APAC Regional HR Leaders in Hong Kong Discuss the Shift in Working Patterns and the Talent Review Process in Asia

In March, The Chapman Consulting Group brought together a group of Regional HR Leaders at EY’s APAC headquarters in Hong Kong. The meeting was attended by twenty regional Heads of HR, including representation from American Express, Baker & McKenzie, Coach, Fossil, Ingram Micro, Maersk, Prudential, PVH, and Schneider Electric.

The Intended and Unintended Consequences of Changing Working Patterns in Asia

Much of the group’s discussions hinged on behavioural change, focusing on moving employees away from thinking about how much time is spent in the office, and more towards an output-based culture. Physical presence and face time are still regarded as very important in many markets in Asia. Therefore the shift has been a longer process of trust building, expectation management and milestone setting when compared with other global regions.

In most cases this type of culture change needs to be built environmentally, as well as behaviourally, so there has been a broad investment in office redesign and the wider rollout of flexible working norms. With internal meetings now taking place in more informal breakout spaces, some companies reported an increase in the speed of cross-team collaboration, a more productive and engaging corporate atmosphere, and a growing acceptance of more flexibility in work practices. Conversely, some HR Leaders reported that a better office buzz can also lead to an ‘earbud culture’ where employees need the ability to drown out the sound around them. The group agreed that it’s important to avoid this by creating natural buffers between quieter and noisier areas. In one example, a company had specifically installed a louder air conditioning system, since it produces a white noise that reduces other distractions.

Unintended consequences were also discussed on the subject of remote working. For the most part, companies that had adopted wider remote working practices were reporting significant upsides, the most obvious being the saving of office space in the expensive commercial hubs of Hong Kong, Tokyo, Singapore and Sydney. On the downside, some HR Leaders reported a growing feeling of over-entitlement about how employees are using their time. When someone gets used to working from home on Wednesday afternoons, he or she can feel aggrieved if asked to join an important meeting at that time in the office. It was agreed that there needs to be a two-way street in terms of communication, rather than a top-down approach, but also that high-potential employees should be used as ambassadors for the correct and expected behaviours. In general where communication, management, and mentoring styles have been adapted properly, all HR Leaders reported a rise in performance levels.

Reinventing the Performance Review Process in Asia Pacific