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2018 Diversity & Inclusion Conference
This year's Diversity & Inclusion Conference highlighted the need for employers to create a safe workplaces to drive respect, inclusion, engagement and retention.
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21 November 2018
Industry leaders across Hong Kong’s corporate and social sectors attended the conference on 16 November 2018 to demonstrate diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Employees all over the world are much less productive when they cannot be themselves at work so it is important to create an inclusive work environment. Through keynote speeches and panel discussions, the conference stressed the importance of tackling inequality and embracing a progressive work culture. Many of the notable speakers also shared their own real-life stories of tragedy and triumph.
Before businesses can effectively create a safe workplace, they need to develop an understanding of the size of the community. Walter Tsui, Co-founder and Executive Manager of CareER highlighted, “To start your disability and inclusion journey, it is important to realise that there are around 500,000 people living with disabilities in Hong Kong. If your organisation’s recruitment process is not inclusive enough, both your organisation and your clients will miss out on a lot of opportunities and value that could come from this demographic.”
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Creating a safe work environment that makes employees feel valued can also be an effective business tool, as evidenced by Fern Ngai, CEO of Community Business. She summarised, “In order to build an inclusive workplace culture and mind set, we must think about how diversity and inclusion can be aligned with our brand to show authenticity and commitment.” Keith Lui, Director of Global Prime Finance APAC, Deutsche Bank AG added, “In order to build awareness, we have facilitated workshops and information sessions to raise our staff’s awareness about the reality of working with people with disabilities. From this place of awareness, we can then build engagement.”
This conference was not only about developing an understanding of the challenges of creating an inclusive workforce but also a platform to offer practical solutions. The atmosphere was positive and many delegates took away a suite of initiatives designed to foster respect, inclusion, and engagement across their own organisations. While true diversity and inclusion in the workplace still has a long road to travel, for many it is a journey built on better knowledge and shared experiences.
Visit the link below see a video of the conference: |
