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Seeing employee engagement as a co-created journey, what the airline offers is more than just a job but an exploration of different possibilities.
This article is brought to you by HK Express
“Collaborative, entrepreneurial, efficient, reliable, vibrant are the core values that inspire our people, and drive the vision of HK Express to become the leading best practice low-cost carrier (LCC) in Asia.”
This statement may well explain the self-positioning of HK Express, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Cathay Pacific Group.
Having challenged convention by bringing Hong Kong its low-cost carrier in 2013, HK Express aims high to have the best practices in Asia by offering affordable and reliable air travel to destinations across the region. And such a pursuit of excellence and pioneering spirit has been fuelling its employer brand and people practices.
Taking ‘simplicity’, ‘agility’ and ‘efficiency’ to its core, HK Express strives to build an entrepreneurial, cohesive and empowered organisation, and thus, become an employer of choice and a great place to work. To achieve this, it starts by telling a strong employer brand story that resonates with current and potential talents.
A dedicated People & Culture team was formed to promote the HK Express employer brand across different platforms such as LinkedIn and career fairs. Different from the usual practice, the team made a bold decision to leverage exclusive storytelling techniques, addressing all audiences in a more narrative and first-person tone in all content to create an experience of "as if we were together".
Another unique approach the airline takes is to portray its people as inspirational employer branding champions. Leading by the example of the CEO and the leadership team, such dedication has further reinforced the persuasiveness of HK Express’ employer stories and driven a ripple effect throughout the organisation.
Complimenting the brand storytelling was the launch of a talent attraction campaign which effectively achieved a call-to-action purpose to invite talents to join HK Express for an unforgettable career adventure.
Further, to offer opportunities for people looking for different purposes in their lives, the airline has introduced the first-ever ‘AXIS Internship’ and ‘HORIZON Graduate Trainee’ programmes. Throughout these programmes, young and aspiring talents can acquire hands-on experiences as well as work-based skills and knowledge through cross-functional projects and training.
"As an employer and recruiter myself, I see my job offering opportunities and meeting expectations for anyone who wants to explore future opportunities with HK Express,” Vivian So, HK Express People Director, shares.
“Those who want to embark on a journey with HK Express will surely find it's more than just a job. This is a journey we build together. You never know where the opportunities will take you.”
HK Express’ employee journey continues with other engagement initiatives. To sail through the new normal of a hybrid work environment, HK Express puts a strong focus on transparent and effective communication to keep people engaged. For that, the airline transformed to a brand new one-stop employee communication platform 'UOnline' that contains all information and resources to keep employees informed on a timely basis, and engaged anytime anywhere.
To further boost employees’ spirit, HK Express launched a unique ‘UO THANKSMAS’ programme on Thanksgiving till Christmas last year to recognise employees’ continuous contributions and engage teammates to give back to the community. The airline has also created the first-ever ‘UO Advent Calendar’, unboxing everyday surprises such as ‘UO Kudos Awards’, ‘Book Santa Drive’, special day-offs and treats, etc. to fill people with joy.
“What's always on the top of our mind is to create meaningful and purposeful work for our people,” Vivian continues. “Instead of seeing employee engagement as a programme, we see it as an interchange of different experiences, paths, and journeys co-created by our people that shape up the culture and engagement at HK Express. It has been a fruitful collection of exciting, happy, and challenging moments, and the bond grows stronger as we come together to look for solutions and learn from each other.”
As the aviation industry bounces back, HK Express is not looking to go back to "normal" but instead to stay agile and open-minded to create better experiences to meet new expectations, bring the most value out of overcoming challenges, and sustainably build a new meaning of jobs.
“What so interesting and exciting about our role of HR at HK Express is that we never know what will happen tomorrow, but we respond and adapt to new needs each and every day,” Vivian says. “Because at HK Express, we believe in all possibilities and potentials, we co-create the actual job description together as we dance along, and we bring meaningful career journeys by flying higher and even further together with our people."
Photos / HK Express
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