HR Magazine Winter Issue 2019

2019 WINTER

18

COVER STORY OK, Boomer: backlash from a new generation of talent

36

SHIFT HAPPENS! And it happens quickly. Key insights on engaging talent from Cornerstone

42

HR BLIND DATE Why a young IT professional chose Pizza Express over IMB and Microsoft as a potential employer

2 | HR MAGAZINE

PUBLISHER’S NOTE IN THE NEWS Well, we’ve all been through a lot lately in Hong Kong. The knock-on effects of the protracted ‘civil activities’, as they descended into vandalism, riots and violence, have had a huge impact not only on the economy but on staff at all levels across organisations (see news p6 and feature p36). Naked resignations are set to continue (p6), and Hongkongers are reported as having a positive attitude towards AI (p7).

COVER STORY We explore the ‘OK Boomer’ meme and what it represents in terms of HR challenges in today’s increasingly multi-generation workplace. We look at why there’s a growing chasm between the way different generations think, and more importantly, what HR can do to help mitigate this (p18).

OTHER STUFF A candid conversation with Heidi Spirgi reveals why most talent deserves a better experience than they are currently getting in their organisations (p24).

Shift happens! And it happens quickly. We share key insights from Cornerstone at our most recent breakfast briefing in Hong Kong (p38) and from Rockbird’s 4th HR Leaders Summit in Singapore (p42).

Another HR Blind Date, we share why a young IT professional chose Pizza Express over IMB and Microsoft as a potential employer. Amazing insights on the minds of young jobseekers shared from the latest JobsDB Laws of Attraction event, which focused on helping HR embrace the recruitment challenges for IT roles.

Enjoy…

Paul Arkwright,

HR MAGAZINE EDITORIAL

Publisher & Editor-in-Chief Paul Arkwright Editor Tony Ryan Sub-editor Olivia Prosser Staff Writers Allan Hunnicutt

ART & GRAFT

IMAGES

Freepik, Shutterstock, Russell Balad

EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES Paul Arkwright Tel: (852) 2736 6318 paul@excelmediagroup.org

ADVERTISING & SPONSORSHIP Chris Flynn Tel: (852) 2736 6339 chris@excelmediagroup.org

SUBSCRIPTIONS

Venus Lee Tel: (852) 2736 6375 Fax: (852) 2736 6369 subs@excelmediagroup.org

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No part of this publication can be reproduced without consent from the Publisher. Copyright of all material is reserved throughout the publication. Contributions are welcome but copies of work should be kept, because HR Magazine takes no responsibility for lost submissions. The views, conclusions, findings and opinions published in this magazine belong to those expressing such, and do not necessarily represent those of the Publisher or editorial team.

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2019 WINTER

06 24

18

HR NEWS

HR FEATURES

06 09 10 12 14 16

24 26 30 34 36

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

Conversation with Heidi Spirgi Rise of the gig worker How to level-up managers Implementing technology—Hong Kong’s struggle Hong Kong’s turbulent summer

COVER STORY

HR COMMUNITY

18

38 42 46

OK, Boomer backlash from the new generation of talent

48 50 4 | HR MAGAZINE

Shift Happens! And in HR, it happens fast, so get ready!

4th HR Leaders Asia 2019 Live well, sell well—Is it possible to stay mentally healthy in the modern world of work?

2019 Gender Equity Conference Making your initiatives count Embracing recruitment challenges in IT

36

34 50 52

HR TECHNOLOGY 52

War of the workplace worlds

HR BOOKS 56 57 58

HR LEGAL 54

55

Data stewardship Public sector more willing to own up to data breach notifications than private sector Labour law challenges mount for global HR

How to get out of your own way The drama-free workplace Feedback (and other dirty words) The Outward Mindset The Management Shift

HR CLASSIFIEDS 59

HR Classifieds

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HK NEWS

HK PROTESTS HIT WORKFORCE HARD Since the controversial extradition bill was introduced, Hong Kong has been in turmoil.

Since June, the level of unrest in the city continued to escalate until late November when things started cooling off a little.

Hong Kong is now in recession. Two thirds of CPA Australia members surveyed believe that this shrinking economy will continue into 2020. A year ago, only 4% foresaw a recession.

Airlines are cutting capacity or removing flights completely. The situation is dire for the workforce in Hong Kong, relying on incoming tourists and visitors to support the economy.

For HR departments, there has also been the added pressure of legal clarification, staff safety and overall welfare. These issues are ongoing and the situation continues to be challenging, with many workers in Hong Kong suffering from financial worries, transport difficulties, psychological effects and uncertainty about their own future. It is down to creative and dedicated HR professionals to manage staff and put in place contingency plans for a longterm period of disruption in the city.

To read more on this topic, see our feature on page 36.

NAKED RESIGNATIONS More than one-third of talent are leaving their previous jobs before securing a new offer, according to the latest jobsDB 2019 Job Seeker Salary Survey.

from family burdens when joining the workforce and the fact that Hong Kong’s economy remains steady despite external forces, means the trend of ‘naked resignations’ is likely to continue.”

Isaac Shao, Country Manager, jobsDB Hong Kong, said, “Generation Z does not place much emphasis on finding permanent roles. Instead, they prefer to enjoy benefits such as sabbatical leave, flexible working hours and remote work. The combination of a younger generation that is free

In terms of age group and work experience, respondents aged below 25 (50%), or with less than two years of work experience (44%), tend to resign before securing a new offer, indicating that young people are more prone to job-switching.

6 | HR MAGAZINE

The top four ways to keep employees happy 1. Protect work-life balance 2. Set a clear career roadmap 3. Recognise employee achievements 4. Promote an open culture

HK NEWS

HONG KONG’S POSITIVE AI ATTITUDE

70% of Hongkongers believe that less than a quarter of jobs will be replaced by AI in the future. This according to the 2019 Q4 APAC Workforce Insights survey by PersolKelly, which is focused on candidate and hiring managers’ perceptions of the future integration of AI and automation into the workforce across APAC. The Hong Kong figure is slightly higher than the APAC average of 68%, and the country with the strongest belief of minimal job replacement is Australia (81%).

More than half of Hong Kongers surveyed in the report released in Q2 2019 also indicated that they felt the integration of AI into the workplace would increase workplace efficiency (69%).

Despite general societal concerns of the future of technology and the workplace, this appears to lie with the minority of workers in the city.

Despite general societal concerns of the future of technology and the workplace, this appears to lie with the minority of workers in the city.

HK-BASED EMPLOYEES EXPECT BONUSES Close to nine in 10 Hong Kong-based employees (87%) are expecting to receive a bonus this year. Recent surveys

by Randstad show that 73% of the respondents are anticipating an annual bonus of up to two months’ salary.

Natellie Sun, Managing Director, Randstad Hong Kong said, “There is no hard-and-fast rule as to how much bonus payout should be. It is the employer’s responsibility to manage expectations

by having transparent discussions with their staff about how their bonuses are being calculated to come to a mutual understanding.”

While almost all of the survey respondents (97%) agreed that receiving a bonus is important to their engagement with the company, 57% said that it is not the only factor that will make them start considering the possibility of a job change.

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HK NEWS

MORE HONG KONG WORKERS GOING DEAF THAN EVER BEFORE

275 workers in Hong Kong reported cases of occupational deafness in 2018. Statistics released by the Hong Kong SAR Government in August 2019 show that these cases of occupational deafness (including monaural hearing loss) represent the highest number ever recorded. Compared to 2017, there was an increase of around 55%.

Cases resulting in occupational deafness were linked to the following activities: • • •

• The highest previous number in a single year was 226 in 2011, which is still over 20% less than the most recent record. The average number per year, over the past decade, is 149.

Excluding the recent increase, the average over the previous nine years is 135.

HONG KONG DESIGNERS TOUR CALIFORNIA The Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC) organised the recently held Design Exchange Tour in San Francisco and Los Angeles.

The September tour featured 12 of Hong Kong’s top designers, who were selected to promote the ways in which modern design is responding to technology shifts.

As part of this tour, designers and promoters also staged the flagship events ‘co-creating Hong Kong’ in San Francisco, and ‘Think Asia, Think Hong Kong’ in Los Angeles.

These events were aimed at promoting the view of Hong Kong as a design city, whilst also highlighting the role of design in technology, sustainability and community.

8 | HR MAGAZINE

41% Rock grinding, chiselling, cutting or percussion 23% Metal grinding 17% Working near internal combustion engines, turbines, pressurised fuel burners or jet engines 11% Pile driving

These activities are mostly linked to the construction industry, which in the same year saw 14 fatalities in Hong Kong—a rate of 0.125 per thousand workers.

APAC NEWS

EMPLOYER-PROVIDED MEDICAL COSTS INCREASING ACROSS APAC Medical costs across APAC are predicted to rise in 2020. Employer-provided medical costs in Singapore may rise by 10% and Hong Kong costs could go up by 8.1%. The highest rises will come in Malaysia and Thailand, with average medical trend rates forecast at 14% and 13.9% respectively.

The rises are due to a combination of factors including ageing populations and a rise in chronic diseases such as diabetes, but also as a result of increased technology use allowing for easier online claims.

Tim Dwyer, CEO, Health Solutions, Asia Pacific, Aon said, “Cost containment strategies are no longer enough to address medical inflation. Organisations in the region must introduce comprehensive programmes that address the physical, emotional, social and financial well-being of their employees. A proactive people strategy focusing on all of these factors will lead to a healthier, engaged, and more productive workforce.”

MALAYSIAN STAFF VALUE STRONG MANAGEMENT Randstad—one of the world’s largest human resource solutions agencies— recently released the findings of its annual Employer Brand Research in Malaysia.

The survey showed that Malaysia-based employees ranked the following EVP (Employee Value Proposition) factors as their most important drivers: 1. Attractive salary and benefits (64%) 2. Healthy work-life balance (49%) 3. Strong management (44%) Whilst the top two factors come as no surprise, as they consistently rank at the top in surveys globally, the third-place driver shows that workers in the region

SINGAPORE RAISING RETIREMENT AGE

are less interested in the laissez-faire style of management favoured in some other regions.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced that the retirement age in Singapore will increase from 62 to 65 by 2030. Mr Lee said that under the new changes, the retirement age will be raised from 62 to 63 in 2022 and eventually to 65 by 2030.

Further supporting the importance of strong leaders in the region, the study also showed that 29% of staff would consider leaving the company because of poor leadership.

Singapore has one of the highest life expectancies in the world, at nearly 85 years, and the retirement age increase will force workers to continue working in order to boost their retirement savings.

Jaya Dass, Managing Director, Randstad Singapore and Malaysia said, “People want to work in an organisation that is being led by a strong and capable management team, especially one that is able to drive the company forward in the fourth industrial revolution.”

As the retirement age is being increased, so too must the re-employment age. Re-employment is a scheme whereby workers over retirement age—in Singapore this is currently 62—must be offered the opportunity of re-employment if the employee wishes to do so, subject to certain conditions such as satisfactory health and work performance.

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

RECRUITER RELATIONSHIP CRUCIAL TO HIRING TOP CANDIDATES 90% of candidates say it is either very important or extremely important that the candidate likes the recruiter with whom they are working for.

Kathy Pang, Head of Search, Professional Search, Korn Ferry Hong Kong said, “Although technology has enabled the talent acquisition process to become more effective and efficient, human interactions are still needed in the process.”

Positive interaction with a recruiter can make or break a candidate’s experience. 53% of job candidates say that the most common way that communications break down is when a recruiter ‘ghosts’ them by not calling them back or letting them know where they stand in the hiring process.

When a candidate is trying to decide between two offers, they say the best thing a recruiter can do is to discuss with them why the recruiter’s offer aligns better with their career aspirations (44%). Only 5% said offering a more competitive salary would be the main reason for them accepting one offer over another.

WORKPLACE SUPERWOMEN

Worldwide, slightly less than four women hold leadership positions for every 10 men in business and politics.

Even though progress has been made globally to encourage more women into leadership positions, driven by a combination of market forces, technological change, government measures and female activism, women are

10 | HR MAGAZINE

still heavily under-represented in APAC leadership positions.

Womenwise, founded in 2015 by a group of female leaders from Flight Centre Travel Group (FCTG), launched its Asia chapter on 19 September 2019. Womenwise chapters can already be found in Australia, The Americas, UAE and South Africa.

While FCTG has a global SWOT leadership of 58% women, that number dwindles to only 35% in Asia. Carole Cooper, Global Peopleworks Leader and co-founder of Womenwise said, “Our goal for Asia is 50%. When you have a balanced team, you have different thinking, different experiences and that is what makes it a lot richer.”

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

TOP 500 UNIVERSITIES NURTURING GRADUATE EMPLOYABILITY Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is the number-one university in terms of nurturing graduate employability, according to Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), global higher education think tank. Stanford University came in second, and the University of California at Los Angeles was ranked third.

The ranking is characterised by significant disparities between the overall QS World University Rankings and this exercise. In particular, Asia’s top universities outperform Continental Europe’s leading institutions.

The rankings therefore demonstrate that there is no perfect parallel between an outstanding reputational and research university, and an outstanding nurturer of student career outcomes.

To explore the university-employability relationship, QS use a unique five-metric method that captures each institution’s regard among 44,000 employers worldwide, alma mater data from 29,000 highly successful individuals, institutional industry partnerships, employer presence on campus and location-adjusted graduate employment rate.

Graduate Employability Rankings 2020: Top 10 1

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

US

2

Stanford University

US

3

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

US

4

The University of Sydney

Australia

5

Harvard University

US

6

Tsinghua University

China

7

University of Melbourne

Australia

8

University of Cambridge

UK

9

University of Hong Kong (HKU)

Hong Kong (SAR)

10 University of Oxford

UK Source: QS Quacquarelli Symonds 2004-2019

AGILEONE ANNOUNCES 2019 EUROPEAN SUPPLIER EXCELLENCE AWARD WINNERS Supplier of the Year—Room at the Top Top-performing suppliers from the UK, the Netherlands, Ireland and DACH region were honoured during an awards ceremony at the AgileOne’s annual European Supplier Excellence Summit held 19 September 2019, at the London Marriott Hotel County Hall in London, England.

Brain Clark, Senior Vice President, AgileOne shared, “Suppliers’ commitment to excellence in value creation gives our clients access to stellar. This recognition is just one of the ways we acknowledge this elite group of top-performing suppliers and the service they provide to our clients globally.”

UK Platinum—Hobson Prior Gold—CK Group Netherlands Platinum—Rescop Gold—DPS Ireland Platinum—Claran Consulting Gold—PE Global DACH Platinum—Zeitkraft Personaldienstleistungen | 11

HR EVENTS December 2019 Organised by

3

hrmasia

CHRO Malaysia Location: Kuala Lumpur Website: http://www.chroseries.com/agenda-malaysia.html Time: 8.00 am - 5.30 pm Email: info@hrmasia.com.sg

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Turbulent HR: Flexible HR solutions for tough times Organised by HR Magazine

Organised by

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Wilis Towers Watson

M&A Readiness Academy for HR Location: Lloyd Hotel, Amsterdam, The Netherlands Website: https://events2.willistowerswatson.com/events/ Time: 9.00 am - 5.00 pm Contact Person: Hermine Steegstra Tel: +31 88 543 3151 Email: academy.nl@willistowerswatson.com

Location: Regal Hongkong Hotel, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong Date: Friday, 6 Dec 2019 Time: 8.30 am – 4.40 pm Website: https://hrmagazine.com.hk/conferences/ Email: chris@excelmediagroup.org Tel: (852) 2636 6339

January 2020

Organised by

British Chamber of Commerce

Breakfast Briefing: Can Hong Kong become the world’s most livable city?

