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The Club’s quarterly recognition programme celebrates frontline staff while immersive recruitment experiences attract Gen Z talent.
This article is brought to you by The Hong Kong Jockey Club
As a leader in horse racing and responsible sports wagering, as well as one of the world’s top ten charity donors, The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) continues to offer horse racing as lifestyle entertainment for Hong Kong people and act for the betterment of society through its unique integrated business model.
HKJC’s strong retail network plays a critical role in serving and engaging racing fans. In response to the rapidly changing behaviours and needs of customers, driven by increased usage of digital channels, it has become more important than ever for the Club to enhance and promote the Retail department’s offerings. HKJC leverages its unique strengths to provide customer-centric services through face-to-face interaction.
Dennis Hau, Executive Director, Customer Strategy, Insights and Innovation, The Hong Kong Jockey Club, emphasises: “Our employees are our most valuable asset. It’s essential to recognise their contributions and ensure they feel engaged. As the saying goes, ‘Happy employees lead to happy customers’. Before we pursue ‘customer obsession’, we must first cultivate ‘employee obsession’.”
Valuing its frontline staff as essential resources that represent and stimulate such a customer-centric culture, HKJC has launched the innovative ‘Retail Quarterly Recognition Programme’ within the Retail department. The Programme aims to recognise frontline staff for their efforts and hard work beyond daily responsibilities, inspire ownership and pride in the performance of their respective branches, and foster a sense of accomplishment and motivation across the team. It echoes the Club’s culture transformation focus, encouraging its colleagues to practise collaboration, real accountability, and respect.
Each quarter, the Programme focuses on a specific area, employing a continuous game-based approach with clear metrics and fair measurements. This structure enables greater transparency on performance progress and areas for improvement.
The immediate impact is evident, with 80% of the branches achieving their performance targets ahead of schedule, and 90% reporting improvements in specific performance indicators of the programme. Colleagues receive exclusive collectible souvenirs as rewards.
“An effective recognition programme is crucial to Retail’s overall success, as it drives employee engagement, boosts morale, and enhances productivity,” says Harvey Wong, Head of Retail and Telebet, The Hong Kong Jockey Club. “Together, we have set a benchmark for success and look forward to cultivating an engaging workplace where our colleagues feel valued.”
In an evolving business environment where Gen Z will become an integral part of the customer base, attracting talent from this generation to bring in new ideas and enhance customer experience is another focus for HKJC.
To attract Gen Z talent, the Club has reinvented its recruitment day into an experience day, inviting candidates to tour its experience shop, enjoy its services as guests, and learn about its diverse job roles. By adopting this immersive approach, candidates can interact with current employees, participate in hands-on activities, and envision themselves as part of the team.
Recognising Gen Z’s expectations and priorities, HKJC has launched initiatives to foster a sense of belonging and engagement among employees. These include encouraging colleagues to take on roles beyond their branches, such as joining cross-team taskforces, function teams, or the ambassador team for major racing events. Various learning opportunities, including team-building events and local study tours, enable colleagues to gain insights and skills beyond their regular duties.
Employee wellbeing is equally important for creating a dynamic and engaging work environment. To support this, HKJC has established a comprehensive corporate wellness programme featuring wellness workshops and mindfulness sessions. The Club offers flexible work hours and encourages regular breaks to help colleagues maintain a healthy work-life balance. At a departmental level, regular skip-level catch-up sessions are in place to ensure that colleagues’ voices are heard and addressed.
“These efforts collectively contribute to a happy and supportive workplace environment,” says Harvey.
GL Lee, Head of Human Resources (Business Facing), The Hong Kong Jockey Club, emphasises the significance of collaboration between the HR Business-Facing Team and the broader business. The core mission of the HR Business Facing team is to enrich employee career development and recognition initiatives through trusted partnerships with the business.
Behind these efforts, HR plays an important role. HKJC’s Retail department has its own dedicated people administration and people development team. The two teams work closely with stakeholders within the department and gains an in-depth understanding of its unique culture and people.
“This familiarity allows the team to anticipate potential challenges and proactively address them. Moreover, they can tailor HR schemes and training programmes to the specific needs of the department, ensuring that the solutions are both effective and relevant,” elaborates Harvey.
HKJC’s recent win at Human Resources Online’s Employee Experience Awards is a strong proof of the success of its endeavours.
“This achievement is a testament to the dedication, hard work, and excellence of our entire team,” he asserts. “This award not only highlights Retail’s commitment to fostering a positive and motivating work environment, but also underscores the value we place on recognising and celebrating the contributions of our outstanding colleagues.”
Photos / The Hong Kong Jockey Club
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