The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted many aspects of everyday life, including not just normal work routines but also the special events and award ceremonies which have become important dates on the annual calendar.
However, leading organisations have been quick to adapt, figuring out how to make the best of a testing situation and deal effectively with changed circumstances.
Not surprisingly, that’s exactly what happened when Great Place to Work®, the firm often described as a global authority on workplace culture, had to rethink this year’s arrangements to announce its fifth annual list of Best Workplaces in Hong Kong™.
Instead of the usual gala dinner, which was ruled out by understandable concerns about health issues and social distancing, the event was successfully switched to an online format. This worked seamlessly and meant the 16 award winners from diverse sectors could still receive the recognition they deserved for their efforts and achievements over the previous 12 months.
It was also an opportunity for these companies to highlight some of the new practices and precautionary measures they put in place to guard against Covid-19, keep employees safe, and ensure their businesses could continue to operate as smoothly as possible during the worst of the crisis.
In some cases, these policies did not just apply to staff, but also to their families and even extended to cover members of the wider community. At the same time, it was a chance to highlight the ongoing “Better Together” campaign, which was initiated by Great Place to Work® earlier this year as one way of helping employers and individuals come to terms with the different challenges presented by working remotely and having less direct interaction with colleagues.
The core objective of the campaign has been to provide all kinds of links and information able to assist with practical matters and decision-making. This has included, for instance, the results of surveys plus webinars and blogs offering advice on how best to deal with different aspects of the current situation.
The awards ceremony itself took place via the Zoom conferencing platform. For the occasion, the online guests of honour were Mr. Ho Kai-Ming, Hong Kong’s Undersecretary For Labour and Welfare HKSAR along with Mr. Michael Bush, Global Chief Executive Officer of Great Place to Work®.
Besides representatives of the award winners, the link-up attracted participants from around the world, all keen to celebrate the successes and to understand a little more about how organisations in Hong Kong have been rethinking processes and battling through.
This year, a special “Legends™” award was presented to companies which have now been recognised as Best Workplaces for five consecutive years. It was given as a tribute to their clear commitment to creating a work environment where managers consistently listen to employees, and where a “high trust” culture has been evident over a sustained period of time.
“A high level of trust in the workplace is consistently necessary for continuity, survival, innovation, resilience and keeping the motivation, among many other factors,” said Mr. Jose Carlos Bezanilla, Chief Executive Officer of Great Place to Work®, Greater China. “And the ‘new normal’, as we are discovering, is bringing with it many new challenges.”
Dealing with those challenges, he added, will require a different kind of leadership, outstanding teams, and a strong and resilient workplace culture in order to survive and thrive.
In addition, TE Connectivity and American Express International, Inc. were recognised this year as Best Workplaces for Women™. The award highlights their efforts in developing and promoting practices that make sure women have a fair and positive experience in the workplace plus opportunities to contribute to the success of the business. As a result, women can develop their talents both personally and professionally.
List of 2020 award winners of Best Workplaces in Hong Kong™ 2020 (in alphabetical order)