Location: Victoria Suite, The Hong Kong Club 1 Jackson Road, Central Website: https://www.britcham.com/public/Public/Events/ Event_Display.aspx?EventKey=3356 Time: 8.00 am - 09.30 am

12 | HR MAGAZINE

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Organised by

Wilis Towers Watson

Trends and future challenges in Employee Benefits

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Location: Hotel Park Hyatt, Beethoven-Strasse 21, 8002 Zürich Website: https://events2.willistowerswatson.com/events/ Time: 3.45 pm - 7.00 pm Contact Person: Doris Urio, +41 43 488 44 11 Contact Person: Arja Hamie, +41 44 804 45 13

HR EVENTS January 2020 Organised by

IQPC

CHRO Exchange Location: The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island, 4750 Amelia Island Parkway Amelia Island, Florida 32034 United States, Florida, United States Website: https://www.hrexchangenetwork.com Time: 10.00 am - 8.30 pm Tel: 19042771100

26–28

February 2020 Organised by

Tech HR Conference

People Matters TechHR 2020

19-21

Location: Marina Bay Sands Convention Center, Singapore Website: https://singapore.techhrconference.com/ Time: 9.00am - 7.00 pm Tel: 6531650720 Email: delegates@techhrconference.com

March 2020

Organised by

HR Magazine

HR Magazine Spring Conference

20

Location: Regal Hongkong Hotel, 88 Yee Wo St, Causeway Bay Time: 8.30 am - 5.00 pm Tel: (852) 26366339 Email: chris@excelmediagroup.org

Organised by

Business Insights Asia Pacific (BIAP)

HR Leadership Summit

24-25

Location: Equarius Hotel, Resorts World, Sentosa, Singapore Website:https://hrleadership.network/summit/singaporehr-leadership-summit/ Time: 9.00 am - 7.00 pm Tel: +65 3159 3512

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HR MOVES FCM Travel Solutions has appointed Clare Woo as its new Human Resources Director for Asia.

Woo has 20 years of experience across diverse sectors including automotive, consumer goods, luxury brands and reinsurance.

FCM’s Managing Director of Asia commented, “With the appointment of Clare, our Asia leadership team is complete. Asia has become the centre of focus for the Flight Centre Travel Group worldwide and we cannot wait to benefit from Clare’s expertise in people management and change transformation.”

Clare joins FCM from Zespri International, where her most recent role was Business HR Lead for the consumer-packaged goods market. She has previously held senior HR positions with BMW Asia, Swiss Reinsurance Company and LVMH Fashion, among others.

Clare Woo HR Director, Asia FCM Travel Solutions Asia

Woo said, “I am thrilled to join a company with such a long and rich history in travel. I look forward to being a part of FCM and working with key stakeholders to contribute to its success.”

Radisson Hotel Group have announced the appointment of Rebecca Lieberman as Chief Human Resources Officer. Lieberman previously served as Vice President, Human Resources for the Americas. In this new role, she will lead the Human Resources, Communications, Responsible Business and facilities functions for Radisson Hotel Group in the Americas and Asia Pacific.

Federico J. González, Chairman of the Global Steering Committee, Radisson Hotel Group, said, “Rebecca is a true leader playing a key role in unifying our teams and building our corporate culture. We are excited she is taking on this new role as her expertise will be invaluable as we move forward.”

Prior to joining Radisson Hotel Group in 2015, Lieberman was the Owner and Principal Human Resources Consultant for RTL Consulting where she specialized in HR Strategy and Organizational Effectiveness for various companies going through M&A and divestitures.

Rebecca Lieberman

Chief Human Resources Officer Radisson Hotel Group

Pedersen & Partners has announced that Reza Ghazali will join the team and lead the Board Services practice in the ASEAN region.

Reza Ghazali is an accomplished Executive Search professional with over thirty years of professional experience working in Hospitality, Human Capital, Business Consulting and Executive Search/Leadership & Talent Management.

Ghazali’s experience in dealing with companies at board and senior management level gives him a thorough understanding of complex business, market, industry and functional issues to build the confidence and trust necessary to assist clients through their transformations and various stages of development.

Eva Liu

Head of Health & Benefits (H&B), Willis Towers Watson Hong Kong 14 | HR MAGAZINE

Gary Williams, Deputy Managing Partner, Pedersen & Partners announced, “I am extremely pleased to welcome Reza to our global team. Corporate boards in Asia face a multitude of challenges that include regulatory pressures, corporate governance issues and the effective composition of governing bodies. Reza’s strategic consulting experience and proven track record in executive search will benefit our clients as they seek experienced and trustful partners.”

HR IN NUMBERS

800million jobs globally will be automated by 2030

8in10

workers have cried at work

staff cry at work every day

Raymond Yip, Partner, Zeroth

Monster.com

Monster.com

26%

17%

87%

employees feel uncomfortable during performance reviews

Record High Global CEO turnover (2018)

Workmonitor Survey released by Randstad Singapore

PwC 2018 CEO success study

16 | HR MAGAZINE

5%

employees in Malaysia feel equipped to deal with new waves of digitalisation Trading Economics, 2019

HR IN NUMBERS

30%

SMEs use chatbots to answer staff HR queries Capterra research

80%

51%

45%

casual and temporary workers prefer their manager’s values over that of their organisation

of workday wasted on unsuccessful activities by APAC data workers

Kelly Services

IDC

47%

81%

employment lawyers feel mental health issues are on the rise

Hong Kong professionals have poor mental health

MNCs find different countries’ labour laws difficult to understand

Lewis Silkin

City Mental Health Alliance HK

Global Business Complexity Index 2019

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COVER STORY

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COVER STORY

‘OK, Boomer’ has become the go-to passive-aggressive phrase of choice for GenZs (Zoomers) today. Blaming ‘old-timers’ for the global environmental crisis, rising house prices and not respecting the needs of today’s younger generations has led to the creation of this reactionary meme, which is prevalent across social media platforms. But what does it really mean? And what is its relevance to HR? Caught between a rock & a hard place There has been a lot of talk, of late, in HR communities about multi-generational workforces. In reality, however, workforces have always been multi-generational. What appears to have changed recently, is perhaps the ‘gap’ that exists between different talent generations, and one which seems to be continuing to widen. HR is having to balance the sometimes very different needs of Boomers and Zoomers working collaboratively on organisational projects.

Docility not dogmas The phrase has even reached mainstream politics. Chlöe Swarbrick, a 25-year-old New Zealand politician, has admitted to ‘making some people very mad’ by using the viral phrase in parliament. Swarbrick responded to an older lawmaker, saying,“OK boomer,” after they interrupted

her speech on climate change. There was little reaction in parliament at the time, but the comment soon began trending online. Heralded a heroine by some, she has also been accused of ageism. In a subsequent interview, Swarbrick explained,“I think you can see from the way that the meme has evolved, it’s symbolic of the collective frustration that young people, in particular, feel to time after time placing evidence into the debate and into the argument, only to be met with dogma.” And it is this point that is a crucial one for HR to help resolve potential pain points arising from misunderstandings between generations. In particular, the notion that younger people’s concerns in the workplace are frequently dismissed by older people and brushed aside in favour of more traditional approaches. This concern has become a global phenomenon, and the ‘OK, Boomer’ phrase is merely one part of the reaction to it.

Boomers In short, ‘Boomer’ refers to a baby boomer. There are differing definitions of this category, but most agree that it refers to those born in the years shortly after the Second World War. Today, those people would be in their 50s 60s and 70s. This generational category encompasses a much wider timespan than more recent generations, such as GenX, Millennials and GenY. Therefore, the experience of Boomers is likely to be far more varied, making it less simple to fit them into a fixed label.

Nevertheless, the phrase, ‘OK, Boomer’ has become so popular that lines of merchandise have already been created using it as a tagline. Its proliferation on social media to dismiss those of older generations has replaced many other forms of debate or argument with these groups. Essentially, it is a way for younger generations to dismiss any criticism of them by those whom they perceive as old, out-of-touch and unable to see past their own privileged positions.

In terms of reach, the OK Boomer hashtag on Twitter, #OKBoomer, racked up nearly a billion uses and related videos on TikTok and YouTube have been viewed millions of times. This is not just some quick 15-minutes of fame sensation but has gone truly viral, reaching every continent across the globe. The debate sparked from this meme has reached beyond our smartphones, moving into the upper echelons of various governments. There are news articles on every media outlet, from the UK’s BBC to the US’s Washington Post and even our local South China Morning Post. The discussion has moved from the meme itself onto the important topics that inspired it.

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COVER STORY

Workplace discrimination As the phrase transcends its home on social media and digital platforms into the workplace, HR is starting to feel the impact in real-world environments.

Any form of put down related to a person’s traits—age in this case—could be considered a form of discrimination.

The phrase is considered offensive by some, and therefore the act of causing intentional offence in the workplace by targeting a specific group could be a breach of contract, policy or, in some countries, the national law.

In the United States, there is an Age Discrimination in Employment Act, which prohibits harassment and discrimination on the basis of age. In the UK, The Equality Act protects groups from various actions, including being made to feel intimidated, humiliated or degraded, and also from any act that creates a hostile environment. All 47 member states of the European Union are signed up to a number of treaties and mandates that are in place to legally protect against ageism. Globally, most countries have laws protecting against either ageism specifically or any targeted discrimination.

Wider provisions include workplace policies, which talent contractually signs up to. Breaching these can be as impactive as breaching the law, with financial penalties or potential dismissal as a result. For HR professionals, it can create a nightmare to navigate legislation and ensure compliance in terms of internal policies before an incident even occurs.

Older workers are more vulnerable than they seem

working life. The office culture of colleagues being comfortable with each other and making jokes is always, and probably always will be, happening.

However, in terms of the law, stating, ‘It’s just a joke’ is not a legal defence. One of the most famous modern cases in the US concerning age discrimination went all the way to the Supreme Court in 1999 and involved a manager referring to an employee as, “So old; he must have come over on The Mayflower.”

Prominent lawyer and law professor,

It is important, at this point, to remember that age-related protection is often not just aimed at older workers. All ages are covered, which means that being targeted because you are 18 is as serious as if you are 80. However, this is not the case in every country, such as the USA, where their law only covers workers over 40.

This means, in theory, that calling a young worker an ‘entitled millennial’ may not be a breach, but responding by saying, ‘OK Boomer’ could be.

Are you joking?

For many people, quips and workplace banter are part and parcel of daily

Elizabeth Tippett, wrote about this issue of jokes being a form of age discrimination and the idea that people see Boomers as privileged and protected. She said, “Older workers are more vulnerable than they seem. Older workers are expensive—by the time they’ve worked their way up the corporate ladder, their generous salaries start to weigh on the balance sheet. That’s why Congress thought it was important to extend protections to those workers.”

The idea that Boomers are somehow more powerful than Millennials is not always the case, and therefore ignoring their point of view because of their age is a dangerous precedent to start accepting.

HA HA hA hA HA HA HA hA hA HA HA HA HA hA hA hA hA hA hA hA HA 20 | HR MAGAZINE

COVER STORY

Boomers hogging senior roles Where did this expression originate, and why? To understand this new phenomenon, it is important to see that the idea is not a new one. The feeling of subjugation by younger generations by the Baby Boomer generation is many years old. The feelings of negativity towards Boomers split into various categories, such as: • Workplace • Homelife • Environment

Workplace issues In terms of jobs, Zoomers, Millennials and Gen-Xers say that they are stuck in lower-level roles, with fewer opportunities to progress, because Boomers are hogging the senior roles and take much longer to retire. A recent study

by LinkedIn shows that 41% of Millennials have reported this as a specific complaint concerning career advancement. In response, Boomers contend that Millennials job-hop too much, which may actually be a reaction to the advancement concerns rather than a personality trait. Lack of communication and understanding between the generations has caused a longlasting feeling of resentment. Jack Kelly, CEO, WeCruitR, argues,“The reality is a sad

commentary on the state of affairs in America.

Most Boomers don’t have sufficient funds to retire. The vast majority of Boomers either have no real retirement savings or very little money put away.” So, it’s not a case of selfishly holding on to jobs, but rather a real need in the current economic climate.

Homelife issues Homeownership and the cost of living is another big contentious issue often raised

by GenX in relation to the Boomer privilege argument. In basic terms, younger people hold a common belief that those born in the post-war era were able to buy up property at low prices and own their own homes—enabling them to enjoy the benefits of a mortgage-free life and investment assets. The simplicity of the phrase helped create the meme, but this same simplicity is holding back the argument. Sonia Sodha, opinion editor, The Guardian, explained, “The concept of one generation stealing another’s future is unlikely to resonate with women in their late 50s with little to no pension provision, struggling to combine caring responsibilities for their ageing parents with low-paid work.”The phrase’s intention to target a whole age group does not sit well with many Boomers.

Green issues In terms of major arguments against Boomers, is the more modern complaint of environmental concerns. The belief among many in Generation-Z (and other generations) is that Boomers have been the greatest contributor to climate change and care very little about it. Again, the simplicity of the argument, manifested in the OK Boomer meme, does little to satisfy older generations who care deeply about our environment. It’s a polarising phrase, leading to friction rather than communication. Joshua Graham, Writer, Vogue UK, said, “Many Gen-Zers say that ‘OK Boomer’ specifically targets those who have certain political persuasions—think Trump and Brexit—and show resistance to technological progress; and who are deniers of climate change.” In this sense, the phrase targets an age demographic unfairly, when the real target is ideological.

From those involved in the discussion, it is clear that age is not the real factor here. The anger is aimed towards a certain mindset, sometimes through a misunderstood belief that those of a certain age have it better or caused the problems that younger generations face. No discussion this big can be distilled into a phrase so short.

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COVER STORY

z z Ever since Greta Thunberg was given a platform at the United Nations Climate Action Summit, in September 2019, emotionally asking, “How dare you!” the voices of Generation Z have grown louder and more confident. The proliferation of ‘OK Boomer’ is merely a sideeffect of this growing activism. The fact that Boomers have got so angry over people like Thunberg and the OK Boomer meme shows the growing power of Generation Z. This latter generation is coming into its own, ironically, as it gets older. Making up 32% of the world’s population, many turning 18 over the next few years, they will continue to grow their political and economic power to go alongside their loud voice. These people are entering the workforce in greater numbers, forcing organisational change, clashing with antiquated corporate

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cultures and expecting more from their employer than basic pay benefits.

The future, as is often the case, needs to be more communicative and less antagonistic. Dismissing someone by saying, “OK Boomer,” might be satisfying in the short term, but it also makes enemies of the very people that need to be on the same side if positive change is the endgame. Conversely, organisations and employers, currently holding a Boomer mindset, need to begin making changes now, if they are to attract and retain the Zoomers entering the workforce.

Heidi Spirgi, Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer, Cornerstone OnDemand at a recent HR Magazine breakfast briefing noted,“After

working in HR and talent industries for over twenty years, I’ve witnessed a lot of repetition and stagnation in HR practices. Then, I’ve seen innovation and a shift has begun. But we’ve gotten this all wrong. We’ve been serving our needs, and now we need to take a fresh look at serving employee needs.”

HR professionals have to carefully and considerately update their policies and procedures to allow for a transition of cultures. Bridgette Klein, Manager with HR consulting firm Willory, explains things from an HR perspective, saying,“It might not be the most natural initiative in the beginning, but the advantages of employee satisfaction, engagement, retention, productivity and happiness should pay off significantly. So why

COVER STORY

can’t you at least try it out?”

Over the next few years, Boomers and Zoomers will be working together all across the globe. Both generations will make up significant proportions of most companies’ workforces. This means that, in order to be effective, they must work together. Neither side will benefit from creating factions and frustrations. HR professionals in these organisations also have a role to play in helping intergenerational teams work together fluidly. Andrew Chamberlain, Chief Economist, Glassdoor, said, “The best way to prepare both seasoned workers and newer generations in the coming decade is through investments in learning and development.”

