Description

Hong Kong has one of the oldest populations in the world and many employers are facing chronic skills shortages. Recruiting and retaining people of all ages is critical to organisations and many employers are finding new ways to make good use of the talents, skills and experiences of older workers. Older workers can benefit their employers by mentoring younger staff, sharing knowledge and being on hand for special projects. Many would consider delaying retirement if offered the chance to work more flexibly or to take on new roles. 

Community Business and the Centre for Research into the Older Workforce are hosting an afternoon discussion on older workers and building a multi-generational workforce. The event is aimed to share good practice which can benefit employers who are looking for ways to mobilise talent drawing on case studies in Hong Kong, Asia and Europe. The keynote speaker is Professor Alfred Chan, Chairman of the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) who will discuss how the EOC is engaging with business on multigenerational workplaces. 

Dr Matt Flynn will share the findings from his book “Managing the Ageing Workforce in the East and the West”, looking into the complex relationship between individual workers’ work and retirement expectations in relation to differences in employer practices in the West and the East.

PROGRAMME RUNDOWN

Welcome and Introduction 

Opening Remarks 

Keynote Speech 

  • Older Workers in the Hong Kong Economy: the EOC’s Perspective - Prof Albert Chan 

Fireside Chat

  • Sharing from Managing the Ageing Workforce in the East and the West – Matt Fylnn and Fern Ngai  

Panel Discussion  

  • The Business Case for Multigenerational Workforces - How Hong Kong Businesses Are Benefitting from Recruiting and Retaining Older Workers 

Wrap up and Closing 

Event Speakers

Professor Alfred C.M. Chan

Chairperson, Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC)

Professor Chan has been both a practitioner and an academic in social services for the older persons, the disabled and the ethnic minorities. Prof Chan sat on many Government advisory bodies, including the Chair of Elderly Commission (2012-2016), Member of Steering Committee on Population Policy (2013-2016), and Member of Minimum Wage Commission (2012-2016). He was a member of the Hong Kong World Health Organisation Quality of Life Instruments (Elderly) Study Team (2002-6), and a consultant on ageing and social development issues for the United Nations Economics and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP, 2001-2015). He was also an Advisor to Tsao’s Foundation of Singapore and National University of Singapore (NUS)’s International Longevity Centre (ILC). Professor Chan is currently the Chairperson of the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC).

Dr Matt Flynn

Professor of HRM, Subject Group Head, OBHRM, University of Hull

Matt Flynn is a professor at the University of Hull and Director the Centre for Research into the Older Workforce. He has carried out research for both the UK and Hong Kong governments on the impact of ageing demographics on the world of work. He has produced good practice guides for employers on making work attractive to older workers; constructing phased retirement pathways; and making the best use of skills and talents in intergenerational work teams. He is currently working with partners in Spain, Italy and Poland on a European Commission funded project developing industry-specific approaches to workplace active ageing. He is also working with British employers and armed services in supporting older veterans into high quality civilian work. Finally, he edited a book which explored how employers and governments in Asia and Europe are addressing the challenges of ageing workplaces. His work can be found at www.agediversity.org.

Fern Ngai

CEO, Community Business

Fern Ngai is Chief Executive Officer of Community Business, a Hong Kong based not-for-profit organisation dedicated to advancing responsible and inclusive business practices. With fifteen years of experience in harnessing the power of business to drive social change, Community Business has an established reputation as a thought leader and trusted partner in corporate social responsibility and diversity and inclusion in Asia. Community Business conducts pioneering research, facilitates networks and events, leads campaigns and provides training and consultancy.

Fern joined Community Business 5 years ago and under her leadership, the organisation has expanded its products and services, established a subsidiary in India, and has launched the ground breaking Hong Kong LGBT+ Inclusion Index and annual Awards. Fern is a Steering Committee member of the 30% Club Hong Kong which believes in collaborative, concerted business-led efforts to help accelerate progress towards gender parity on Hong Kong corporate boards. She was also a finalist in the 2017 Telstra Business Woman in Asia Award.

Originally from Canada, Fern has 40 years of broad experience in financial services, technology, change management, and in workplace diversity and community programmes. She held leadership roles in the human resources, technology and operations, governance, and corporate affairs functions at Standard Chartered Bank and was its first diversity and inclusion champion for Hong Kong. She volunteers as a board director of KELY Support Group, a Hong Kong charity dedicated to supporting young people.

Priyanka Gothi

Founder & CEO, Retired Not Out

Priyanka Gothi is the founder of Retired Not Out. Retired Not Out is an online platform for companies to hire, train and engage seasoned professionals. As the world rapidly ages and we see a massive shortage of talent - engaging with this pool of experienced & networked individuals will enable companies to build a sustainable talent pipeline as well as drive retention and relevance for loyal employees. In less than a year, Retired Not Out has built a community of over 500 seasoned professionals across all levels and successfully placed over 30 with Corporates / SMEs / Startups.

Prior to this venture, Priyanka has worked for over 10 years as a senior marketing professional in India and Switzerland, building large scale branded communities.

Simon Gluyas

Employee Insights Leader, Talent & Rewards, North Asia, Willis Tower Watson

Simon has worked in Human Capital consulting for 20+ years, with experience delivering solutions across 15+ countries. He has been based between Hong Kong and Shanghai for the last 10 years. He is highly experienced in employee experience surveys, having successfully delivered programmes for some of Asia’s largest and most complex organisations.

Simon also has significant experience in psychometrics and high performance behavioural research. He is an accredited trainer of psychometrics to British Psychological Society standards and personally accredited in a wide range of psychometric products. A sample of recent consulting solutions has been focused on:

• Executive leadership assessment and development for a large Hong Kong based F&B organization
• Culture diagnosis and change management for a large Indian based conglomerate\
• Employee engagement measurement and organisational change for a large international (Hong Kong headquartered) conglomerate
• Hi potential development programme for a large utilities provider

Simon is a regular speaker at industry conferences, most recently in mainland China, Hong Kong and Singapore. He has published a number of industry articles, most recently on ‘Continuous Listening’ in Hong Kong Institute of Human Resource Management.

Amy Tye

Diversity and CSR Manager, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

Amy Tye qualified as a Chartered Accountant and has held roles in finance to senior management and now manages Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer’s responsible business overseeing the law firm’s diversity and inclusion, corporate social responsibility, pro bono, environment and other people-related topics such as mental health.

Prior to joining Freshfields, Amy held Asia Pacific regional CFO and CEO roles in the luxury retail business, managing the brands of Gucci, YSL and eventually Bottega Veneta where she oversaw the revival of the brand in Hong Kong and introducing it to the rest of Asia, opening flagship stores throughout the region and competing with the biggest names in the business.
Following an intensive career, Amy retired to pursue personal interests such as sports, pets, volunteering, including a directorship at a Cambodian charity. From doing almost no exercise in the past, she has since competed in trail running races including twice in a 50km trail race. She also has 3 dogs, 6 cats and an endless number of foster kittens looking for adopters.

Amy decided to take a break from the alternative lifestyle in 2015, returning to the workforce to join Freshfields as Diversity and CSR Manager. She now works part-time.