With 986 employees in Hong Kong and Macau as at 31 December 2019, the Group believes its people are the foundation of consistent delivery of reliable products and quality services to its customers. Effective talent management is fundamental for the Group to remain ahead of competition, whilst sustaining long-term success. The Group aspires to be an employer-of-choice through effective pursuit of best talents, ongoing skill development and training, and provision of an inclusive working environment.

Recruitment, engagement and retention

Our business performance and our customers’ experience depend on our ability to attract, retain and develop suitable talent in competitive labour markets. The Group works closely with educational institutions to recruit young talent that can support its growth. The Group also offers internship opportunities to university students who are interested in pursuing a career in the telecommunications industry.

The Group adheres to fair employment practices and promotes diversity and equal opportunity in its recruitment and promotion process. Employees are hired and selected based on their skill set and abilities, regardless of their race, colour, gender or religious beliefs. The Group is devoted to providing a positive, respectful and safe working environment to all employees. The Group will not tolerate any form of discrimination and has zero tolerance to any kind of harassment that consists of unwelcome and offensive conduct (whether verbal, physical or visual) which is based upon a person’s sex, marital status, disability or otherwise.

The Group upholds labour standards and complies with applicable employment guidelines and regulations, as well as labour-related legislation that are relevant to where it operates, for example the Hong Kong Employment Ordinance. Its policies strictly prohibit the use of child and/or forced labour, and rigorous measures and audits are taken to prevent such unethical practices in the operations.

In light of the fast pace of change in technology and growing demands for sophisticated services, the Group is committed to acting swiftly in response to this changing world to grasp new opportunities and remain sustainable. Over the past years, the Group has implemented various organisational initiatives to support its strategy and operating business models, and to enhance efficiency and synergies between teams.

Valuing employees

The Group respects the rights of employees in expressing their views and has established various communication channels. These include seminars and workshops which are designed to facilitate open dialogues with employees and where they can exchange viewpoints and collect ideas. Feedback from employees through the many channels help improve and enhance its talent management practices. The Group also regularly shares with its employees up-to-date business developments via emails and newsletters with its employees.

The Group was granted awards in recognition of its achievements in various areas of employment practice. The Group was recognised as one of the “Asia’s Best Employer Brands” in the 10th Asia’s Best Employer Brand Awards in 2019. This demonstrates its commitment to talent retention and motivation to have employees build their careers within the Group.

Investing in training and development

The Group believes in talent investment and endeavours to realise the potential of employees through learning and development programmes. Employees are inspired to pursue further knowledge and are encouraged to consistently develop themselves. Training programmes are developed to meet specific business needs and support day-to-day job functions. Such training programmes take many forms, from structured learning and formal training (including orientations, sharing sessions, seminars, workshops and internal-external courses), to personal coaching and mentoring. Employees are also entitled to various subsidies and sponsorships for job-related training courses which encourages lifelong learning.

In 2019, the Group organised leadership workshops in Hong Kong and Macau, providing managers and team leaders with the opportunity to learn agile and effective ways to lead in a digital environment. Participants were encouraged to share their innovative ideas on how the Group can respond swiftly to the rapidly changing market environments and the increasing demands from its customers.

Building our employees’ skills through continuous development programmes is essential in driving business performance and remaining sustainable. To support network evolution, prepare for the 5G rollout and take advantage of new opportunities and challenges, the Group organised various sharing sessions and workshops throughout the year. The focus of these sharing sessions was on the development of digital skills, as well as cyber security and 5G technology knowledge, including IoT technology, software design and cloud platform.

Promoting well-being, health and safety

The Group considers the well-being of its people to have a fundamental impact on the level of employee engagement and productivity. The Group upholds relevant guidelines and regulations including the Hong Kong Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance. The Group is committed to maintaining and updating the welfare programmes offered to its people; promoting work-life balance; and providing a range of paid leave entitlements to employees, where operational needs allow.

Employees are encouraged to take part in various well-being activities, including outings, sports events and volunteering activities. During the year, the Group organised the “2019 Walking Challenge” event to promote walking for health. Employees were invited to participate in a challenge – “10,000 steps a day”. Participants achieving a large number of steps during the seven-day challenge were awarded with special prizes.

Apart from promoting health and well-being of our employees, this event successfully raised awareness about reducing energy uses and it encouraged changes in behaviour that, collectively, could have a significant impact.

This event was also a meaningful charity campaign as the total number of steps achieved by participating staff members were converted into a cash donation. A total of HK$45,000 was donated to HOPE Worldwide Centre for Kids, Christian Action SHINE and Cha Duk Chang Children’s Cantonese Opera Association.

Creating a safe and healthy working environment is of the utmost importance for ensuring quality of life at the workplace for our employees. It contributes to productivity and creates an optimal well-being and attractive environment for our people. The Group has implemented health and safety management programmes, and training is provided to all employees based on the nature of work and safety standards that are applied throughout the workplace.

Employees can access the latest health and safety information via our intranet. The Group also provides periodic refresher courses to its employees, ensuring that the importance of following the safety guidelines is truly ingrained into its operational culture.

Regulatory compliance

The Group is committed to complying with applicable local laws, rules and regulations that are relevant to where it operates. Regulatory frameworks within which the Group operates are analysed and monitored, and internal policies are prepared and updated accordingly. Tailor-made workshops are also conducted where necessary, in order to strengthen the awareness and understanding of the Group’s internal controls and compliance procedures. In addition, its Code of Ethics requires staff to comply with applicable government and regulatory laws, rules, codes and regulations.

The Group is not aware of any material non-compliance with laws and regulations that have had a significant impact on the Group relating to employment, occupational health and safety, or labour standards during the year.