This was echoed by Sho Dewan, Global Talent Development Lead, Lalamove who told HR Magazine, “The average age of talent in our organisation is only 28 years old. As a Millennial, my ongoing ‘why’ is to find happiness at work.” He added, “That happiness leads to profit and more engaged staff. Millennials, like most people, are driven by financial rewards, however, 52% need a positive workplace culture and 48% expect learning opportunities in order to be happy in their roles.” Dewan elaborated, “Culture and learning need to be fused together. It needs to be continuous and systematic. Millennials love learning.” He also admitted that some stereotypes about Millennials are often true, “They sometimes

lack soft skills, so it is necessary to engage them with practical activities and training, making use of both internal and external speakers. Vary the inputs, keep it fresh, so it is not just the same trainer every time.”

Stanford’s Institute for Economic Policy Research analysed workplace data from over three decades and concluded that there was no evidence younger workers’ opportunities were diminished by older workers remaining in the workforce. In fact, the research suggested, the opposite was true. Chamberlain, referring to this research, summarised,“This is a key message for HR teams to communicate to younger workers in the coming decade.”

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HR FEATURES

Conversation with Heidi Spirgi

People deserve a better experience than they often have at organisations HR Magazine sat down with Heidi Spirgi, Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer, Cornerstone OnDemand and asked her to give us an overview of her role at Cornerstone, as well as more detail on what they can offer HR practitioners in today’s emerging technology climate. Her background in technology, talent management and entrepreneurship has given her a unique perspective on the needs of HR from a technological and people experience perspective.

Her background is diverse and full of relevant experiences. She said, “People deserve a better experience than they often have at organisations, and I believe technology can help enable that.”

Specifically, she explained a new product titled, ‘Digital Native Advancement’ (DNA) that she believes can help teach newcomers to the workplace, especially GenZ, skills in communication, collaboration, leadership whilst simultaneously empowering these people to contribute more.

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HR FEATURES

You have to have strategic value-add opportunities

then the appetite to use a learning platform does not grow within the workforce and it becomes a missed opportunity.

Digital integration is not the future, it is the now, Spirgi explained, “GenZ is a generation of digital natives and will make up more than 20% of working adults by the end of 2020.” She elaborated on the challenges this creates by explaining that, “There is a growing concern that this generation does not enter the workplace with the necessary interpersonal or soft skills. DNA can help them to succeed by offering greater volume of content, available anytime, curated in a more personal way by experts, blended together in a unified platform.”

Something that Spirgi was very clear about is that digital learning needs to be something that people can do as painlessly as possible.

She explained that any barriers, even small ones, can put people off of engaging with the platform. She therefore argued, “People have to be able to work on the device of their choice. We can’t dictate or mandate the device choice. People are too diverse today around what their expectations are in terms of platform.” Continuing in that vein, Spirgi explained, “Today’s workers are motivated to develop themselves, be it on their commute to work or on the train; they’re taking a learning course.”

Spirgi talked about how organisations have not all done as well as they could in terms of their training and digital integration. She explained, “Organisations are not wilfully resistant to change, but a barrier exists in terms of their adoption of digital learning.”

Organisations introduce digital learning platforms with the bare bones and fail to capitalise on a great opportunity. She calls this, “The bread and water syndrome” and elaborated by saying, “They too often start with compliance and onboarding, which are the bread and water of training. Maybe they believe that they will move on from that, but they are slow to add to their digital learning journey in a strategic way.” She elaborated, “You have to have strategic, value-add opportunities, functionality and content in phase one.” If this strategic approach is not adopted from the start, she explained,

In the future, tools that work for human beings will be crucial. Implementing technology for business is not useful if the talent is not engaged with it. Heidi believes that, “Along with good content, a high level of personalisation is the number-one objective for future shifts in HR tech.” She explained, “We need to leverage everything we know about a person to customise the content we bring to them from a learning perspective. Interests, job role, past learning history and learning preferences should combine to produce hyper-relevant subject matter and modality.”

Personalisation is the number-one objective

Spirgi highlights how technology helps HR with succession planning

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HR FEATURES

Rise of the gig worker

We are in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Industrial Revolution 4.0, as some call it, is not around the corner, it is already the road upon which we are driving. Some companies, the agile ones, are driving along that road already. They have embraced the contingent workforce and are moving with the times.

Some organisations are clinging on to the way things used to be and, if they continue along the old path, will get left behind. The ‘shirt and tie’, ‘9 to 5’, ‘work at the office’ mentality of the 20th Century has been finally put to rest. Recruitment, retention, profitability, employee engagement and successful integration of technology are all battles that forward-thinking, agile organisations are winning.

One piece of the winners’ puzzle is flexible working. Brad Smith, CEO, Intuit, said, “The gig economy is estimated to grow to 43% of the workforce by 2020.” With 2020 on the horizon, why are so many people turning to gig work rather than more traditional employment? The answer is not straightforward.

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What is gig work?

Global trend

First, it is important to consider what gig working actually is. It cannot be defined as one kind of work. There are many types of work that can fall under the umbrella of gig working, for example:

Gig work is a global phenomenon. A 2017 EY study titled, ‘Future jobs in India’ found that approximately 24% of the world’s gig workers come from India. In the UK, the number of self-employed has touched record highs at 4.8 million, growing 28% over the 10 years to 2016, against only 6% growth in UK employees in the same time period. The rest of Europe has seen similar trends. In South Africa, temporary employment numbers have risen from 2.6 million to 3.9 million in the past decade. Hong Kong, according to the Legislative Council Secretariat report, from 1999 to 2015, has seen its flexible workforce increase by 40%. There is no mistaking the trend being demonstrated all over the world.

• Freelancing • Self-employment • Contracting • Side hustles • Online selling • Private tutoring • Uber driving That list is not exhaustive, but it shows how much of the world’s economy is now being driven by gig work and freelancing specialists.

For many people, earning one income is not enough to sustain a household, so individuals are turning to gig work as a supplementary income. For others, having a portfolio of clients is more reliable than a single employer.

There is also the opportunity to have more control over work-life balance.

New times, new labels The term ‘gig economy’ is not preferred by those partaking in it. A recent study by Upwork showed that the term was only preferred by 10% of those surveyed. The most popular titles were ‘freelance economy’ (49%) and ‘on-demand economy’ (25%).

Recently, the terms ‘contingent worker’ and ‘contingent workforce’ have become more common. Regardless of title, these freelancers and on-demand workers contribute more

HR FEATURES

to the economy than ever before.

To cater to this new trend, more companies are now offering flexible working arrangements or reaching out to freelancers rather than hire a full-time employee.

Chandrika Pasricha, CEO, Flexing IT, explained the increase in demand for freelancers, “They may need specific skills, which they do not need all the time.

So, companies are hiring strategists and consultants for short durations.”

Companies are hiring strategists and consultants for short durations Certain types of jobs are better than others for gig-work and the list is growing. The prevalence of IT in all industries makes remote working and freelancing much easier than in the past. Online shopping has increased the demand for drivers.

Smartphone usage has increased the demand for software developers. Global interaction is increasing the need for translators and language teachers. The list goes on. Almost all types of work are becoming appropriate for freelancing, remote-working, flexible hours and the on-demand economy.

HR as driver of change In terms of HR management, organisations can not stop this trend so therefore need to embrace it. If ‘Workplace A’ does not offer flexible hours or make use of freelance workers, then ‘Workplace B’ will take advantage. It is surely a better play to offer workers the chance to work more flexibly instead of losing them entirely to the gig working market. As old skills evolve and new skills emerge, even companies that have had great successful with traditional staffing methods are getting in on the act. Stephane Kasriel, CEO, Upwork, said, “Not only does research show that the independent workforce is growing, but we’re also seeing an increase in the large-scale use of freelance talent by Fortune 500 companies.” Upwork also produced statistics to show that the twenty fastest-growing freelance skills had experienced more than 120% year-on-year growth.

We’re also seeing an increase in the large-scale use of freelance talent

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HR FEATURES

The problem for HR is not whether to make use of a contingent workforce. That decision has already been made by the talent marketplace.

What was once a job for life may now just be a job for a day. The problem today is that there are a new set of challenges, especially in terms of integrating gig-workers into the workforce.

It is increasingly important not to see these workers as a ‘good’ or a ‘service’. They should be viewed as integral team members. It is HR’s responsibility to align and integrate their strategies to accommodate traditional and contingent workers more seamlessly. Ernst & Young, in a recent report on flexible working, reported that 55% of contingent workers did not receive any kind of onboarding, whilst some form of training was received by only 48%.

Price of failure, reward for success A lack of engagement with the contingent workforce can lead to legal problems, such

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as breaches of compliance and employment law. These are serious issues but ones that can be dealt with in a way that does not damage the company culture or the emotions of its staff. On a human level, an organisation that does not embrace its temporary staff can lead to other, less easily solvable, problems.

Last year, 40% of gig workers surveyed reported feeling like outsiders compared to permanent workers. If companies thought staff turnover was high under the old model, it is going to feel like an avalanche when contingent workers begin to see competing companies placing greater care and value on them. The importance of working together, changing the culture and aligning the business to all its workers cannot be understated. The workers have spoken. It is time to embrace them.

Industrial Revolution 4.0 is here and success will not come to those left behind.

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How to level-up managers Interview with Vlatka Hlupic, Professor of Leadership and Organizational Transformation, Hult Ashridge Executive Education and CEO of The Management Shift Consulting Ltd. Vlatka Hlupic, an award-winning thought leader and author, was a computer scientist who became a behavioural scientist. After studying many different disciplines, from computer science and economics to behavioural science and organisational development, she connected the dots among different disciplines and created ‘The Management Shift’ approach. This is known as the ‘HOW’ of the big shift from old ways of working based on command and control to new ways of

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working focused on people, purpose and collaboration.

Traditional ways of working that include standardisation, specialisation and hierarchical command and control worked well during the first industrial revolution, where productivity and efficiency were key to a successful business. Hlupic however, noted that in modern organisations this approach is very detrimental for performance, innovation and engagement.

In the light of this, there is a need for companies to become more humanised.

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Technology and Fourth Industrial Revolution In the midst of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, technolog y is changing the way the workforce and individuals operate. According to Hlupic, the result of this onset is twofold; on the one hand, interconnectivity between digital, biological and physical systems is increasing, but at the same time, we feel a growing need to reclaim our humanity.

For example, there is a growing desire for diversity, healthier workplaces and a healthier planet, social justice and so on.

We need to create workplaces that are diverse in terms of age, nationality, culture, gender and experience, and embrace the expectations of younger generations. She says, “The younger generation of workers want purpose, development and feedback and they don’t want to be micromanaged.

We need to adjust our management and leadership styles and organisation culture to attract and attain young talent.”

We need to adjust our management and leadership styles and organisation culture to attract and attain young talent Current trends in technolog y, including AI, big data, machine learning and mobile applications have an influence on the way we work and live, and these technologies should be used to make our lives easier.

Hlupic expressed, “Technolog y needs to serve us, not the other way around.

Technolog y is about making our lives better and more productive, and that’s how it should be.” Thanks to technolog y, flexible and remote working is now far easier, and AI can assist individuals with juggling projects, assignments, jobs and careers. Also, data analytics allow companies to learn a great deal about consumer preferences, thus making their jobs easier. Mobile apps are also very useful

to assist individuals with work, health and well-being as well as social activities.

Changing management trends With the ongoing changes to the workforce, companies should also embrace changes to management styles. Company awareness of the need to go through a management shift allows for positive changes to occur in an individual mindset and organisational culture. Hlupic’s ‘The Management Shift’ framework identifies the five levels of an individual mindset and corresponding organisational culture as:

Lifeless mindset

Organisations should aim to move their culture towards Level 4 and occasionally 5. According to Hlupic, once workplace culture reaches these higher levels, it is easier to bounce back if the culture slips to a lower level. At levels 4 and 5, inspired and engaged employees with a passion for work are a norm. Inspiring managers help their teams to find their purpose. They are nurturing, trusting, compassionate and caring. They view their team members as humans, not only as providers of numbers on a spreadsheet. They help individuals create ideas, grow and develop. They remember that people are the sources of value creation; they trust individuals to do their jobs without micromanaging.

apathetic culture, where not much gets done and the culture is detrimental to mental health, with fear, blame and sadness being present.

Reluctant mindset stagnant culture, where individuals do the minimum they can get away with. They work only for the paycheque, and their minds, hearts and dreams are elsewhere.

Controlled mindset orderly culture, where employees are micromanaged. This is the traditional management style with low engagement, performance and innovation, and a low passion for work.

Enthusiastic mindset collaborative culture, with trust and transparency.

Teams work in collaboration, have fun and enjoy giving back to the society.

Organisations have increased performance, engagement and profit.

Limitless mindset unbounded culture, where employees have a desire to solve big problems for humanity and work tirelessly to achieve that.

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HR FEATURES

Consequences of bad management Hlupic asserted that traditional managers are those who operate at Levels 1, 2 and / or 3. Work-related stress often emerges as a consequence of behaviours at those lower levels. Companies operating at those levels are unable to consistently attract and retain talent.

As talent is the backbone of any company, organisations operating at these levels will likely be impacted financially. On the other hand, organisations that nurture employees have improving performance indicators that reflect this.

Implementing a Level 4 culture will improve management quality and benefit both individuals and companies. HR teams can implement changes such as mentoring schemes and embracing a culture of trust and transparency, making employees feel comfortable to speak the truth in uncomfortable situations, investing in health and well-being, and providing training and development.

The benefits from an individual who has completed the ‘individual shift’ programme created by Hlupic are immediately noticeable: they move towards level 4 leadership. Their actions focus on inspiring, motivating and engaging others. When individuals are more engaged, more passionate and more motivated, they will be more creative, and there will be more company profit. She explained, “When we are surrounded by the lower levels of management (Levels 1 to 3), the atmosphere will be negative and draining.

Conversely, when we are surrounded by higher-level managers (Levels 4 to 5), the atmosphere is positive and energising.”

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Managers and leaders Peter Drucker said, “Managers do things right; leaders do the right thing.” Leaders work on a strategic level; managers work at an operational level. Neither managers nor leaders, however, should micromanage. In a Level 4 company, leaders emerge based on their knowledge of a situation, project or client.

Managers do things right; leaders do the right thing

Although implementing a management shift is easier for a smaller organisation, big shifts are also possible in larger companies.

Hlupic recommends corporations to begin by adjusting one division initially, and later spread these changes across the company as a whole.

The importance of adapting business models to accommodate flexible, diverse and contingent workers cannot be overlooked. “Organisational culture is

key,” stated Hlupic, “trust, transparency, purpose, collaboration, caring culture with inclusivity and diversity – these are some of the important factors for creating high performing organisations.” Workplaces where individuals feel included, valued, nurtured, supported, and feel that they are being heard and are able to make a difference, will achieve sustainable results.

In short, managers and leaders with Level 4/5 mindset will foster creation of productive and engaged teams, which will lead to a more successful business.

Organisational culture is key

HR FEATURES

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HR FEATURES

Implementing technology Hong Kong’s struggle In the current era of adapting to smart city technologies that are having a profound impact on the workplace and dynamics, Hong Kong is in the race. Business leaders in the city, however, are finding the training and hiring process of staff to implement new technologies considerably more difficult than in other global cities. In 2019, 6,075 business leaders were surveyed by Robert Half, across 13 countries including Australia, Singapore, France, New Zealand, the United Arab Emirates and the UK. Around eight in ten employers (78%) have predicted a significant challenge to train staff in new technologies. In Hong Kong, however, this figure is far higher at 90% of managers who are concerned and predict challenges to upskill technology and adapt to its use. The regional figure for APAC is 88%.

