Lee Boon-ying, director, Hong Kong Observatory
Characteristics of the corporate culture Specifically, we firmly believe in quality time. Colleagues are encouraged to work according to their official hours, not extended hours. Staying behind at the office is not conducive to personal effectiveness. Colleagues are encouraged to spend time with family and engage in recreational activities.
We put emphasis on work-life balance, which ensures that colleagues distribute their time evenly between work, family, leisure and rest. Colleagues are provided with a good working environment. In their leisure, they have ample time to keep their body in shape and to enrich themselves through self-learning.
Merits of the characteristics Work-life balance ensures that colleagues' minds and bodies are always in their optimal state of performance. The yearly staff opinion survey tells us that colleagues are now more proud and satisfied than ever. Job ownership and satisfaction are all that are required for an organisation to continue evolving and reach new heights.
HR policies We have merged internal committees of similar nature and reduced the number of regular meetings. Routine work is constantly streamlined and automated to relieve colleagues of chores. This enables more time to be devoted to creative thinking and innovative work.
There are regular exercise and domestic classes, sports activities and competitions. Learning is highly valued as a lifelong process for colleagues. They are subsidised in training courses and encouraged to read topics of their interest besides science subjects. Where possible, they are given the opportunity to attend workshops and conferences to broaden their experience and acquire a global view.
Stephen Leung, country manager, Pfizer Hong Kong
Characteristics of corporate culture For more than 50 years, Pfizer HK's commitment to our people is without peer. We embrace a special culture of diversity, inclusion and curiosity.
The company values individuals' contributions in their positions. We believe that everyone could be a leader at what they do. The role senior leadership plays is to show direction and to inspire colleagues to advance their career to where they want to be. We invest a lot in talent development and training; 70 per cent of the managers are promoted internally. The underlying characteristics of diversity include thinking styles, national identity and education.
Merits of the characteristics We hire colleagues globally, including from Hong Kong, the mainland, Columbia, Europe, the Philippines and the United States. With different cultural and professional backgrounds, it helps stimulate new ideas and challenges the status quo which is critical to a corporation which emphasises innovation and continuous improvement. Given our diverse workforce, we strive to create an inclusive environment where our people feel valued, engaged, supported and respected.
HR policies We are in a business of advancing wellness, prevention, treatment and cures. However, new medication does not come out overnight. It takes many trials and unsuccessful steps before a new drug is available. With a strong desire for innovation, we encourage and reward practices of ideas sharing, critical thinking and continuous improvement.
"Continuous and never-ending improvement" (CAN I) is a unique proposition in Pfizer HK. To live our CAN I spirit across all levels, the Lean Six Sigma system has been implemented in all business units and departments.
