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This is well-exemplified by its adoption of a hybrid work model to create an environment where employees feel supported and empowered to effectively manage both their personal and professional lives.
This article is brought to you by Bupa Hong Kong
An international healthcare company, Bupa expanded its footprint to Hong Kong in 1976. It further strengthened its local presence by adding Quality HealthCare Medical Services (QHMS), a trusted healthcare provider with over 150 years of heritage, under its family in 2013.
Bupa's purpose is to help people live longer, healthier, and happier lives and make a better world, with the ambition to be the most customer-centric healthcare company. To achieve that ambition, the company has shifted its focus to foster an agile culture of innovation, adaptability, and employee engagement to meet the changing healthcare landscape and drive future success.
This agile culture is well-exemplified by the adoption of a progressive hybrid work model. To Bupa, hybrid work mode is not about changing the work location. Instead, it’s about choosing the right work setting for the work that employees are doing and being more flexible to create a ‘Space to be Ace’ for all employees. Therefore, all hybrid work mode decisions are considered based on the requirements of specific roles, as well as customers’ priorities, operational efficiency, and employees’ flexibility needs.
Employees whose roles are suitable for hybrid working are encouraged to adopt one of three hybrid working modes to help them work efficiently and productively. They can:
- Work two to three days in the office and work remotely for the rest of the time under the 'hybrid mode';
- Work four to five days per week in the office and revert to the hybrid mode after projects under the 'collaborative mode'; or
- Work in the office on a rotational basis under the 'team A/B shift' mode.
Employees are encouraged to plan their daily activities and choose the right model for them to maximise work effectiveness.
Managers also play a crucial role in the hybrid work model. Apart from serving as role models to the team by practising hybrid working themselves and inspiring their teams to embrace this approach, they also review the appropriate work mode for each team member and discuss any team-specific arrangements within the chosen work mode.
To further support different work modes effectively, managers will provide the necessary equipment and technology, and proactively address any challenges or flexibility requirements that arise and find solutions to overcome obstacles and create a supportive work environment.
All these cannot be achieved without effective communication. To ensure consistent communication across different work settings, Bupa has invested in robust communication and virtual collaboration tools, established clear guidelines, and provided briefings to managers to effectively lead hybrid teams.
One initiative adopted is 'Together Monday', a monthly gathering for all people to meet to learn more about the business updates, meet new people, and hear stories that push forward Bupa’s ‘Connected Care’ strategy, as well as enjoying the breakfast snacks on offer and rewarding and recognising people for demonstrating the company's values.
Meanwhile, innovative wellbeing initiatives, such as virtual wellness programmes, mental health support resources, and flexible benefits packages tailored to employees' needs in remote and in-office settings, have been implemented to support employees in a hybrid work environment.
The successful implementation of the hybrid work model has yielded positive results as employees feel supported and empowered to effectively manage both their personal and professional lives. These results include a remarkable decrease in turnover rate, heightened levels of engagement, improved retention rates, and a sense of autonomy and trust within its workforce; which in turn has greatly enhanced collaboration, innovation, and productivity throughout the organisation.
These results have been well-proved by actual numbers: according to its biannual ‘People Pulse’ survey, the participation rate in Bupa Hong Kong reached an impressive 96% during the May 2024 survey. Additionally, employee engagement in Hong Kong stands at 84 points, surpassing Glints’ benchmark by four points.
With the rise of remote and flexible work, evolving employee values and priorities, heightened demand for skill development, and the war for specialised talent, Alex Power, People Director, Bupa Hong Kong (pictured below), comments on Bupa's unique positioning as a global healthcare leader. Highlighting the company’s strong sense of purpose and social responsibility, he shares that these give it a distinct advantage in the war for talent, even as employee health and wellbeing are prioritised through the flexible-work from-home policy.
Evidently, HR serves as a change agent in bringing forth the desired culture for people to be 'brave, responsible and caring' to develop their careers in driving business success.
This echoes what Power believes: "Work is something you do, not somewhere you go."
Photos / Bupa Hong Kong
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