‘Holidays’ and a ‘reasonable workload’ now appear among the top five attraction drivers for employees in Hong Kong. The lack of either of these factors in many workplaces around the SAR may go some way to explaining why a large percentage of Hong Kong employees are not engaged in their jobs. According to the latest Towers Watson 2010 Global Workforce Study, Hong Kong’s current work engagement level is 9%, substantially less than the global figure of 21%. The survey revealed that some of the biggest challenges to HR lie within the areas of discretionary effort and personal motivation.
Despite this, historically things are not that bad. This year’s 9% engagement level is significantly higher than the abysmal 5% recorded in 2007, indicating that engagement levels have managed to increase in Hong Kong over the recent difficult financial times.
The survey also reveals that in the current climate of uncertainty and constant change, employees value leaders who connect with the workforce on an emotional level. Around 60% of those surveyed said what they wanted most in senior leaders was someone who cared about the wellbeing of others and encouraged the development of talent in the organisation. However, when asked if their leaders demonstrated such behaviour at work, employees’ answers revealed a gap of around 20% between their expectations and the actual situation.
Paul Arkwright
Publisher
