One out of three working professionals in Hong Kong SAR felt they faced barriers to career advancement due to diversity factors, according to new Hays study
Working professionals respond positively when made to feel included and equitably treated.

The report, ‘Building Inclusive Hiring Practices: A Blueprint for Action’, surveyed 966 working professionals and hiring managers across Hong Kong SAR, China, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand in July 2024. 

Respondents were asked how various diversity factors affected their careers within their organisation, and where they felt their companies stood today with DE&I initiatives. Diversity factors taken into account included ethnicity, gender identity, socio economic background, disability, sexual orientation, neurodiversity or status as a caregiver. 

“Professionals in Hong Kong will reciprocate in kind when companies are willing to accommodate their needs,” says Sue Wei, Managing Director at Hays Greater China. “Respondents felt that inclusivity and equitable treatment would improve their physical and mental wellbeing, leading to enhanced productivity and performance at work, better communication with managers and a higher likelihood of staying at their workplace.” 

When asked what steps organisations could take to make them feel more equitably treated, the most popular actions voted by respondents were having diverse representation in all levels of the organisation (38 per cent), transparent inclusive recruitment, progression and promotion processes (38 per cent) and clear policies against discrimination and harassment (36 per cent). 

“Understanding what’s current in practice in the organisation will help with plugging gaps to inclusivity. Leaders can start by reviewing what has been put in place and identify strategies and roadmaps to implement new policies,” says Sue. 

Hiring managers in Hong Kong were also least likely to believe in the importance of inclusive hiring in Asia, with only 68 per cent saying it was ‘important or ‘very important’. When compared to other locations, Hong Kong trails behind Singapore at 82 per cent, and Japan at 86 per cent. 

“While many hiring managers are supportive of the need for inclusive recruitment measures, there is still work to be done to improve awareness. Inclusive recruitment training is an effective way to communicate benefits and ensure hiring teams understand what processes they can implement to improve hiring standards,” says Sue. 

A copy of this report can be found here.