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As part of its DNA, Hongkong Land values every individual and celebrates difference to enshrine an IE&D culture.
This article is brought to you by Hongkong Land
“At our company, every voice is heard, every individual is valued, and every difference is celebrated. Together, we are building a culture where everyone can thrive and succeed,” says Yolice Wu, Executive Director and Chief People & Culture Officer, Hongkong Land (HKL).
This reflects the clear vision and goal of HKL for inclusion, equity and diversity (IE&D).
In today's dynamic talent landscape, a competitive salary is no longer the sole thing employees seek. People also prioritise meaningful work, growth opportunities, and a positive company culture. To that effect, organisations often have to combat stereotypes in order to foster a genuinely inclusive, equitable and diverse environment to attract and retain talent.
This is why, in the last few years, HKL has put in a lot of effort in launching many initiatives to nurture and enshrine an IE&D culture.
To spearhead commitment, HKL formed an IE&D Steering Committee as well as a Working Committee. The former consists of top leaders from the company, including the CFO, executive directors, and department heads. The members meet regularly to drive direction and formulate strategies on IE&D, while being actively involved in various IE&D activities to show their support.
Meanwhile, staff across different departments volunteer to drive the three focus areas (gender, age, and disability) as members of the Working Committee, which is aimed at achieving the vision and goal of IE&D. They have the autonomy to lead, plan, and execute different projects to promote the three focus areas.
To further encourage and raise awareness of IE&D, HKL has organised 14 events across all regions (Hong Kong, Southeast Asia, and Mainland China) over the past year. These events included international celebrations, experiential workshops, and activities that address privileges and stereotypes. These initiatives have provided a good platform for dialogue on the topic among different levels of staff and helped to bridge the gaps between the organisation and employees, ensuring everyone feels connected, engaged, and valued in the workplace.
HKL’s commitment to IE&D is also embodied in its people policies. The company has enhanced its parental care leave policy, implemented an agile working arrangement to enable employees to work from home and on flexible working hours, and launched the enhanced 24x7 Employee Assistance Programme to provide full mental support and other diversified support services when employees are in need.
Such policies help build trust between the company and the staff, foster a sense of belonging among people, enhance employee engagement, and promote a welcoming and supportive workplace.
On top of engaging employees, equipping the management is also key to effective IE&D advocacy. Therefore, HKL has implemented various learning programmes, including curated sessions for top leaders and managerial staff, as well as INSEAD programmes for women leaders.
HKL also extends its IE&D efforts from internal to external. Apart from applying IE&D elements into the recruitment process, by launching the ‘Women in Central’ initiative, HKL brings together its tenants through events and casual gatherings to educate, connect, give back, and build a community within the Central Portfolio. These activities serve as a powerful tool to enhance HKL’s relationships with its tenants; a mutually beneficial initiative for both sides whilst contributing positively to HKL’s business.
Other community projects on IE&D that HKL supports include:
- Partnering with Dreams Come True Foundation to promote social inclusion to tenants by organising ‘Workplace Inclusion Forum’;
- Supporting ‘Project Dignity’, offering vocational training, counselling, job placement experience and job matching to 130 young people with mild to medium disabilities;
- Supporting ‘Beautiful Hong Kong – Young Eco Guide’ programme, which trained 450 economically-disadvantaged youths to guide the public on eco-tours of Hong Kong.
“We believe that embracing diverse perspectives fosters innovation, strengthens our community, and creates a more vibrant and dynamic workplace,” emphasises Wu.
Being awarded at the recent HR Distinction Awards by Human Resources Online is no doubt a testament to the dedication of HKL towards promoting IE&D and fostering a more innovative, productive, and harmonious environment for its staff.
“We will continue with our commitment to building an inclusive, equitable and diverse workplace. This is not just a slogan, but it is in our company DNA that drives everything we do,” reiterates Wu.
Photos / Hongkong Land
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