Founded in 1993, Convoy Financial Group (“Convoy”) is Hong Kong’s leading listed independent financial adviser (“IFA”) with operations in Hong Kong, Macau and mainland China.
Since its establishment, the Group has provided one-stop financial services to meet its customers’ needs. To nurture talent for the fast-growing IFA sector,
Convoy anchors its talent development programmes in its corporate culture of learning. The programmes’ impact is to cultivate self-learning among the staff, says
Almond Wong, Group Chief HR Officer, Convoy. “The
IFA role occupies a niche in the rapidly evolving local financial planning sector. We are unique in the Hong Kong market. The difference is that we are client-centric: we promote products from the client’s point of view and everything is based on their needs.
We have built a platform where we do not impose any limit on the products. We select products available on the market that are those most suitable for our individual clients.” The group was listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2010. Its schemes cover insurance, stocks, asset management, and overseas property investment.
Convoy emphasises lifelong training to its staff. “On top of support and training, we offer many opportunities through on-the-job training and projects that let our staff apply their skills and theories in the workplace. We believe that the impact of learning is long-lasting in this environment of multiple opportunities,” Wong says.
The key workplace skills are planning and problem-solving, she adds. “Thanks to the internet, access to knowledge and information is relatively easy.
The key is to create an environment for our colleagues to put their knowledge to good use and continue their learning at an advanced level. Our colleagues are able to hone their problem-solving skills when they encounter difficulties and have the opportunity to solve them on their own. This is important for the growth of youth.”
Induction Programme Helps New Recruits
Convoy’s talent development features a three-month induction programme that helps new recruits elevate their problem-solving and planning capabilities.
Department heads are encouraged to brief new staff on the specific responsibilities of each division, daily work routines, and technical jargon, among other matters.
Business partners are invited to impart to the new colleagues specific knowledge of their products.
Meanwhile, the new hires will also gain an understanding of the operation outside their own departments.
Line managers are encouraged to discuss with their new hires two weeks into their employment their individual plans for the year ahead. In this way, the recruits will get a good grasp of the department’s structure, the company’s overall goals, and individual team members’ expected contribution towards those goals.
“We also implement a learning curriculum focused on soft-skill development, including communication and problem-solving. Staff members at all levels are required to take the personality profile test DISC to enhance their self-understanding, as well as mutual understanding among colleagues. This helps strengthen collaboration and teamwork,” Wong says.
Catering to IT-savvy young people, Convoy has an e-platform to complement its learning programme, says Wong. “Our e-platform features video modules on specific skills, and each video runs for three minutes.
We have found that this format is the most effective for engaging young colleagues. After viewing the video, colleagues are required to take a test to gauge how much they have learned. This highly flexible platform allows our colleagues to learn at their own pace and convenience.”
Internship Programme
As well as its holistic talent development programme, Convoy has a well-structured six-week internship programme for undergraduates from local and overseas universities. Line managers collaborate with the HR division on coaching, on-the-job training, job assignment, and business project development.
Managers are also consulted prior to the programme’s commencement to identify learning opportunities and provide detailed job descriptions. Wong thinks the programme helps cultivate a sense of involvement with Convoy among the interns. “The programme has successfully motivated the interns and unleashes their potential. We want them to get genuinely involved and feel that they’re part of Convoy. They learn through the process about problem-solving and other essential skills.
“The interns will take on projects both within and outside their assigned divisions. Some group projects will end with presentations in the presence of top management. In past years, interns researched and presented their findings and ideas on such topics as effective communication channels in the office. Top management listened to the presentations and shared their suggestions for improvements. Interns who have successfully completed the programme will receive certificates of programme completion,” she says.
An exemplary project executed by the interns is
“Bring Your Kids to Work Day”, a family fun event designed to let colleagues’ children know what their parents do and what their work environment is like.
Based on the overall direction and scale provided by the HR division, the interns are tasked with planning the details of the activities, making decisions on which departments to involve, designing games and doing artwork. For example, the interns are responsible for making the children’s photo staff badges especially for
Bring Your Kids To Work Day. Senior managers also participate in the event.
Many interns have told the HR department that the internship experience at Convoy is positive, thanks to the diverse exposure and opportunities for problem-solving. Meanwhile, the overall feedback from interns’ supervisors is that their creativity and diligence have exceeded the company's expectations. Some interns even wish to continue to work part-time at Convoy after the summer break, thus demonstrating that their rewarding internship experience has inspired their confidence in Convoy.
Bright prospects for the sector
The comprehensive talent development initiatives implemented by Convoy are formulated to help young people tap into the fast-growing financial planning market in Hong Kong. To meet the strong market demand, Convoy seeks interns who are eager to learn and have a positive attitude and clear goals. “They should also possess good communication and interpersonal skills,” Wong says. Applicants are invited to attend group interviews involving various line managers as well as HR executives. They may be asked questions about attitude and a five-year plan.
There may also be impromptu presentations to test the candidates’ creativity and knowledge of current affairs.
Mandarin proficiency is important. The department heads may ask questions about technical knowledge, such as IT and finance. Candidates are urged to prepare for the learning opportunities at Convoy. Their contributions are expected, and they should have an open mind.