Elaine Lam, Associate Director, Robert Half Hong Kong, pointed out,“The workplace dynamic is shifting towards more technologyenabled future. In order to stay competitive, companies are under increasing pressure to

The workplace dynamic is shifting towards more technology-enabled future

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source, recruit and nurture talent that can quickly adapt to new technology and drive organisational change.” She added,“To survive, employees must be agile and responsive to new technologies for businesses to be capable of taking advantage of its benefits.”

Hong Kong’s ranking in professional development opportunities for employees to learn about new technologies is disappointingly low. The city is ranked as one of the least productive globally, with just over three in five companies having increased their training budgets for staff (61%), as opposed to 64% of global employers and 65% of companies across APAC. Despite these numbers however, Hong Kong employers who are embracing training are doing so in a wide range of ways including in-person training—seminars and courses (48%), mentoring programmes (38%), online courses (36%) and transfer of knowledge from subject matter experts such as contractors to staff (29%).

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Another concern of hirers is the difficulty of recruiting talent with the needed skills in technology. While the global average of companies who share this concern is 71%, this figure is higher for Hong Kong leaders at 77%. To address the issue of onboarding talent, flexible working options are being embraced by hirers in Hong Kong, including upskilling of existing employees by interim or contract workers. Indeed, 72% of employers in Hong Kong are embracing this, which is above the global average of 69%.

Employees must be agile and responsive to new technologies

The key to embracing technology and being able to move forward in the digital age is for companies to remain flexible, not only in their business approach but also in their solutions for staff and training. Lam explained, “In tandem with a robust professional development programme, flexible staffing can support company goals to build the skilled workforce needed to maximise opportunities offered by evolving technologies.� Company flexibility also includes openness to changing processes, incorporating systems to embrace digital technologies and promoting ways of learning about these new technologies. Failure for any company to embrace these new processes may result in the business being left behind.

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HR FEATURES

Hong Kong’s turbulent summer Since the controversial extradition bill was introduced, Hong Kong has been in turmoil. Since June, the level of unrest in the city has escalated with no end in sight. The bill was finally withdrawn in September, yet protesters have continued to take action in the city, citing five demands that must be met.

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HR FEATURES

What are the demands?

1.

2.

3.

4.

complete withdrawal of the extradition bill; an investigation into alleged police brutality and misconduct: the release of arrested protesters and a complete retraction of the official characterisation of the protests as “riots”; and Chief Executive Carrie Lam’s resignation along with the introduction of universal suffrage for election of the Legislative Council and the Chief Executive.

It has long been clear that meeting all five of these demands is almost impossible, without flexibility on the side of the protesters. The government has already dropped the extradition bill and offered to have talks with protest leaders, but the current position of those in the protester’s camp has remained clear, saying, “Five demands, not one less.” This meant the protests continued into late November.

Zhang Xiaoming, one of the most senior Chinese officials overseeing Hong Kong affairs, said during a meeting in Shenzhen, “Hong Kong’s crisis ... has continued for 60 days, and is getting worse and worse.” He added that it was Hong Kong’s worst political crisis since the handover in 1997, explaining, “Violent activities are intensifying and the impact on society is spreading wider. It can be said that Hong Kong is now facing the most severe situation since its handover.”

For businesses in the city, the implications have been dire. Big businesses, seen to have ties to mainland China or pro-police principles, have been consistently targeted.

Banks have been smashed, the MTR regularly vandalised and even outlets like Starbucks are being damaged on a daily basis. The effect on staff across the territory is tangible.

Reduction in work, unpaid leave, job losses and mental-health damage are all increasing.

Hong Kong is now in recession. Two thirds of CPA Australia members surveyed believe that this shrinking economy will continue into 2020.

A year ago, only 4% foresaw a recession. Airlines are cutting capacity or removing flights completely.

The hospitality industry has been shrinking for months with hotels cutting staff through lack of tourism. The situation is extremely delicate for the workforce in Hong Kong, relying on incoming tourists and visitors to support the economy.

For HR departments, there has also been the added pressure of legal clarification, staff safety and overall welfare. HR professionals and supervisors have raised many questions, including: 1.

2.

3.

4.

How to respond to workers who attend a protest during work hours with or without permission from a supervisor?

How to handle requests to use paid time off to participate in a protest?

What to do when a worker is arrested during a protest?

What to do when an employee is shown on social media or news reports committing a crime?

These issues are ongoing and the situation is worsening with many workers in Hong Kong now suffering from financial worries, transport difficulties, psychological effects and uncertainty about their future careers.

Wilfred K.P. Wong, Founder, Resolutions, located in Hong Kong, and a former president of the Hong Kong Institute of Human Resource Management explained that employers want employee morale, teamwork and productivity to remain high, but that won’t happen if employees are angry at each other over political differences. He said, “HR should remind employees, regardless of what political stance they have had, to remain apolitical in the workplace.”

With collective unity, compromise and rational discussion Hong Kong will come through this very difficult situation and thrive once more.

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HR COMMUNITY Powered by

SHIFT HAPPENS! and in HR it happens fast, so get ready

HEIDI SPIRGI Chief Marketing & Strategy Officer Cornerstone OnDemand Topic | What is different today?

Simply everything 38 | HR MAGAZINE

Heidi Spirgi, Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer, Cornerstone OnDemand Spirgi told us, “I like to see what’s around the bend. New experiences and knowledge are important to me.” After working in HR and talent industries for over 20 years, she has seen a lot of repetition and stagnation in HR practices. Then she saw innovation, a shift began to occur and she realised, “We’ve gotten this all wrong. We’ve been serving our needs. We need to take a fresh look at serving employee needs.”

Looking back, Spirgi summed up the history of HR, explaining in detail how teams came from the 90s to the noughties era of automating previously manual services: bringing services online and driving efficiency. HR started thinking about managing the supply of talent. Today, Spirgi believes, is the talent experience era.

It is still important to manage old processes.

These have not suddenly gone away, but we need to do it with a focus on the experience at work and serve people differently.

Spirgi stressed that it is now time to treat people as humans at work and rebuild talent management. Adam Miller, CEO, Cornerstone OnDemand, brought her in to help navigate this shift from talent management to talent experience.

Spirgi explained, “Times have changed and there is something unique about today. This is now the new normal.”

Looking at the current HR climate, Spirgi claimed, “Everything about the workplace is being disrupted. Companies are in crisis, suffering from skills gaps, talent shortages and global uncertainty.

Even companies that have been around for 100 years are finding themselves unable to compete in a changing world.” Companies used to be able to leverage recruiters to find talent to fill the skills gap.

We need to take a fresh look at serving employee needs

HR COMMUNITY Now, the global situation feels uncertain.

Employees, too, are experiencing record levels of stress and burnout. Spirgi agreed that, “Anxiety is rising. The pace of technology has accelerated and people feel unable to keep up.”

We transformed technology, but we left the people behind As an industry, Spirgi feels that HR has historically underserved the need of individuals. Workplace technology, Spirgi said, “Can improve people’s ability to execute, pivot and be productive. In some ways, workplace technology has made our lives more complicated.” Therefore, technology alone is not the answer.

She continued, “We need to re-tool the

SHO DEWAN Global Talent Development Lead Lalamove Topic | Developing Millennial leaders

workforce. We transformed technology, but we left the people behind.”

Providing some statistics, Spirgi demonstrated that 99% of companies say they are taking action on this skills divide. However, 70% don’t believe that they can change at speed.

Locally, 79% of jobs in Hong Kong will be transformed in the next three years. These changes, she said, “Will occur in three ways: Outsourcing, upskilling, or simply becoming obsolete.” To combat this, Spirgi elaborated, “There is a need to educate the general populace to provide work-ready individuals.

The responsibility to retrain and reskill has shifted to corporations.”

crave growth and meaning. People crave purpose and empowerment.” She laid out a new focus on unlocking peoples’ potential in three ways: 1.

2.

3.

New skilling (not ‘reskilling’). Preparing for the future with new skills, not a ‘repackage’.

Organisational adaptiveness. Agility requires tech that develops skills rapidly and ‘just in time’.

Changing the expectations at work and reducing stress.

Looking to the future, Spirgi identified that the way people are learning, and their expectations, are changing. She explained, “What we did before will not take us into the future. People

These goals are the path to a successful future, according to Spirgi, “We can achieve these goals with talent management and talent experience.

The processes and tools that help organisations unify and manage the talent, talent mobility, leadership pipeline and fuel the business. In conclusion, Spirgi was optimistic, exclaiming, “People can achieve anything when they have the right development and opportunities.”

Sho Dewan, Global Talent Development Lead, Lalamove.

Dewan highlighted the need for more Millennials in the workforce in senior roles. By conducting a quick survey of the delegates, he demonstrated that only one or two people could consider themselves Millennials amongst a room full of senior leaders.

He continued to explain that happiness leads to profit and more engaged staff. Posing the question, ‘what do Millennials want?’ Dewan provided statistics to show that Millennials, like most people, are driven by financial rewards (63%). However, 52% need a positive workplace culture and 48% expect learning opportunities in order to be happy in their roles.

Building on the statistics, Dewan elaborated,

Dewan introduced the Millennial topic by running a quick exercise with the group.

Utilising an online platform, everyone took part in a survey asking about what drives Millennials. Dewan took the results and elaborated upon why Millennials need to be developed.

Culture and learning need to be fused together

Dewan noted, “In my company, the average age of talent is only 28 years old. As a Millennial, my ongoing ‘why’ is to find happiness at work.”

“Culture and learning need to be fused together. It needs to be continuous and systematic. Millennials love learning.” He also admitted that some stereotypes about Millennials are often true. He explained, “They sometimes lack soft skills, so it is

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HR COMMUNITY necessary to engage them with practical activities and training, making use of both internal and external speakers. Vary the inputs, keep it fresh, so it is not just the same trainer every time.”

Leadership training programmes need to be ongoing It is important, Dewan believes, that “Leadership training programmes need to be ongoing, not a one off.” This can

improve morale, productivity and lower staff attrition rates. To prove his point, Dewan revealed, “Lalamove’s staff attrition is only 5%.” According to him, all factors of good engagement and remuneration combine to engage and retain staff, but especially ongoing training.

Key tips for L&D programmes 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Keep content fresh Bring Millennials into events and HR teams Get feedback from your staff Learning needs to be fun Cultivate a culture of learning, not one-offs

Roundtable discussions 1.

How do you currently manage employee engagement in your organisation?­—What’s working? What isn’t? Why? • •

•

Delegates take part in roundtable discussion

2.

What are the biggest skills gaps that your organisation faces?

• • • •

3.

•

•

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Technology savviness Leadership skills Communication Collaboration (soft skills)

How do you plan to fill them?

•

David Hogg, HR Director, Pizza Express, shares his ideas

Mentoring and reverse mentoring.

Make better use of intergenerational workplace relationships.

Place greater focus on staff well-being, engagement surveys and use of technology to develop an ongoing assessment of staff wellness.

This provides data for further decisions on engagement and mental health policies.

Better align staff with organisational culture Ensure training equips staff with transferable skills than can be used in the workplace Varied training, ongoing development and technology implementation are some of the answers.

There is no perfect solution.

It is clear that HR is keeping a close eye on the future and most seem to agree that technology will play a massive role in facilitating this.

However, this technology shift needs to be carefully and strategically implemented.

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HR COMMUNITY

4TH HR LEADERS ASIA 2019 Hosted by Rockbird Media & media partnered by HR Magazine

Getting HR future-ready Low Peck Kem, CHRO & Senior Development Singapore, Public Service Division, Prime Minister’s Office kicked the event off with the opening keynote.

She shared the changing HR trends across industries and on the importance of HR being future-ready. She noted, “Technology in HR is here to stay and we, as key enablers, need to embrace technology. HR trends are completely changing the way we work.”

Productive longevity Kem noted the recent shift in typical workforce lifecycles. The traditional model used to be: • 20 years in education with front-loading of information; • 40 years of work and contribution; and • 20 years of retirement.

She noted that in today’s world, however, the new model would most likely add 20 more years of working contributions—which significantly impacts and delays the usual age of retirement. Kem said, “People are working much longer than before, and HR needs to adapt to this accordingly.”

Kem referenced the situation in Singapore as being very typical, where one in three in the workforce are foreign talent and there are four generations working side by side in what is a very multicultural workforce.

She said, “We need to create an inclusive workforce and workspace that can meet their diverse needs and demands.” She added, “We need to design people policies around

42 | HR MAGAZINE

different people’s stages in life. For example, HR can help young parents design working arrangements so that they can telecommute.

It is also important for HR to design sabbatical leave so that parents who take time off to look after children, or indeed their own mental wellbeing, still have the security of a job when they return. These challenges require a new breed of HR leaders with productive longevity.”

networks and better managing transitions during change. Kem noted, “We need to leverage technology as an enabler to support business needs and our workforce to enable them to work better and faster. We must use effective workforce planning to identify workforce gaps and place greater focus on a culture of employee engagement.”

Technology as an enabler How should HR best ensure that the 20 years of extra work that workers will be doing are productive ones? HR can help talent achieve greater productive longevity via up-skilling, building new

As the age of retirement is on the increase globally, so too the composition of the workforce is going to change to reflect this.

Kem quipped, “60s are the new 40s! We need to tap into this new talent pool and leverage them. HR’s role must change with it.”

Technology in HR is here to stay and we, as key enablers, need to embrace technology

HR COMMUNITY Shift in HR dynamics This shift has already well and truly begun, and the role of HR is changing along with the workforce.

TRADITIONAL HR ROLES • • • •

Trusted advisor Delivery champion Engagement architect Culture evangelist

NEW HR ROLES • Experience designer—a critical role today, e.g. Chief Experience Officer • Data scientist • Organisation engineer • Ecosystem curator • Digital pioneer

Successful HR professionals have had to become much more innovative and pioneering than their predecessors in order to not just keep pace with but to lead the way in what have become some of the fastest-changing workplaces ever witnessed. A large part of this journey has meant leveraging technology. With Smart Cities on the rise, an increasing number of forward-thinking organisations are also creating better workplace experiences with technology. For example, HR is starting to adopt VR technology to help onboard and train staff as well as facilitating better experiences to clients.

directly to the client and serve them based on their precise location in the store and knowing about their interests—from what they had been browsing in-store while waiting.”

Avoid digital lipstick Kem noted that to be successful in HR requires being creative in terms of sourcing and selecting talent, and then in managing and planning your workforce. She said, “HR does not need to reinvent the wheel, but to do it well you need to know what technology is available in the market to help you such as AI recruiting tools, chatbots to help screen for key skills and so on. It’s important to be proactive in hiring, but it does not need to be expensive.”

In terms of AI, adoption is on the increase across the board. Kem shared a couple of examples, “DBS Banks’ Jobs Intelligence Maestro is helping with recruitment Kem concluded, using predictive “It’s vital to take Avoid using ‘digital lipstick’ account of the indexes to help to make things look good determine how HR tech lifecycle effective candidates when considering on the surface, as effective will be at performing transitioning from transitions mean going future roles. Singtel’s traditional HR digital right to the core crowd analytics helps practices. Be very monitor the footfall careful when you is in their shops to make real-time adjustments say, ‘We’re going digital’— don’t just go digital to the manpower required. Moreover, the use for the sake of it. Avoid using ‘digital lipstick’ to of phone apps for queuing not only makes life make things look good on the surface, as effective easier for clients but also empowers staff to come transitions mean going digital right to the core.”

Embracing digitalisation In one of the numerous interactive breakout roundtables of the day, Steven Yong, CAO, HSBC Bank explained the bank’s increasing use of technology and how this was empowering HR with technological tools, innovations and analytics. According to Yong, “Digitalisation is vital because as HR architects, we need to know where we want to be and how we want to achieve our goals.

