Serving as a platform to share insights, knowledge and tools on talent management, the “Greater China Talent Management Summit 2012” in the theme of “People Trends & Strategies – Managing a Multi-Generations Workforce” was successfully held at Kowloon Shangri-la
on 6th July 2012.


Having entered its 7th year, the summit attracted over 250 human resources professionals and senior executives to join and we are honored to have 13 prominent speakers from the government and leading organizations to share their experience and insights with us.







Talents for the Network Economy
Speaking on nurturing new generation talents for the network economy, Dr. Hon. Samson Tam Wai-ho, JP, Member of Legislative Council (Information Technology), opening keynote speaker of the summit, believed that to embrace the network economy, creativity and innovation is a key element that companies should note of. “As technologies evolve, the world is changing very fast and those who are creative and innovative will be able to create value for a company in the network economy.”

To conclude, Dr. Tam said, “in the future, talents will become the centre of a company. And I believe Hong Kong with its freedom of speech and international connection will serve as a good platform for nurturing the new generation of talents.”

Managing a Diverse Workforce
After the opening keynote, Dr. Ricky Szeto, Executive Director of Hung Fook Tong Holdings Limited, shared his philosophy of managing a diverse workforce.

Dr. Szeto believed that all employees want to work happily, so a joyful workplace is the key to effective management, so Hung Fook Tong strives to provide its people clear leadership and an environment of mutual respect and direct communication, which has led to very good employment r elationship.

“I personally prefer face-to-face communication instead of sending long emails. I think sincere and direct communication enables us to understand better our staff and show our care to them, so that they will be happy at work and are more devoted to creating value for the company. Business success comes from the frontline joyful staff,” he concluded.

Addressing Healthcare Concerns
The third keynote was given by Mrs. Carmen Lam, Chief Executive Officer of PrinCorp Wealth Advisors (Asia) Limited. She stressed the importance of addressing healthcare concerns for staff from pre-60s to post 90s.

“Companies that are able to address healthcare concerns for their staff of different age groups are proved to be more competitive in attracting talent. To effectively manage your multigenerational workforce, companies should consider the attributes of each generation and revisit their strategies to make sure that the right benefits are provided so that their investment in benefits brings out the expected return,” she said.

Learning for Talents
After the morning refreshment, Mr. Francis Chan, General Manager Hong Kong of Lumesse Hong Kong Limited delivered his speech on linking development needs to a learning solution.

“Every employee should have a development plan that helps them move on to their future roles. To optimize your company’s approach for developing talent, a learning management system will help you keep track of your people’s learning progress, deliver e-learning and offer learning tools to your people.”

Safer Business Trips
Next to the stage was Mr. Paul Blinkhorn, Security Director - Hong Kong & Philippines of International SOS, who offered his suggestions on safer business trips for the multigenerational workforce.

"Security and safety threats are the main concern for employees who are travelling. Even you are in a safe first-tier city, crimes still happen occasionally, so a support structure you can reach out to is essential," he said.

“I'd suggest employees reduce the threats before they even travel. Have a look around what is out there helps raise your awareness. Lots of information is available in government websites and other as well. So have a look at the citizens of the country you travel will give you a clearer picture of what to do to reduce the threats,” he suggested.

Embracing Diversity
The last speaker of the morning session was Mr. Morris Cheung, Human Resources Director of MTR Corporation Limited, who shared his talent management practices at MTR.

“Nowadays, one size does not fit all. Therefore, at MTR we provide our staff with multi-facet individualized development programmes that address their needs from different perspectives based on a learning culture that facilitates self-independent learning and communication,” said Mr. Cheung.

Succession Planning
After the lunch break we came to the Talent Forum on succession planning in a multi-generations workforce, featuring four seasoned business and HR leaders. Mr. Stephen Lee, President of Peter F. Drucker Academy and facilitator of the forum, asked the three speakers to comment on the best way to grow junior talent into future leaders.

Mr. Wong Tit Shing, Chairman of Jetta Company Limited said Jetta believed in home grown succession at all levels. “We don’t use the term succession planning, instead we provide every staff the opportunity to develop their skills through various training.”

Ms. Angela Lee, Head of Human Resources of Hong Kong Trade Development Council said, “Putting the right talent to the right place at the right time is extremely important. It is critical for companies to assess talent’s potential and we think tailor-made development programmes are more effective in addressing the various needs of talents.”

Mr. Aaron Chiang, Head of Human Resources and Administration of Hong Yip Service Company Limited revealed that at Hong Yip, talents who are selected to advance to the manager level are provided with development programmes where they have their own mentors who share with them useful advice and experience, which is a key component of a good development plan.

Organizational Readiness
Following the forum, Mr. Stuart Hedley, Managing Director of SHL Hong Kong, delivered his speech on organizational Readiness and the alignment of succession planning and talent management.

“When we talk about talent management, ultimately what we are trying to do is to get the organization ready to stand up to anything that we may encounter. The business sector keeps changing, so the focus on talent has never been greater,” said Mr. Hedley.

People Management 3.0
The audience welcomed Dr. Michael Y K Chan, Chairman of Cafe de Coral Holdings Limited after the break to know more about the new management concept: People Management 3.0.

“As technology evolves, traditional management practices are no longer applicable and should be adjusted to embrace human spirit and value instead of merely looking at monetary return. It’s time to take on a People Management 3.0 approach and address employees’ needs and touch the depth of their human spirit – making the world a better place!”

Health Problems in the Workplace
The final speaker of the day was Dr. Robert Chung Ting Yiu, Director of Public Opinion Programme (POP), The University of Hong Kong, who shared the latest findings of The HeadlineJobs Quality Workplace Index.

Given the aging population demographics, the survey looked at a host of common health problems among the working class. “The survey shows that long hours at work commonly lead to various health problems among employees. Three quarters of employees (75 percent) have suffered from body aches related to the neck, shoulder, back and wrist during the past 6 months. We believe these health problems will definitely affect the loyalty of the workforce,” said Dr. Chung.

A Note of Thanks
A-Performers.com as the organizer would like to take this opportunity to thank all the honorable guest speakers, partners, sponsors, exhibitors, advertisers, facilitators and delegates from Hong Kong and overseas, who have made this summit a success and memorable one. Hope to see you all next year!