon Station development, located at a key harbour crossing point. Located atop the MTR and Airport Express Link at Kowloon Station. The junction of major rail lines, three minutes to Central, 20 minutes to the Airport, a mere 30 minutes to Shenzhen and 60 minutes to Guangzhou. It is a place for the best view of Hong Kong and Kowloon and is an icon property at Harbour Gateway. Located next to International Commerce Centre, the fourth tallest building in the world, The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong and W Hong Kong, guests can enjoy a premium luxury living with the large shopping mall Elements and Hong Kong’s highest indoor observation deck Sky100.
The HarbourView Place 1 Austin Road West, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Conveniently nestled in the East of Hong Kong, Kornhill Apartments is one of the biggest apartment blocks in town, featuring a total of 450 units with a variety of unit configurations designed to suit every need imaginable.
Kornhill Apartments 2 Kornhill Road, Quarry Bay, Hong Kong
Notable for cozy and contemporary décor, as well as superior amenities and services, the complex is located next door to Kornhill Plaza where you can relish a wide array of shops and entertainment choices.
Tel: (852) 2137 8101 Fax: (852) 2568 6256 kornhillapts@hanglung.com www.kornhillapartments.com
The apartments are an excellent choice for corporate clients who cater for visits by expatriate colleagues. Units include studio, one to two-bedroom suites and deluxe three-bedroom suites.
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.
Tel: (852) 3718 8000 Fax: (852) 3718 8008 enquiries@harbourviewplace.com www.harbourviewplace.com
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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V is a collection of award-winning hotels, serviced apartments and private residences in Hong Kong. Bringing our philosophy of eat, shop, live easy, each V is nestled in a plethora of restaurants, amidst excellent shopping hubs and surrounded by an extensive transportation network. V Wanchai and V Wanchai2 are minutes walk from HKCEC, whilst the Lodge connects to 5 railway systems. Each V is urban, contemporary, but calm and quiet. Our two Causeway Bay properties host penthouse and terraced apartments for families and elegance entertaining, whilst V Happy Valley features an outdoor water garden.
V Hotels and Serviced Apartments Unit 5702, Cheung Kong Centre 2 Queen’s Road Central Hong Kong Tel: (852) 3602 2388 Fax: (852) 2891 1418 reservations@thev.hk www.thev.hk
Each V carries a different design motif, yet shares one critical ingredient – we deliver a high standard of comfort and good honest service.
STAFF BENEFITS Atrium HR Consulting is a joint venture between Alliance Group International and RamsaySmith, bringing together extensive experience and a wealth of specialist knowledge. Atrium’s aim is to help businesses achieve the highest possible level of performance by maximising efficiency, cost savings and results. Atrium’s services are used and trusted by more than 25% of the Fortune Global 500. Building upon their current client base, resources and an established global infrastructure they work to deliver a professional customer-focused service around the world. Today Atrium supports clients across 180 countries with their recruitment, training, employee benefits and wellness programmes.
Atrium HR CONSULTING. 22/F OVEST, 77 Wing Lok Street, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong Contact person: Pauline Williams Tel: 852 2891 8915 info@atriumhr.com www.atriumhr.com
Nespresso provides a range of machines dedicated to professional use that meet the different needs and expectations of our customers. Zenius is the one of the latest innovation in the professional machine range by Nespresso and comes at an affordable price. It is intuitive to use, reliable and integrates the latest technological advances by Nespresso. Zenius is the ideal machine for small and big companies looking for quality and simplicity. At Nespresso we want to make it possible for you to make the same full-bodied espresso offered by skilled baristas. Your business can benefit from years of Nespresso expertise in premium Grands Crus coffees, innovative machines and excellent customer support.
Nespresso, Division Of Nestlé Hong Kong Ltd. Unit 505, Manhattan Place, 23 Wang Tai Road, Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong
HireRight delivers global background checks and employment verification services through an innovative platform to help companies hire the right candidates, so they can grow successfully and efficiently—no matter their size or where they operate. HireRight offers a comprehensive screening solution that can be tailored to the unique needs of the organization, giving enterprises peace of mind about their people and processes. HireRight’s platform can be integrated with existing HR platforms, making it easy to use and giving candidates the best possible experience. HireRight is headquartered in Irvine, Calif., with offices across the globe, including regional headquarters in London and Singapore. For more information, visit the company’s web site at www.hireright.com/apac
HireRight Asia Square Tower 2, #23-01, 12 Marina View, Singapore 018961
Korn Ferry is the pre-eminent global people and organizational advisory firm. We help leaders, organizations and societies succeed by releasing the full power and potential of people. Our nearly 7,000 colleagues deliver services through Korn Ferry and our Hay Group and Futurestep divisions. At Korn Ferry, we design, build, attract and ignite talent. Since our inception, clients have trusted us to help recruit world-class leadership. Today, we are a single source for leadership and talent consulting services to empower businesses and leaders to reach their goals.
Korn Ferry International (H.K.) Limited 15/F, St. George’s Building, 2 Ice House Street, Central, Hong Kong
Tel: 800 905 486 Fax: 800 968 822 CRC.HK@nespresso.com www.nespresso-pro.com
TALENT MANAGEMENT
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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apacmarketing@hireright.com www.hireright.com/apac
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