Therefore, choosing the most appropriate technological tools is crucial. HR also needs to select people with the right capabilities and capacities, as well as an experience beyond simple people skills.”

During the discussion, several challenges became apparent that exist for HR trying to guide their organisation along the path of digitalisation. One challenge was in terms of peoples’ willingness to learn new things—when transferring skillsets; this can often require repeated coaching over time to help change people’s mindset. The whole process of change often also adds tension to workforce planning. A further challenge came with transitioning very multi-generational teams, which may require different approaches in terms of empowering them to embrace digitalisation.

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HR COMMUNITY So, amidst these challenges, how can HR best help drive the adoption of HR tech? One method is to reduce the number of filters for staff to choose from in software applications. Too many choices can be overwhelming and simply serve to create analysis paralysis. Instead, it is much better to focus on the five most important filters in software systems. HR should select software packages that are intuitive—good software should not require any training for people to know how to use it. Additionally, HR can make use of key influencers in the organisation to help spread positive feedback about new IT systems and software, who can form one of the best ways to drive adoption.

Tech does not have to be HR-tech It is said that the HR lifecycle is like a client acquisition model, so there are many tools out there to help solve problems. They do not necessarily need to be HR-focused. Blockchain technology and decentralisation are key software functions, as they empower line managers to update job descriptions more fluidly and employees can self-update these skill sets as and when required. If a manager needs to look for talent, they can go into a SharePoint where the whole company is unified on a platform and look for suitable people. Everyone should be able to access staff listings—this does not need to, and should not be, limited to HR. Delegates were given an overview of ‘datathe Bank has faced and overcome. Dass driven organisation and the importance of noted, “Currently, people are having much conducting scenario longer career planning to effect spans, with high Everyone should be able to meaningful change. burnout rates. access staff listings—this Workforce planning It’s therefore doesn’t need to, and should important for HR is not possible not be, limited to HR without systems to be open-minded focused on purpose and not build any and outcome, and so HR was advised negative stereotypes about Millennials. HR to look for tech tools that facilitate such should also work with line managers to help workforce scenario planning. reduce the pressure they are under. The day Agility has long been a buzzword in HR. Being more agile, and it is critical to determine if information that HR puts out really does help the business. If it does not help the business, other than regulatory compliance, HR is advised to ensure they know exactly why they are collecting and analysing data. On the subject of HR agility, Charu Malik Dass, VP–Talent Acquisition, Global HR, Bank of America spoke to delegates about a few of the challenges that

44 | HR MAGAZINE

of a one-size-fits-all approach is long gone, and flexibility is key.”

The day ended with a roundup of sharing from the panel, which was chaired by Angelina Chua, First VP, Group Head of HR, Yeo Hiap Seng Limited and included Steven Yong, CAO, HR Asia Pacific, HSBC; Noemi Szalacsi, head of Talent Operations APAC, LEGO; Tina Sharma, Senior VP & head HR, state Bank of India, Singapore; and Suresh Rai, VP HR, SE Asia & Australia, Unilever.

KEY TAKEAWAYS FOR HR SUCCESS • Be open-minded • Get into the shoes of the business • Be human—remember everyone has emotions • Consider the ROI • Look at environment and listen to people • Find out your USPs and leverage them to attract talent • Consider outsourcing— especially within a small company • Start with a pilot scheme before fully implementing any major change • Remember that it is OK to fail sometimes—learn from it

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HR COMMUNITY

LIVE WELL, SELL WELL How to stay mentally healthy in the modern world of work Hongkongers mental health has deteriorated to its lowest level in years. That is according to the Chinese University of Hong Kong, who scored local people’s mental health at an index score of 46—which is below the minimum acceptable index of 52. Things are bleak in the region for many workers these days.

46 | HR MAGAZINE

HR COMMUNITY

HR Magazine recently caught up with one of Hong Kong’s up-and-coming entrepreneurs.

He is a teenager, yet has already worked with many organisations to spread the word that mental wellbeing, success and hard work are not mutually exclusive. We asked him about his experiences as a member of Generation Z in Hong Kong and the struggles of getting a foothold in the working world.

Karl Lam, Founder, Live Well, Sell Well, is still a student but has positioned himself as a media and social impact entrepreneur.

He has worked with many organisations, both local and international, in media work and digital marketing. The Gen Z market is growing, and companies need fresh ideas from young talent in order to effectively reach this market. Karl helps companies to do this but has also started a movement all his own.

As the founder of ‘Live Well, Sell Well,’ Lam tries to blend advocacy for mental health (Live Well) with teaching marketing skills. The aim, he says, is to empower local communities of women and entrepreneurs. He has recognised the importance of people being able to sell themselves by letting audiences know about the skills and ideas they are proud of (Sell Well). In order to do this, Karl regularly engages in live workshops, public speaking and appearances in the media.

When asked about his interest in mental health, Lam was quick to point out some of Hong Kong’s failings. He believes that the region still stigmatises personal failures and mental struggles more than many other social issues.

As part of a generation facing those issues, he finds it disheartening to still see young people afraid to talk about—or get help for— conditions such as depression, anxiety and eating disorders. Disorders that wreak havoc on young people’s lives, yet society in Hong Kong has not caught up with many other parts of the world in reducing the stigma.

Gen Z, in particular, has a willingness to explore, innovate and create. Unfortunately, Lam thinks that older generations sometimes take this the wrong way and are resistant to younger people.

Nevertheless, if people take the initiative and prove themselves through their work ethic, they can break down those barriers. Lam` said, “It’s hard for any young person to be taken seriously or given valuable professional opportunities— especially if they’re doing it on their own, without family connections. That’s why it’s important to look in the right places: agencies, small businesses and startups are usually great places to approach.”

hustle’. Dealing with school is tough for teenagers in Hong Kong, but a side job can be both eye-opening and empowering. He also recommends reaching out to as many sources as possible: PR agencies, thought leaders on LinkedIn or startups in your area, and start asking for freelance work. The opportunities are out there if you network hard enough.

From an HR perspective, organisations need to work much harder to engage with the younger generation. They are the population providing the next wave of talent and leaders. Changing the workplace culture to accommodate what Gen Z wants to see will provide companies with a pipeline of talent for the future.

Recruitment and retention are only successful in the long-term when their talent is connected.

To this end, only those organisations who appreciate the diversity in today’s students and young workers will get the best from them.

As someone from Gen Z, who is gaining success through his own hard work, Karl has some advice for other young people who hope to do the same. First, find your ‘side

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HR COMMUNITY

2019 GENDER EQUITY CONFERENCE MAKING YOUR INITIATIVES COUNT The first gender equity conference, presented by FLEXImums, was held in 2016. After three successful consecutive events, this year’s theme at their 24 October focused on ‘making your initiatives count’.

A number of excellent speakers shared their companies’ initiatives at creating a more inclusive workplace. The overriding takeaway this year was the importance of flexible working arrangements, and all speakers had a lot to share on this subject.

Olivia Wong, Head of Diversity & Inclusion Development, John Swire & Sons kicked things off with an opening address. She talked about the importance of working hard to create a balanced workforce but signed off by saying, “Hopefully, in five years, my role will not be required. Organisations will realise that diversity and inclusion is simply a part of doing business.”

Following Wong’s introduction, we heard from Matt Lyon, Partner at Arcadia Consulting.

His focus was on the importance of culture to creating a gender equal workplace. He explained that part of the problem today is that company cultures are stagnant. According to Lyon, “Companies are just going through the motions, working in repetitive ways that a monkey could perform.” He asked, “What are the current ‘monkey behaviours you Hopefully, in five are looking to change?” Explaining this years, my role will not be further, he explained that every organisation required. Organisations will realise is set up perfectly for the way it currently that diversity and inclusion is simply works, but not for the way it should. part of doing business Thinking smarter and scientifically, he explained, “Neuroscience, psychology and anthropology can give use some of the answers. It’s easier to build a command control culture; a culture of fear and force. To build a more inclusive culture, there need to be some key leadership steps and visibility in place.” In essence, he went on to explain, “Plan for the culture you want, not the one you have. Encourage staff to build new habits and to label their feelings. Reward and celebrate success.” We need to do things differently. The status quo is not working.

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a

HR COMMUNITY

Following Lyon was Michelle Fung, Consultant and Co-chair, Flexible and Agile Working Committee, Women in Law Hong Kong (WILHK) who spoke at length about making the case for flexible and agile working. Looking at the statistics on women in the workforce, she stated, “It is clear that the imbalance has not been addressed in the way that we would have hoped by now.” How do we address the imbalance? Her organisation, WILHK, conducted a survey showing that 75% of UK headquartered organisations in HK have flexible working policies.

However, only 29% of Hong Kong headquartered organisations have such a policy. The statistics clearly demonstrate a cultural and societal problem. She said, “Agile working is something that arises quite naturally.

It’s a way of getting work done with maximum flexibility. Hong Kong suffers from a lack of managerial support and unconscious biases. This needs to change.”

Following the individual speakers, a panel convened to discuss ‘how company policy and values are embodied by their people’. Making up the panel were Joanna Caen, Partner and Head of Private Wealth, China, Herbert Smith Freehills, Mike Fang, Managing Director, Head of Greater China Cluster & Head of APAC & NTS, Maersk (China) Shipping Co. & Damo Freight Forwarding, Nikki Davies, Campus Recruitment, Diversity & Inclusion APAC, Credit Suisse and Tom Owen, Director People, Cathay Pacific, Moderating the discussion was Anna Simpson, Director and Chief Innovation Coach, Flux Compass & Curator, The Futures Centre.

The panel discussed and unpacked the themes of company culture and hiring the right staff for your companies’ culture whilst also making sure that recruitment was fair and inclusive. This often involved a change in company culture to create a more diverse workplace, again focusing on flexible working.

Hong Kong suffers from a lack of managerial support and unconscious biases

The next speaker, talking about how to ‘Amplify your D&I strategy with psychological assessment’ was Henry Chamberlain, Managing Director, HCC Global Limited. He has looked into the focus of assessments, and identified, “There are two main measures: ‘lead measures’ (forward looking predictors of potential) and ‘lag measures’ (reporting perceived

effectiveness of behaviour after the fact).” He also explored the benefits of psychological assessments from an organisational perspective and individual perspective. He explained, “These tools can be utilised by organisations to identify and select talent more fairly and objectively.”

Once talent is identified, Chamberlain explained, “Both individuals and organisations benefit by the ability to create individualised development plans based on the unique strength and development needs of each talent.”

Therefore, the onus is on both parties to work together.

These tools can be utilised by organisations to identify and select talent more fairly and objectively

A second panel convened to discuss ‘meaningful metrics of HR and inclusion’. This panel consisted of Chinatsu Kaneko, Head of Workplace Strategy, North Asia, CBRE, Madeleine Price, Regional Head of Talent, Succession Planning and Diversity Inclusion, Manulife, Maria Hui, Director, Marketing and Operations (M&O), Microsoft, and Varshaa Ram Kutik, Head of Diversity and Inclusion for Asia Pacific, Bank of America Merrill Lynch. This time, the moderator was Katherine Payne, CEO, Black Isle Global. The focus of this discussion was around statistics and how to use them. The key is making the way we gather data as useful as possible as opposed to just gathering data for the sake of it.

To finish off the day, Darryl Parrant, Country Business Leader, Careers Regional Practice Leader, HR Transformation, APAC & IMETA and Nicole Luk, Associate Director, Organisational Design, Engagement and Talent Assessment Lead, Mercer (Hong Kong) spoke together about ‘building an inclusive culture through the employee experience journey’. They ran a workshop with the delegates where Parrant explained, “Creating an inclusive culture in the company is key to a gender equal organisation.” Luk introduced activities for the delegates that she hoped, “Identified key touch points of an employee experience that participants could use in the workplace to build a sustainable ecosystem.”

Overall, the core message from today was creating a culture of ‘agile working’, and the drive to educate organisations into allowing their talent to work smarter and more flexibly. If women, especially, feel able and empowered to ask for more flexible working arrangements, this will lead to greater engagement. Those companies who are not agile or flexible with their talent will lose them to those that are.

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HR COMMUNITY

Embracing recruitment challenges in IT ISAAC SHAO, CEO Jobs DB Hong Kong Limited

MIMI NG, Sales Director Jobs DB Hong Kong Limited

Hong Kong is living in a smart city era, with an increased reliance on the use of IT and technology.

Those who fail to embrace these technologies are being left behind. It is therefore no surprise that the IT industry and roles within IT are in demand. At the recent jobsDB poolside happy hour event, delegates discussed and heard suggestions on how best to attract and retain the best IT talent and young professionals and what this talent is looking for.

Isaac Shao, CEO, Jobs DB Hong Kong Limited, opened by reflecting on how far business has come in the past decade, summarising, “In these ten years, technology has changed our businesses a lot.”

Many technologies that no one anticipated happening or taking flight such as e-commerce have been adopted and companies are actively seeking to deploy technologies that will enable them to support customers and stay competitive. IT is an industry where new skills are constantly emerging and changing, therefore the challenge of recruiting for IT roles and the industry is also very high, particularly recruiting the right talent for the right role. The overall aim of jobsDB’s Laws of Attraction (LOA) is to understand candidates and gain insight into what their interests are in a role and therefore how they can be attracted to an employer.

In these ten years, technology has changed our businesses a lot Daryl Lau, Head of Key Accounts, Jobs DB Hong Kong Limited, introduced information from the LOA study specific to IT roles in various industries and what attracts candidates. The LOA study consisted of 6,000 candidates across industries and 40 key drivers that attract candidates. It is unsurprising that IT is a fast growing sector of over 95,000 employees, or 2.4% of the total labour force.

Growth of the workforce however is slow, accounting for less than 1%. In addition, there have been a greater number of IT vacancies between 2016 and 2018. Most of those working in IT work in software development, operation services, or sales and marketing.

Conversely, the lowest proportions of employees work with databases, security or general management. Of the participants in the study, 1,692 are freelancers.

DARYL LAU, Head of Key Accounts Jobs DB Hong Kong Limited

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Recruiting in IT is difficult in part due to the huge degree of competition, limited numbers of candidates and insufficient positions in support roles. The highest number of vacancies in IT are in software development and support functions, whereas auditing and UI/UX design have the lowest numbers of vacancies. The large number of

HR COMMUNITY

Jobseekers Justin Tang and Aleksei Antonov share what they are looking for in a role with employer panelists YT Tang, Kitty Hardja and Maria Hui

vacancies and increasing competition therefore make it crucial for companies to focus on unique selling points and what differentiates them from other employers based on what candidates seek. The LOA study cited the following as top drivers for IT candidates: • • • • •

Career development Colleagues and co-workers Job security Location of the company Benefits offered

The highest number of IT employees are, interestingly, Generation X; meaning that there are fewer youths entering the IT market.

Expectations of youths may be part of the reason for this, as IT workers seek higher incomes and higher positions and seniority.

When changing jobs, candidates seek a 36.8% salary increase, which is considerably higher than the Hong Kong average of 23.7%.

Hiring candidates is everyone’s challenge Generation Y and Generation Z in particular consider base salary and double pay as a must have when seeking a job. The younger generations differ in what they seek in colleagues, however. Generation Y prefers colleagues who are respectful as opposed to Generation Z who seeks collaborative and positive colleagues.

While a free, respectful and recognition culture is ideal for Generation Y, for the

youngest Generation Z the culture must be free with recognition and positivity.

The panel discussion between potential employers and a candidate provided interesting insights into what young employees are seeking when considering a new role. Maria Hui, Director, Marketing Operations, Microsoft; Kitty Hardja, Head of Human Resources, IBM HK; and YT Tang, IT Project Manager, Pizza Express Hong Kong, spoke with first one, and then two, job seeking candidates to find out what it is that attracts a candidate to a role, and conversely, offered a chance for employers to ask the questions they have always wanted to ask a candidate.

