Mr. Peter Suen

Based on the financial statement, Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group spent over HK$8.3 million to fulfill corporate social responsibilities in financial year 2018. Over 6,000 employees participated in the corporate's volunteer team, accumulating over 13,400 service hours. Last year, the corporate partnered with Youth Outreach, UNICEF and seven NGOs which targeted on underprivileged families in Sham Shui Po. Besides making donations, the employees provide free cleaning and repair services to the deprived elderly. No wonder Chow Tai Fook receives the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Award this year!

Mr. Peter Suen, Executive Director of Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group, repeatedly mentioned that "Do Good Feel Good" is the volunteer team's slogan. "When you do people a favor, you'll feel delighted." As early as in 2013, the corporate officially established a volunteer team encouraging employees to do voluntary work, whilst sponsoring various charitable events.

"Every time when we attend charitable events, says in UNICEF and Youth Outreach's events, the organizers thank us for sending volunteers. On the other hand, our corporate feels pleased to make contributions to society. We should express gratitude when we have the ability to offer assistance."

Peter said, through sponsoring charitable events, the corporate would like to deliver the message "more blessed to give than to receive" to employees. He was pleased to see employees sharing their volunteering experience with coworkers and customers and spreading positive energy to others. "Our commitment to community is demonstrated by the employees' spirit of "Do Good". While the corporate donates money, the staff selflessly organize visits to the elderly and needy."

Visiting Underprivileged Elderly to Spread Love

Miss Agnes Lee, Senior Manager of the Executive Office, said the volunteer team frequently partners with NGOs in Sham Shui Po. The corporate has sponsored Food Angel to distribute free food packs to the elderly and underprivileged families. Participants of the volunteer team regularly help with the food distribution and gain first-hand experience about the difficult situations of the needy. "Some single elderly people are unable to cook and tidy their flats due to disability. Some live in poor home conditions with no electric water heaters but broken furniture, clogged toilet drains, moulded mattress (due to urinary incontinence) and water dripping from ceiling!" To improve their conditions, the corporate hired pest control specialists to clean their flats, bought furniture and arranged technicians to repair broken furniture and install handrails, etc.

"Besides sponsoring food distribution campaigns, we offer free fruit to needy elderly twice a week. The recipients' cheerful smiles are meaningful to us. With the great support, donations and trust from the management, employees are devoted to doing voluntary work."

Since 2015, Chow Tai Fook Charity Foundation has been sponsoring the ongoing "Elderly Caring Programme". Through repeated visits by the volunteer team, our employees understand the needs and difficulties of the elderly and provide assistance to them. Every year, there is a special theme targeting on the elderly with different needs, e.g., bereavement, dementia, disability. The service recipients may join the volunteer team to help the others.

Peter sincerely said, "Besides employees, there are their family members, clients, business partners and former recipients in the volunteer team, promoting social inclusion, sharing of culture and positive spirit! A closer relationship is developed between the management and staff, making employees feel proud of the corporate.

People-oriented Approach to Build Strengths

Whilst the corporate spares no effort in making contributions to society, it adopts a people-oriented approach internally. With 33 years of working experience in Chow Tai Fook, Peter said the former Chairman Mr. Cheng Yu-tung, and the current Chairman and board members highly value talents. "The corporate hires people based on their talents and offers training to suitable candidates. This is the corporate's core value!"

There are over 3,000 branches worldwide, with over 3,000 employees in Hong Kong and Macau, and around 30,000 employees for the group. The long-established talent pool accelerates the corporate's development. Chow Tai Fook actively hunts for talents, e.g., university graduates, and provides tailormade training for employees. "Hong Kong has a well-recognized quality framework. Our experienced staff are recognized by the framework, facilitating their career advancement." Over 1,600 employees, including frontline salespersons, operation management staff and quality control staff, are recognized by the framework.

"Some companies have difficulties in executing peopleoriented policies due to the lack of communication. The core value of the people-oriented approach is to think from the others' perspectives to build bilateral communication channels." Taking frontline salespersons as an example, Peter said the corporate assists them in memorizing product details and brand stories, since they may have difficulties owing to the wide ranges of products.

"We own a diamond brand "T MARK". There is a unique mark on each diamond which can be seen with a jewellery microscope, featuring the details about the source, cutting, authentication, design and manufacturing, guaranteeing the diamond is natural and building customers' confidence. The corporate has an instant messaging group to share information about product details and brand stories with employees to enhance their professional knowledge and sales techniques. When employees have trust in the products, they can easily close the deal!"

The top management regularly listens to the frontline salespersons' requests to put themselves in the salespersons' shoes, understand their difficulties and formulate training programmes. The top management shows support to the frontline staff to boost the morale and team spirit.

Jewellery Gives Delights to Customers

Competition is keen in the local jewellery industry; hence, turn-over rate is high among frontline salespersons. The corporate has a comprehensive policy to lower the turn-over rate by providing a joyful working environment.

"Jewellery symbolizes blessings from the senders and records the moments of joy. Our employees serve customers with pleasure and sincerity. We anticipate employees to gain satisfaction, and build confidence, professionalism and team spirit. We emphasize continuous education and innovation, creating a trustworthy, sincere and open-minded corporate culture!"

The corporate has various recruitment channels. Under the "Management Trainee Programme", new employees rotate to different departments. With "Smart Experience Summer Internship Programme", university students gain experience in back office and selling, aiming at attracting passionate youth to enter into the industry.