The questions posed to employers focused on company culture, flexibility and unique selling points to differentiate from competitors.

The ultimate decision of the ideal employer was based on the hirers’ answers rather than the prestige. Despite two of the employers working for multinational technology corporations, the choice made by the candidate was for an IT role outside the IT industry. The reason behind the candidate’s decision was that the answers given by the winning employer reflected what Generation Z really wants; for example, being flexible with autonomy, but acknowledging that fresh graduates also need some guidance.

Mimi Ng, Sales Director, Jobs DB Hong Kong Limited, noted that, “There is a lot

of intensive competition between hirers.”

One way to attract the right candidates and differentiate from other employers is through marketing. Marketing can enable the best company to get information to the right candidates. Marketing is important in Hong Kong and also abroad. According to Shao, “Hiring candidates is everyone’s challenge.”

Recruiting candidates from overseas should also be considered; employers should be open to global talent and consider how to have a role appeal to international candidates, such as salary offered, and how best to promote Hong Kong.

Recruiting candidates from overseas should also be considered The IT industry, like all industries, must be aware that candidates are not a one size fits all and companies should be aware of how to have a role appeal to the individual with individualised systems and hiring processes. Candidates cite drivers such as work-life balance, career development and management style, in addition to salary, as important. Considerations such as company’s unique selling points, how candidates can learn and be nurtured during their career, and how to show collaboration and collegiality will also attract more of the top talent. In short, extra effort that is put into the recruitment, onboarding and culture will reap the benefits of not only attracting this talent, but retaining it.

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HR TECHNOLOGY

War of the workplace worlds AI and automation have won the war for future workplace domination.

In 1962, Katherine Johnson, a mere mortal, famously checked the orbital flight calculations made by NASA’s computers manually. Today, we would look upon such a task as foolish, and the job would be entirely computerised.

Human intelligence is increasingly being shifted out of the workplace in the same way that human physical tasks are being taken over by automation. Here is some food for thought: •

The share of jobs requiring AI skills grew by four and a half times in the five years from 2013.

Fear factor Our feelings as a society toward AI are also shifting. According to Trendkite research, the percentage of articles referencing AI in a positive way was less than 10% in 2014 but reached almost 30% just three years later.

People have become less afraid of, and less resistant to, technology in the workplace.

Fears remain that AI adoption will lead to greater wealth and work gaps. According to Mercer, the role of HR must evolve to match increased automation in the workplace.

Human and AI workers will exist together in a labour pool, with HR expected to deploy the best worker for any given job. This will require a nuanced understanding of the power and aptitudes of robots and, perhaps more importantly, their limitations. Deploying human capabilities against the right tasks will become a key skill for HR.

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•

The number of imports • internationally of industrial robots has more than doubled since 2000.

The biggest fear for most workers is not the idea of new technology to work with; it is the fear of being replaced entirely. However, according to Jeetu Patel, Chief Product Officer of technology company Box inc., all is not doom and gloom. Patel said, “AI will replace some jobs, potentially those that are centred around process-oriented repeatable tasks. It will also create new opportunities for people to apply their skills to more value-adding jobs and will ultimately lead to untapped industries. It will take time, and we must have retraining programs to help account for the jobs we will lose. With AI, there are potential new categories of jobs that haven’t existed before.”

Diversity and inclusion We know from research that more diverse teams make better decisions for business and drive better results. That

76% of the tasks done by older workers in China are at risk of automation.

includes cognitive diversity made up of people’s different problem-solving or information-processing styles. The obvious next step is factoring in how AI-powered solutions will affect a team’s cognitive diversity. The robot’s problem-solving style is known, based on the code it runs and the data set it has been trained on.

They are a natural counterweight to the unstructured and variable nature of human decision-making. It is the job of HR to balance these teams effectively.

According to Ingrid Waterfield, Director, People and Performance, KPMG, “Just as biases can be programmed in, they can also be programmed out. AI could be a fantastic tool to augment HR’s functionality and help drive diversity and inclusion strategies.” Waterfield listed three crucial steps that could put D&I at the heart of an organisations AI strategy:

HR TECHNOLOGY

1. Understand how digital labour will affect your business How will digital labour affect the diversity of your existing workforce and the ones you want to attract and retain? Be creative about how data can enhance the ability to attract, develop and engage diverse talent and encourage inclusive behaviour.

Will you need to recruit a different type of person? How will you reach and attract them? AI could analyse the language used in existing job descriptions and the insights gained could help maximise their appeal across different demographic groups.

2. Use AI to better understand your workforce and provide an employee experience that suits their specific needs.

Use AI to estimate an individual’s likelihood of staying. One of Waterfield’s clients had an issue with staff attrition of up to 40% in some areas, so they used data points to predict who was most likely to leave based on behaviour patterns changing over time. By identifying those most at risk of leaving they could act in advance and potentially avoid it happening. This approach had a significant impact on their bottom line.

3. Ensure you are a key stakeholder of your organisation’s AI/digital labour strategy.

Incorporating these technologies into your business is a strateg y decision, so it’s important that HR engages with colleagues across the company to: define biases already inherent in existing activities that digital labour is replacing (e.g. judgement- and skills-oriented); ensure there is consideration (ideally a specific work stream) focusing on adjusting any new digital activities to be free from bias; and use AI to encourage inclusivity that creates innovation and creativity.

Leadership and integration Leaders now need to develop strategies for increased reliance on data, AI and automation in the future. This means preparing today’s environment and employees to embrace working in tandem with AI solutions. Leaders need to start anticipating different future-of-work scenarios, including areas where human productivity and creativity are matched or exceeded by data-driven artificial counterparts. Jeff Hodge, Managing Partner, Boyden United States, acknowledged, “The best leaders are very data-oriented, data-driven. A deep understanding of data analytics will be a foundational skill for every CHRO in the future.” Optimising a team will soon mean designing a powerful combination of creative human minds with structured AI minds, applied to different elements of each job.

A culture of continuous, self-directed learning is required

Training and self-directed learning

Whoever wins, we all win

According to Andi Britt, Vice President, Talent and Transformation, IBM, “A culture of continuous, self-directed learning is required, with employees actively seeking any opportunity to watch, read or attend opportunities for learning.” AI will enable—and in some companies this is already happening—personalised learning programmes that align with the employee’s needs and personal objectives.

Regardless of whether AI becomes a dominant tool in the industry or continues to work in a subservient capacity to human decision makers, the end result is a better recruitment and retention strategy. On that basis, all talent at organisations making use of developing technologies stand to gain as a result of being better understood. By recruiting the right people into the right roles and managing change effectively to prevent attrition, staff could end up happier in their company and potentially stay longer and be more productive. The statistical evidence, and anecdotal feedback from leaders already ahead of the game in this space, suggests that there is a bright future for AI in HR—especially if we, as humans, work with it instead of fearing it.

To achieve maximum success in the future HR must be open with its staff about their plans. Adoption of AI is inevitable.

Integration is the key, and engagement with staff can smooth the transition. An agile and experimental culture is essential for success in the AI era.

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HR LEGAL

DATA STEWARDSHIP Public sector more willing to own up to data breach notifications than private sector Enhancing data security has now become a pressing task for HR and their entire organisations. The 2018-19 Annual Report of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data, Hong Kong (Privacy Commissioner) tabled in the Legislative Council on 27 November 2019, highlighted a number of large-scale data breach incidents that took place both in Hong Kong and the international arena.

Improper use and disclosure of personal data

Improper collection of personal data

Inadequate security of personal data

500

alleged breaches (20%)

799

730

alleged breaches (31%)

alleged breaches (29%)

Last year, the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (PCPD)in Hong Kong received 113 data breach notifications. Stephen Kai-yi Wong, Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data, Hong Kong reported,“While this figure was comparable to that of the preceding year and did not seem to show any alarming trend, it did not reflect the complexity and severity of the nature of the incidents, or the large number of individuals affected, not to mention the substantive technical and legal issues advanced in defence by the professional teams.”

He added,“We worked hand in hand with the relevant organisations and engaged them to take immediate remedial actions to contain the possible damage to the attacked individuals.

We also put forward steps to re-establish their consumers’ trust with a view to reducing their defection.”

Technology (ICT) developments, it is essential that HR take on board the idea of good data stewardship and governance (aka accountability), which has been reflected in the new laws and regulations of many jurisdictions. Wong noted, “In these times of change, complementing compliance with the law by adopting data ethics will form the bedrock for nurturing and flourishing data protection.”

Data stewardship The theme of the PCPD Report is Data Stewardship in Action and highlighted the need to strike a balance between data protection and a variety of competing interests and rights in the current datadriven economy. With the upsurge in Big Data and Information and Communication

The number of complaints related to information technology (504 cases) has more than doubled when compared with 2017-18, many of them concerning the disclosure or leakage of personal data on the internet. A total of 2,554 breaches of the requirements under the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance were alleged in the 1,878 complaints received.

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Public concerns Public concerns about data governance were also significantly heightened. During the 2018-19 reporting year, the PCPD received over 17,000 enquiries and 1,878 complaints, as compared with just under 15,800 enquiries and 1,619 complaints in the previous reporting year 2017-18.

Direct Marketing

186

alleged breaches (7%)

Public sector more forthcoming than private A total of 113 Data Breach Notifications (DBN) were received, and the PCPD conducted compliance checks in each of these incidents. The Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance does not require data users to give DBN. Interestingly, the Report reveals that public organisations gave more DBNs in the current reporting year—a 65% increase as compared with 2017-18. Further, public organisations were more willing than private enterprises to give DBNs. The number of DBNs given by private enterprises decreased by 34% as compared with 2017-18. It is noteworthy that those DBNs included a major data breach by an airline, involving 9.4 million passengers.

Looking ahead, Wong said, “One of the challenges that regulators have to continue to meet will be how they could help unlock and share personal data within the legal and ethical frameworks with a view to maximising the benefits of data in a sustainable way, minimising the risks and harms, creating healthy synergy with economic growth, identifying and securing the innovative use of personal data in a post-data-driven economy.”

HR LEGAL

LABOUR LAW CHALLENGES MOUNT FOR GLOBAL HR It is becoming increasingly complex for multinational firms to employ staff at every stage of the employee lifecycle. This, according to a new report, Building a Workforce, recently released by TMF Group.

Part of the 2019 Global Business Complexity Index, which analysed 76 different jurisdictions worldwide in terms of ease of doing business, the Report highlights that half of countries’ labour laws are difficult to understand.

Key findings •

Multinational firms face a number of challenges when it comes to recruitment. Hiring staff before having established a formal local legal entity is especially tricky—particularly in the EMEA region where it is seen as either ‘complex’ or ‘extremely complex’ in the majority of jurisdictions. Once established, hiring workers from abroad remains difficult globally—almost twice as hard as employing someone from within your home jurisdiction.

• There has been a degree of convergence in their field of employee payments. 89% of jurisdictions surveyed now have a minimum wage; 87% offer paid maternity leave; 84% offer paid time off. But some elements of employee compensation have marked regional differences. For example, shared parental leave is required in 63% of jurisdictions across the Americas, but just 33% in APAC. Meanwhile, APAC leads the way in pension provision: a fund must be offered in 79% of its jurisdictions, compared to just 63% in the Americas and 50% in EMEA. • Almost half, 45%, of jurisdictions surveyed reported that payroll legislation is subject to frequent change. The problem is particularly acute in EMEA, where frequent changes occur in 55% of jurisdictions, although relatively stable in APAC (36%). 76% of jurisdictions globally require companies to submit employees’ payroll data to the government at least once a month.

• There is a huge disparity in the speed at which employers can fire under-performing staff. In the Americas, 52% of jurisdictions allow businesses to terminate employment contracts in less than a day. In APAC this figure is just 8% and in EMEA 6%.

Anne Clifford, Global Head of HR & Payroll, TMF Group, said, “Regulations and statutory reporting that concern the ethical treatment of workers and their data are increasing. However, even within regulatory frameworks, interpretation varies across locations, and processes change. The result of all this is complexity.” She added, “To counter that complexity, companies need the flexibility and agility to accommodate rapidly changing employment legislation for every territory they operate in—whether they employ thousands of workers or just one.”

Clifford noted that HR is entering an era of ‘social compliance’ as regulators

become more powerful on the local and global scale. There is a clear trend towards businesses being compelled to report more granular employee data, more frequently. She said, “While such technological changes may boost reporting efficiency in the long term, there is likely to be a short-term upswing in complexity while these processes are implemented.

Furthermore, it is questionable as to whether technology will be able to keep pace with frequently changing legislation.

As businesses expand and build workforces in new jurisdictions, they must be fully primed for the challenges and complexities they will encounter.”

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HR BOOK REVIEW

How to get out of your own way

by Sunita Sehmi This self-improvement book is by an author whose experience is in executive coaching.

Her focus was on helping clients to make changes through self-awareness and being more positive. In her own words, it is about ‘winning’. Winning is achievable, she writes, through self-belief and action.

The aim of the book is to give readers the skills and motivation to plan, prepare and take action leading to increased happiness. Primarily aimed at women, it has a personal style that leans on personal experiences. The author’s perspective is one that has been forged by a life in a male-dominated environment. Her advice therefore follows on from what has worked for her and her clients, documented onto 100 pages of anecdotes and advice. The rest of the book’s pages are then made up of space for the reader to write their own notes and answers, putting into practice what they have learned.

Written in an easy-to-read way, the book is simple enough that anyone can get something from it. It is emotional rather than scientific, so lends itself to people who prefer not to be bombarded by facts and figures. Overall, it is an easily-digestible self-improvement book in a market of books that can sometimes be too long and too cumbersome. This is not one of those.

The drama-free workplace

by Patti Perez Patti Perez has produced a book for the modern workplace focused on, as the subtitle demonstrates, preventing unconscious bias, sexual harassment, ethics lapses and inspiring a healthy culture. That is a lot for one book to do, but it does it well.

At around 250 pages it uses short, concise chapters to cover each topic. Starting with identifying the root causes of workplace drama, Perez builds up this tome of tips with advice and strategies to tackle unconscious bias, anticipating drama, persuasive communication, rule-setting and workplace training. Each chapter is easy to read and can be digested in short, timely pieces.

A detailed appendix and index allow for easy location of any given topic. This is especially valuable to address a particular issue without wading through the whole book.

The appendices also include examples of forms and language upon which to build a personalised set of internal investigations.

Overall, this is a useful handbook to provide a manager with ideas for improving a workplace that may have issues relating to toxic culture, employee discipline or a history of staff complaints. It can also be preventative, by utilising Perez’s advice to put in place barriers to any of those negative traits from occurring, while having an effective system to deal with them if they do.

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HR BOOK REVIEW

Feedback (and other dirty words)

by M Tamra Chandler with Laura Dowling Grealish Feedback has negative connotations for many, and is a cause of stress and defensiveness at work. For some, the term ‘feedback’ is associated with bias, politics, resentment and self-doubt.

However, it should be remembered that the original purpose of feedback is to learn how individuals and teams perceive each other and to receive opportunities to learn and grow.

Authors M. Tamra Chandler and Laura Grealish explain how feedback came to have such a negative perception and how to recognise and minimise negative responses to feedback that potentially result in a decline in trust and communication. They explore a new definition, and the different roles of feedback, and argue that feedback should be focused, fair and frequent.

This book focuses on how to return feedback to its original intention of being motivating, empowering and effective to improve performance and internal communication in organisations.

HR BOOK REVIEW The Outward Mindset

by The Arbinger Institute The Arbinger Institute’s newest book, The Outward Mindset, teaches people how to implement mindset change in themselves and scale it across organisations with incredible effect.

One’s mindset governs how they view the world, what one does and how one does it. Mindset can be self-focused, which Arbinger calls an inward mindset, or it can be inclusive of others, which Arbinger calls an outward mindset. Unknowingly, too many individuals operate from an inward mindset—a narrow-minded focus on self-centred goals and objectives. It turns out that one’s actions, and others’ responses to those actions, end up being dramatically different depending on which mindset they are operating from.

When faced with personal ineffectiveness or lagging organisational performance, most people instinctively look for quick-fix behavioural band-aids, not recognising the underlying mindset at the heart of the most persistent challenges. Through true stories and simple yet profound guidance and tools, The Outward Mindset enables individuals and organisations to make the one change that most dramatically improves performance, sparks collaboration, and accelerates innovation—a shift to an outward mindset.

The Management Shift

by Vlatka Hlupic According to research, corporate life expectancy and performance in the last 50 years have declined by 75%. Organisations, therefore, need a different operational approach to not only survive, but thrive.

This book argues that organisations need to focus on people, purpose and knowledge sharing in order to do this. Although people are often stated to be a company’s greatest asset, there are few companies who clearly show a leadership model that will improve engagement, remove barriers to innovation and reveal hidden strengths in individuals and the company. The Management Shift shows how businesses can make the transition to a new way of thinking and working that will, in turn, create new types of value, improve innovation and engagement and improve business in general.

The book is based around research and case studies demonstrating the impacts of change. The Management Shift shows managers a practical and systematic way to diagnose potential internal leadership issues, followed by an implementation process to adjust organisational culture and their management to a different type of thinking, performance and ultimately business success.

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HK CLASSIFIEDS

HR Classifieds Index Business Process Outsourcing | 59 Education / Corporate Training | 59 – 60 Employee Wellbeing / Insurance | 60 HR Consulting | 60 HR Technology Solutions | 61 Leadership Development | 61 Legal / Employment Law / Tax | 62 Management Consulting | 62 MICE Venues / Event Organisers | 62

Photography / Videography | 64 Recruitment / Executive Search | 64 Relocation / Logistics | 64 Serviced Apartments / Hotels | 65 Staff Benefits | 66 Talent Management | 66 Co-working Space | 66 Gender Equity | 66

BUSINESS PROCESS OUTSOURCING TMF Group helps global companies expand and invest seamlessly across international borders. Its expert accountants and legal, HR and payroll professionals are located around the world, helping clients to operate their corporate structures, finance vehicles and investment funds in different geographic locations. With operations in more than 80 countries providing managed compliance services, TMF Group is the global expert that understands local needs.

TMF Hong Kong Limited 36/F, Tower Two Times Square, 1 Matheson Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

Tricor Business Services draws on our diverse professional expertise, backed up by the latest technologies and systems, to provide a comprehensive range of services, including but not limited to: Business Advisory; Accounting & Financial Reporting; Treasury & Payment Administration; Human Resource & Payroll Administration; Tax Services; Trade Services; Trust Assets Administration; Fund Administration; Governance, Risk & Compliance; and Information Technology Solutions.

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

Our work processes and controls in the rendering of accounting and payroll services are externally audited by Ernst & Young Hong Kong and accredited each year in accordance with the International Standard on Assurance Engagements (ISAE) 3402.

Tel: (852) 3589 8899 Fax: (852) 3589 8555 info.apac@tmf-group.com www.tmf-group.com

Tel: (852) 2980 1888 Fax: (852) 2861 0285 info@hk.tricorglobal.com www.hk.tricorglobal.com

EDUCATION / CORPORATE TRAINING As a trusted international organisation and a global leader in English training, the British Council has over 70 years’ experience in English assessment. We develop and deliver English language programmes for businesses in Hong Kong. Aptis, British Council’s English testing tool, is a robust four skills test used by corporate businesses, government organisations and educational institutions.

It provides an accurate and affordable way to benchmark language levels of employees for recruitment or career advancement purposes. With results available in as little as 24 hours, Aptis assesses ability in the areas that HR want to focus on – in individual skills or combinations of speaking, writing, listing or reading.

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

Dew-Point International Ltd. is a leading provider of training and management consulting services throughout Asia. We assess the specific needs of our clients and respond with customised, practical training programs and consulting services.

Established in 1973, we combine in-depth knowledge with genuine enthusiasm and highly dynamic training techniques to create productive and effective learning experiences. Dew-Point enhances organisational and individual effectiveness by building the capacity within organisations without the need of continued outside help. Through assessment, skills training, team facilitation and executive coaching, we have ensured the long-term success of countless clients.

Dew-Point International Ltd. 21/F., Ritz Plaza, 122 Austin Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong

The PTI Group is a consulting, training, and publishing group. In conjunction with the internationally-renowned professional association, International Professional Managers Association (IPMA) of UK, we offer online pure distance learning courses (PDLCs). IPMA’s website: http://www.ipma.co.uk/conferences.php

The PTI Group 20/F. Wellable Commercial Building, 513 Hennessy Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

Our “Financing & Capital Raising Professional™ (FCRP™)” and “Environmental, Social & Governance Expert™ (ESGE™)” programmes seek to enhance candidates’ practical & international knowledge in raising funding for companies (bank financing, IPO, private equity etc.) and ESG respectively.

Upon qualification, candidates can use respective professional designation, awarded by IPMA.

Tel: (852) 2730 1151 Fax: (852) 2730 0164 info@dew-point.com.hk www.dew-point.com.hk

Tel: (852) 3511 9288 info@the-pti.com www.the-pti.com

Raise your colleagues’ ability to add value through practical & international knowledge by enrolling in our PDLCs.

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HK CLASSIFIEDS The Vocational Language Programme Office aims at offering quality vocational English, Chinese and Putonghua training for working adults to meet their language needs at work. We have run various courses for public organisations and private corporations before, such as HKSAR Water Supplies Department, Hospital Authority and Pizza Hut Hong Kong Management Limited.

With the support from the Language Fund, the QF-recognised Vocational English Enhancement Programme is on offer for enhancing the practical English skills of the Hong Kong workforce. Individual corporations can enjoy great flexibility by having the VEEP courses operated at their training venues and preferred schedule. On completion of the course, learners can receive 60% of the course fee reimbursement and obtain certificates issued by the Vocational Training Council and LCCI.

H.R. Solutions specialises in training in leadership, performance management, sales and general skills development including negotiating, project management, presentation skills and communication skills. We are official partners of Think on your Feet® and engage-universe, and accredited DISC and MBTI® facilitators. Based in Hong Kong, we work regionally with local languages delivery as required.

Our workshops incorporate simple frameworks and processes to provide effective, structured learning, supported with tailored experiential exercises, cases and role-plays. Our long-term development programs combine classroom training with on-the-job learning, ongoing coaching and on-line resources as appropriate. We aim to ensure participants can apply the skills immediately in the workplace for better team performance and superior business results.

Vocational Language Programme Office, Vocational Training Council Room 437, 4/F, Academic Block, 30 Shing Tai Road, Chai Wan, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2595 8119 vlpo-veep@vtc.edu.hk www.vtc.edu.hk/vlpo

H.R. Solutions (Int’l) Ltd. H. R. Solutions (Int’l) Ltd. Room 2802, Tower Two, Lippo Centre, 89 Queensway, Admiralty, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2573 0501 abrophy@hrsolutions.com.hk www.hrsolutions.com.hk

EMPLOYEE WELL-BEING / INSURANCE Hong Kong Adventist Hospital — Stubbs Road is one of the leaders in medical services, providing organisations with comprehensive health assessment packages to choose from. The hospital works closely with HR and Benefits specialists to design tailor-made programmes to satisfy your staff’s unique requirements. The checkups not only assess staff’s health status and identify the risk factors, it also provide preventive programmes to help clients fine-tune their lifestyles for healthy living. All the services are supported by experienced professional staff using advanced equipment in modern facilities.

Hong Kong Adventist Hospital­— Stubbs Road 40 Stubbs Road, Hong Kong

Major Compare is a leading international employee benefits consultancy, risk management advisory and business insurance brokerage firm. They work with companies of all sizes both in Hong Kong and around the world to advise and implement customised employee benefit plans with the goal of retaining and attracting employees. Through industry specific due diligence Major Compare also help reduce HR overheads with policy management and by ensuring your company is fully and properly insured with the guarantee of the lowest premium(s). All services provided by Major Compare are completely free to their clients.

Major Compare 1/A, 128 Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong

Pacific Prime Insurance Brokers is a leading international health insurance brokerage specialising in providing comprehensive coverage options to individuals, families, and companies throughout the Asia-Pacific region. Working with over 120,000 clients in 150 countries, Pacific Prime can deliver advice in more than 15 major languages. With offices strategically located in Shanghai, Singapore, Dubai, and Hong Kong, Pacific Prime is able to provide immediate advice and assistance to policyholders located around the world. Pacific Prime works with over 60 of the world’s leading health insurance providers, giving customers unprecedented access to the best medical insurance products currently on the market.

Pacific Prime Insurance Brokers Ltd. Unit 1 - 11, 35/F, One Hung To Road, Kwun Tong, Hong Kong

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

Tel: (852) 3018 1353 www.majorcompare.com.hk

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

HR CONSULTING Flex Human Resources strives to provide small and medium-sized Hong Kong businesses with comprehensive, reliable and cost-effective HR outsourcing and consulting services.

Our services include recruitment and selection, headhunting, payroll processing, benefit administrations, performance management, training and development, employee surveys, HR analytics and projects, etc.

With strong talent databases, we also provide staff leasing and outsourcing for companies in Hong Kong, China and overseas.

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FLEX Human Resources Unit 705, 7/F, Tamson Plaza, 161 Wai Yip Street, Kwun Tong, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 3466 5279 info@hroutsourcing.hk www.HRoutsourcing.hk

HK CLASSIFIEDS HR TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS COL, based in Hong Kong with over 40 years of experience, is a leading IT services subsidiary of WTT. COL is the vanguard of HRMS providers, crowned Excellent HR Information System Provider of HR Excellence Awards 2014 by the Hong Kong Institute of Human Resource Management (HKIHRM). COL offers a comprehensive IT services portfolio, including application development and implementation, Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), IT infrastructure, etc.

With domain expertise in business applications, we deliver the best practice Human Capital Management (HCM) solutions ranging from award-winning HRMS, web-based employee self-service portal to outsourcing services for MNCs, enterprises and SMEs.“Doc:brary” Document Management System is another flagship application in our HCM product portfolio that securely manages HR related documents including employees P-file, appraisal records, training materials, etc.

COL Limited Unit 825 - 876, 8/F, KITEC, 1 Trademart Drive, Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2118 3999 Fax: (852) 2112 0121 colmarketing@col.com.hk www.col.com.hk

COL is an Avaya partner, a Cisco Gold partner, an EMC Velocity Partner, a Juniper Networks Elite Partner, an Oracle Gold and ISV Partner, a TmaxSoft ISV Partner and a VMware Partner. COL was CMMI Level 3 assessed in May 2005.

With strategic offices in Hong Kong, China, UK and US, DaXtra is a world leading specialist in high-accuracy multilingual CV parsing, semantic search, matching and process automation technologies. Our solutions are compatible with most leading recruitment ATS and CRM systems and are designed to bring efficiency and automation, while dramatically reducing the overall ‘cost of hire’.

Over 1000 organisations globally use DaXtra products every day – from boutique recruitment firms to the World’s largest staffing companies, from corporate recruitment departments to job boards and software vendors.

Daxtra Technologies (Asia) Ltd. Unit 401, OfficePlus 93-103 Wing Lok Street Sheung Wan Hong Kong

SuccessFactors, an SAP company, is the leading provider of cloud-based Business Execution Software, which drives business alignment, optimises workforce performance, and accelerates business results. SuccessFactors customers include organisations of all sizes across more than 60 industries. With approximately 15 million subscription seats globally, we strive to delight our customers by delivering innovative solutions, content and analytics, process expertise, and best practices insights. Today, we have more than 3,500 customers in more than 168 countries using our application suite in 35 languages.

SuccessFactors 35/F, Tower Two, Times Square, 1 Matheson Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

Tel: (852) 3695 5133 asia@daxtra.com www.daxtra.com

Tel: (852) 2539 1800 Fax: (852) 2539 1818 info.hongkong@sap.com www.successfactors.com

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT MDS Company Listing For over 20 years MDS has been the market leader in talent development, leadership training, sales effectiveness and executive coaching, producing great results for global companies in the Greater China and APAC regions.

Management Development Services Limited 1701 – 3 Kai Tak Commercial Building 317 – 319 Des Voeux Road Central Sheung Wan, Hong Kong

MDS is the certification centre and distributor of leading personality and leadership assessments for talent development programmes including the MBTI® and FIRO® , Leadership Effectiveness Analysis (LEA360™) and GMI® , Strong Interest Inventory ® for career planning, Sales Performance Assessment™ (SPA™) for sales development, and TKI® for negotiation skills.

Tel: (852) 2817 6807 Fax: (852) 2817 9159 mds@mdshongkong.com www.mdshongkong.com

From MDS offices in Hong Kong, Singapore, Beijing, Shanghai and Taipei we manage an outstanding team of international trainers and executive coaches delivering a vast collection of leadership and sales programmes including the Miller Heiman products.

In 2016, MDS launched the Smith-MDS partnership with University of Maryland Robert H. Smith School of Business. The partnership draws on a world-class faculty, facilitators and executive coaches to deliver leading edge executive development solutions.

ACT is a corporate L&D consulting and training company based in Hong Kong & Singapore with over 15 years’ experience in people training and development that partners with forward-thinking organizations and leaders who understand the importance of their greatest asset - their people.

Asia Corporate Training Ltd. 13B, Shun Pont Commercial Building, 5-11 Thomson Road, Wanchai, HONG KONG

The acronym for the company name, ACT, simply and powerfully represents the philosophy of taking ACTion: to understand how one’s belief will lead to specific behaviours which will result in specific outcomes. ACT believes that selfawareness of how we think and act is critical for personal growth, to translate into leadership effectiveness, contributing to greater corporate success as a result.

Tel: (852) 25756470 contact@act-asia.com.hk www.act-asia.com.hk

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HK CLASSIFIEDS LEGAL / EMPLOYMENT LAW / TAX WTS is a tax and business consulting firm providing assistance in the strategic planning and management process of intercompany assignments’ cost and compliance.

Our Global Expatriate Service specialists advise on expatriate issues relating to corporate tax, personal tax, social security matters and process consulting across Asia. Our expertise therefore enables us to identify assignment related risks at an early stage and optimise tax and social security payments for companies and their employees while keeping the administrative burden to a minimum.

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

wts consulting (Hong Kong) Limited Unit 1004, 10/F, Kinwick Centre, 32 Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong Tel: (852) 2528 1229 Fax: (852) 2541 1411 claus.schuermann@wts.com.hk www.wts.com.hk

MANAGEMENT CONSULTING atrain is a premium consultancy in leadership assessment, talent management and organisation development. Headquartered in Germany, we have offices in Europe, United States, South America and Asia.

90% of our consultants are business psychologists; we bring together the best of business strategies and the psychological approach to develop solutions tailor-made to your requirements. We explore and research on innovative concepts, and help you to cultivate the company culture you envisage.

atrain Limited Unit 1201-3, 135 Bonham Strand Trade Centre, 135 Bonham Strand, Sheung Wan Tel: (852) 2522 9018 info@atrain-apac.com www.atrain-apac.com

Our international presence and culturally diverse teams enable partnerships with multi-national corporate clients for their business growth and success.

Put us to the challenge—you will not be disappointed.

The Hong Kong Management Association (HKMA) was established in 1960. The HKMA is a non-profit making organisation which aims at advancing management excellence in Hong Kong and the Region, with a commitment to nurturing human capital through management education and training at all levels, the HKMA offers over 2,000 training and education programmes covering a wide range of management disciplines for approximately 48,000 participants every year.

Hong Kong Management Association 14th Floor, Fairmont House, 8 Cotton Tree Drive, Central, Hong Kong

Tricor Consulting Limited is a member of Tricor Group dedicated to creating value for clients and strengthening their organization capabilities through:

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

• • • • • • •

Strategic Management—Shaping your future and making it happen Organization Structuring—Aligning organization structure with strategies HR Consulting—Maximizing performance and return on investment of human assets Talent Management—Cultivating talents to create competitive advantage Director Remuneration and Board Evaluation—Ensuring appropriate remuneration of senior executives and building an effective board Training Resources Consulting—Maximizing business impact of training with on-demand scalable resources Change Management—Partnering with clients to drive and enable organization transformation

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

Tel: (852) 2980 1027 Fax: (852) 2262 7596 john.kf.ng@hk.tricorglobal.com www.hk.tricorglobal.com

MICE VENUES / EVENT ORGANISERS

AsiaWorld-Expo is Hong Kong’s leading exhibitions, conventions, concerts and events venue, yet it is also an ideal venue for annual dinners, world-class conferences, cocktail receptions, media luncheons and sumptuous banquets.

With Hong Kong’s largest indoor convention and hospitality hall, AsiaWorldSummit which seats up to 5,000 persons, together with a full range of meeting and conference facilities, award-winning chefs and attentive hospitality staff, AsiaWorld-Expo is definitely your choice for an unforgettable event.

Rockbird Media is an events management expert who aims to organize best-quality events that will bring impact to its clients’ business growth. We aim to spread this principle in Asia and the Pacific, and even globally. We don’t just organize events. We create the kind of experience that people talk about, the ones they cannot get enough of.

It’s who we are.

Website: https://rockbirdmedia.com/

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AsiaWorld-Expo Management Limited AsiaWorld-Expo, Hong Kong International Airport, Lantau, Hong Kong, China Tel: (852) 3606 8888 Fax: (852) 3606 8889 fnb@asiaworld-expo.com www.asiaworld-expo.com

PROFESSIONAL HR OUTSOURCING SERVICES

中國內地專享服務 Mainland China Exclusive Services

跨

社 五險一金管理 Social Insurance Management

薪 酬發 放 Payroll Management

跨境報銷 Cross-Border Reimbursement

稅 員工福 利管理 Fringe Benefits Administration

企 業稅 務 優 化 Enterprise Tax Optimization

勞動法諮詢 Labor Law Consultation

香港 Hong Kong / 美國 USA / 其他地區 Other Regions

人事代 理

人事外包

人員招聘

HR Outsourcing

Labour Dispatch

Recruitment

Uint 02, 11/F, Sunbeam Commerical Building, 469-471 Nathan Road, Hong Kong F : (852) 2116 2101 E : adminhk@50bm.com

Enquiry | (852) 2116 1600

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HK CLASSIFIEDS PHOTOGRAPHY / VIDEOGRAPHY I’m an independent videographer based in Hong Kong, specialising in event videos, interviews, brand videos and many more. My love of watching films and tv shows intrigued me to discover all the intricacies within film making. I believe a good video requires a great team and careful attention to detail which leads to an effective video.

Paul Fukushima Tel: 6356-1700 Email: fukushimapaul@gmail.com https://fukushimapaul.wixsite.com/ home

RECRUITMENT / EXECUTIVE SEARCH Headquartered in Switzerland, Adecco is a Fortune Global 500 company with around 5,000 offices in over 60 countries and territories around the world. We possess the skills and global intelligence to develop human resource strategy for the highest levels, yet remain close to clients, local markets and needs. Adecco Hong Kong has over 30 years of experience in the region, with a comprehensive service offering that includes permanent placement, temporary & contract staffing, recruitment process outsourcing, HR consulting & assessment services, employment contract services, recruiting projects & overseas search, payroll outsourcing & administration services, and training.

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

Established in 1996, Frazer Jones is a Human Resources Recruitment Consultancy.

Contact us to find out how we can assist you in your next Human Resources hire or if you are looking for a change in your HR career. As part of The SR Group, Frazer Jones has wholly owned offices in Singapore, Sydney, Melbourne, Dubai, London, Düsseldorf and Munich and has access to the best HR talent around the world.

Frazer Jones 1918 Hutchison House, 10 Harcourt Road, Central, Hong Kong

Headquartered in the Netherlands, Randstad is a Fortune Global 500 Company and the second largest recruitment & HR services provider globally, with operations spanning across 39 countries with over 29,700 corporate staff that help talented people develop their career potential and provide companies with the best people to reach their business goals. Founded in 1960 by Frits Goldschmeding, our Asia Pacific operations reaches across Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, China, Japan, India, Australia and New Zealand. Randstad Hong Kong was established in 2009 and specialises in permanent and contract recruitment across specialized areas including Accounting & Finance, Banking & Financial Services, Construction, Property & Engineering, Information Technology & Telecommunications, Sales & Marketing, Supply Chain & Logistics.

Randstad 5/F, Agricultural Bank of China, 50 Connaught Road, Central, Hong Kong

Tricor Executive Resources has for the past 28 years built an unrivalled reputation for integrity and professionalism in the executive search business.

Our team of specialist consultants and researchers provide a range of practical and innovative solutions to help you search for the right talent to meet your business needs. We utilize in-depth research, intense resourcing and a highly focused approach in the identification of qualified candidates in the appropriate industry sector. Our clients consists of multinationals, publicly listed and private companies as well as family-owned and start-up companies.

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

We also provide advice on HR best practices to enhance your human capital. Our HR Solutions can help drive your business performance through the effective use of talent. These include Compensation and Benefits Benchmarking; Soft Skills and Management Development Training; Performance Management Systems; Talent Assessment Centre; Human Resource Outsourcing; Career Counselling and Talent Transition Management and Employee Engagement Surveys.

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

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

Tel: (852) 2232 3408 www.randstad.com.hk

Tel: (852) 2980 1166 Fax: (852) 2869 4410 fiona.yung@hk.tricorglobal.com www.hk.tricorglobal.com

RELOCATION / LOGISTICS

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Asian Tigers, has provided international relocation and moving service to the Hong Kong market for more than 40 years. We move people internationally, regionally, and even within Hong Kong itself. Our experienced, multilingual staff enables Asian Tigers to deliver low-stress relocation services. Perhaps you are responsible for coordinating your office move and would like to know more about ‘low down-time’ office relocations. Whatever your needs, wherever you are headed, Asian Tigers can help facilitate and streamline your relocation. Give us a call and find out how we can assist you.

Asian Tigers Mobility 17/F, 3 Lockhart Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong

Crown Relocations, a worldwide leader of global mobility, domestic and international transportation of household goods, and departure and destination services, has over 180 offices in more than 50 countries. From preview trip and immigration assistance to home and school searches, orientation tours, intercultural training, partner career programme, and ongoing assignment support, Crown offers the best relocation solutions to corporate clients and transferees across the world.

Crown Relocations 9 - 11Yuen On Street, Siu Lek Yuen, Sha Tin, New Territories

Tel: (852) 2528 1384 Fax: (852) 2529 7443 info@asiantigers-hongkong.com www.asiantigers-mobility.com

Tel: (852) 2636 8388 hongkong@crownrelo.com www.crownrelo.com

HK CLASSIFIEDS SERVICED APARTMENTS / HOTELS Four Seasons Place, the epitome of luxury and elegance, Four Seasons Place creates a relaxed and homely living environment amidst the surrounding opulence. With 519 serviced suites designed by internationally renowned designers, guests can choose from a range of stylish accommodations from studios and 1/2/3-bedroom suites to penthouses that open up to spectacular views of Victoria Harbour. It also features a rooftop heated pool & jacuzzi, sky lounge, gymnasium, sauna and multi-purpose function room to meet business and recreational needs. Heralding a comfortable, hassle-free living experience, all guests are pampered with personalised hotel services from VIP airport pickup to 24-hour multi-lingual concierge services.

Four Seasons Place 8 Finance Street, Central, Hong Kong

GARDENEast is prestigiously located at the heart of Queen’s Road East, Wan Chai, boasting 216 luxurious units in 28 storeys.

GARDENEast Serviced Apartments 222, Queen’s Road East, Wan Chai, Hong Kong

Each of our luxurious units is subtly unique. Spacious studio, studio deluxe, deluxe 1-bedroom, executive suite and twin-beds in selected rooms, with their sizes ranging from 395 to 672 square feet, are comfortably-appointed with an all-encompassing range of fittings and furnishings. The landscaped gardens offer a relaxing lifestyle, peace and tranquillity of green living and a diverse choice of dining and entertainment is right on your doorstep.

at the ICC megalopolis

Tel: (852) 3196 8228 Fax: (852) 3196 8628 enquiries@fsphk.com www.fsphk.com

Tel: (852) 3973 3388 Fax: (852) 2861 3020 enquiry@gardeneast.com.hk www.gardeneast.com.hk

The HarbourView Place is part of the Kowloon Station development, located at a key harbour crossing point. Located atop the MTR and Airport Express Link at Kowloon Station. The junction of major rail lines, three minutes to Central, 20 minutes to the Airport, a mere 30 minutes to Shenzhen and 60 minutes to Guangzhou. It is a place for the best view of Hong Kong and Kowloon and is an icon property at Harbour Gateway. Located next to International Commerce Centre, the fourth tallest building in the world, The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong and W Hong Kong, guests can enjoy a premium luxury living with the large shopping mall Elements and Hong Kong’s highest indoor observation deck Sky100.

The HarbourView Place 1 Austin Road West, Kowloon, Hong Kong

Conveniently nestled in the East of Hong Kong, Kornhill Apartments is one of the biggest apartment blocks in town, featuring a total of 450 units with a variety of unit configurations designed to suit every need imaginable.

Kornhill Apartments 2 Kornhill Road, Quarry Bay, Hong Kong

Notable for cozy and contemporary décor, as well as superior amenities and services, the complex is located next door to Kornhill Plaza where you can relish a wide array of shops and entertainment choices.

Tel: (852) 2137 8101 Fax: (852) 2568 6256 kornhillapts@hanglung.com www.kornhillapartments.com

The apartments are an excellent choice for corporate clients who cater for visits by expatriate colleagues. Units include studio, one to two-bedroom suites and deluxe three-bedroom suites.

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

Vega Suites, is the stylish suite hotel in Kowloon East. Located atop the MTR Tseung Kwan O Station, Island East and Kowloon East are only 3 MTR stops away. The integrated complex becomes a new landmark creating a comfortable, relaxing and home like living space for guests. The allencompassing landmark development comprises two international hotels & luxury residence The Wings. Situated directly above the trendy PopCorn mall, connected to one million square feet of shopping, dining, leisure and entertainment. There is a lustrous selection of units – ranging from Studio, 1-Bedroom, 2-Bedroom to 3-Bedroom with flexible staying terms.

Vega Suites Atop Tseung Kwan O Station 3 Tong Tak Street, Tseung Kwan O Hong Kong

V is a collection of award-winning hotels, serviced apartments and private residences in Hong Kong.

V Hotels and Serviced Apartments Unit 5702, Cheung Kong Centre 2 Queen’s Road Central Hong Kong

Bringing our philosophy of eat, shop, live easy, each V is nestled in a plethora of restaurants, amidst excellent shopping hubs and surrounded by an extensive transportation network. V Wanchai and V Wanchai2 are minutes walk from HKCEC, whilst the Lodge connects to 5 railway systems.

Each V is urban, contemporary, but calm and quiet. Our two Causeway Bay properties host penthouse and terraced apartments for families and elegance entertaining, whilst V Happy Valley features an outdoor water garden.

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

Tel: (852) 3602 2388 Fax: (852) 2891 1418 reservations@thev.hk www.thev.hk

Each V carries a different design motif, yet shares one critical ingredient – we deliver a high standard of comfort and good honest service.

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HK CLASSIFIEDS STAFF BENEFITS Atrium HR Consulting is a joint venture between Alliance Group International and RamsaySmith, bringing together extensive experience and a wealth of specialist knowledge. Atrium’s aim is to help businesses achieve the highest possible level of performance by maximising efficiency, cost savings and results.

Atrium HR CONSULTING. 22/F OVEST, 77 Wing Lok Street, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong

Atrium’s services are used and trusted by more than 25% of the Fortune Global 500. Building upon their current client base, resources and an established global infrastructure they work to deliver a professional customer-focused service around the world.

Contact person: Pauline Williams Tel: 852 2891 8915 info@atriumhr.com www.atriumhr.com

Today Atrium supports clients across 180 countries with their recruitment, training, employee benefits and wellness programmes.

Nespresso provides a range of machines dedicated to professional use that meet the different needs and expectations of our customers. Zenius is the one of the latest innovation in the professional machine range by Nespresso and comes at an affordable price. It is intuitive to use, reliable and integrates the latest technological advances by Nespresso. Zenius is the ideal machine for small and big companies looking for quality and simplicity. At Nespresso we want to make it possible for you to make the same full-bodied espresso offered by skilled baristas. Your business can benefit from years of Nespresso expertise in premium Grands Crus coffees, innovative machines and excellent customer support.

Nespresso, Division Of Nestlé Hong Kong Ltd. Unit 505, Manhattan Place, 23 Wang Tai Road, Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong

Korn Ferry is the pre-eminent global people and organizational advisory firm.

We help leaders, organizations and societies succeed by releasing the full power and potential of people. Our nearly 7,000 colleagues deliver services through Korn Ferry and our Hay Group and Futurestep divisions. At Korn Ferry, we design, build, attract and ignite talent. Since our inception, clients have trusted us to help recruit world-class leadership. Today, we are a single source for leadership and talent consulting services to empower businesses and leaders to reach their goals.

Korn Ferry International (H.K.) Limited 15/F, St. George’s Building, 2 Ice House Street, Central, Hong Kong

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

TALENT MANAGEMENT

Tel: (852) 2971 2700 Fax: (852) 2810 1632 General inquiry: kornferry.hongkong@kornferry.com Leadership and Talent Consulting: ltc.hongkong@kornferry.com www.kornferry.com

Through our vision, research and tools across 80 offices and 3,400 employees, we convert potential into greatness. Our solutions range from executive recruitment and leadership development programs, to enterprise learning, succession planning, and recruitment process outsourcing (RPO).

CO-WORKING SPACE

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

cozy event space is your ideal venue for corporate and private events, ranging from training sessions, team building, seminars, meetings, conferences, workshops, parties… the possibilities are endless.

cozy event space 17/F Skyway Centre, 23 Queen’s Road West, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong

Our versatile multi-purpose space may accommodate up to 50 seats in a seminar setting, and the layout may be freely configured according to your requirements.

Phone No.: +852 5741 6863 E-mail: cozy@werkspace.com.hk

We are located in a brand new premium office building in Sheung Wan, and is the only tenant of the floor, which are attributes well appreciated by corporate clients that prefers a prestigious, modern and private venue.

To meet the flexibility required by many businesses, the space may also be rented in weeks or months for temporary office use for up to 20 staff members, with two rooms that may be used as meeting rooms or managers’ rooms.

Contact today to schedule a site visit or to obtain a quotation!

GENDER EQUITY FLEXImums stands for mums & women who want to work! FLEXImums was established with the vision to empower and connect working mothers and mothers returning to work with full-time and part-time jobs. FLEXImums’ portfolio of clients extends across all sectors, from public to private and SMEs to large multinationals.

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FLEXImums info@fleximums.com Tel: (852) 6540 0526 www.fleximums.com www.genderequityconference.com

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