Career comeback programme gains momentum in Asia
Saturday, 26 April 2008
Justine Lau
Christopher Cheung first experienced problems with his vision last May. At that time, he thought it had something to do with his eyes, perhaps deteriorating myopia.
After a few visits to the doctor, Mr Cheung realised it was actually a brain aneurysm that had affected his eyesight.
What followed was a series of operations, which paralysed the left side of his body and caused a slurring of speech. He was forced to take time off work to have rehabilitation treatment.
In the first week of December after he had more or less recovered, Mr Cheung returned to his job as an advertising manager at Mentholatum, the drug company, albeit for just two days a week.
"All along, my company has been very thoughtful. My bosses just told me to take it easy. They guaranteed that I could go back to work as soon as I feel better. It's very important because the last thing I wanted to happen was to be sick and then jobless," says Mr Cheung.
Mr Cheung's experience is still seen as rare in Hong Kong, where employment laws are sometimes considered more favourable towards employers. But companies are increasingly trying to lure back people who have left work, either voluntarily - mostly for family reasons - or involuntarily, as in Mr Cheung's case - to return as they are hit by an acute shortage of experienced staff.
Bolstered by a booming economy, both employee turnover and vacancy rates hit a five-year high in the fourth quarter of last year, according to the Hong Kong Institute of Human Resource Management.
One company that is trying to persuade people who have taken such a break to return is UBS, the investment bank. Last year, it launched a worldwide Career Comeback programme to help professionals on career breaks, whether ex-UBS or not, to rejoin the workforce. It brought the programme to Hong Kong last November.
"Different approaches are required to secure the best people from different talent pools. Those who have taken a career break often have excellent qualifications and amazing experience and they would like to come back to the workforce. Why not?" asks Ran de Silva, UBS's regional head of diversity, Asia Pacific.
The two-day programme, which is also seen as a corporate social responsibility move, includes seminars on updates of the financial services industry, regulatory changes and technology advancements. It also matches participants with peer coaches and mentors.
"Anyone taking a career break can become out of touch with the industry very quickly and, in contemplating a return to the workplace, they often feel the need to re-establish business contacts. It is especially important in Hong Kong, where networking is so important," says Ms de Silva.
Although participants are not guaranteed jobs at UBS, the bank did hire three people who had gone through the programme in the US.
In Hong Kong, a few people have been interviewed and the bank is keeping an eye on job openings for them.
"[The programme] is a recognition that skills generally are hard to come by in the market. You read a lot about skill shortages all over. Hong Kong is certainly not immune," says Guy Day, managing director for recruitment firm Ambition in Asia.
"Companies just have to think outside the box to look at people that perhaps ordinarily may not be considered."
For those who have opted out of the workforce and consider going back, Mr Day says they could keep their skills updated by attending refresher courses or evening schools.
Ambition recently placed a mother-of-two with a boutique financial services company in Hong Kong. The lady had been a project manager with a leading bank with experiences in financial planning analysis, before stepping out of work five years ago to look after her children.
"Returning to the workforce is never a challenge if you have a marketable profile," Mr Day says.
Once they have gone back, however, they will have to deal with the routine, the pressure and the meeting of deadlines that characterise the workplace.
"Many of those whose careers have been interrupted have become the masters of their own time. The difficulty many face is to discover how to balance their roles at home with their responsibilities at work," says Ms de Silva.
Even if companies do not have tailored programmes such as Career Comeback, they could still consider offering career breaks as a way to retain employees.
Although the concept of career breaks is considered unusual in Asia, where people sometimes do not even take their holidays and there is a bigger focus on achieving promotions, some companies, especially financial services firms which are the most short of talent, have been more inclined to allow their employees to take time off.
Mike Game, chief executive of Hudson Asia, the human resources consultancy, says people who want to take breaks should articulate their rationale carefully and provide a commitment to return. Even if they are not sure about the return date, they should at least be clear about the intention.
"How you make a business case to the employers and present a compelling reason for them to say yes is very important. In a market like this, employers are not likely to say no," says Mr Game.
...............................................................
Under syndication arrangement with FE
Christopher Cheung first experienced problems with his vision last May. At that time, he thought it had something to do with his eyes, perhaps deteriorating myopia.
After a few visits to the doctor, Mr Cheung realised it was actually a brain aneurysm that had affected his eyesight.
What followed was a series of operations, which paralysed the left side of his body and caused a slurring of speech. He was forced to take time off work to have rehabilitation treatment.
In the first week of December after he had more or less recovered, Mr Cheung returned to his job as an advertising manager at Mentholatum, the drug company, albeit for just two days a week.
"All along, my company has been very thoughtful. My bosses just told me to take it easy. They guaranteed that I could go back to work as soon as I feel better. It's very important because the last thing I wanted to happen was to be sick and then jobless," says Mr Cheung.
Mr Cheung's experience is still seen as rare in Hong Kong, where employment laws are sometimes considered more favourable towards employers. But companies are increasingly trying to lure back people who have left work, either voluntarily - mostly for family reasons - or involuntarily, as in Mr Cheung's case - to return as they are hit by an acute shortage of experienced staff.
Bolstered by a booming economy, both employee turnover and vacancy rates hit a five-year high in the fourth quarter of last year, according to the Hong Kong Institute of Human Resource Management.
One company that is trying to persuade people who have taken such a break to return is UBS, the investment bank. Last year, it launched a worldwide Career Comeback programme to help professionals on career breaks, whether ex-UBS or not, to rejoin the workforce. It brought the programme to Hong Kong last November.
"Different approaches are required to secure the best people from different talent pools. Those who have taken a career break often have excellent qualifications and amazing experience and they would like to come back to the workforce. Why not?" asks Ran de Silva, UBS's regional head of diversity, Asia Pacific.
The two-day programme, which is also seen as a corporate social responsibility move, includes seminars on updates of the financial services industry, regulatory changes and technology advancements. It also matches participants with peer coaches and mentors.
"Anyone taking a career break can become out of touch with the industry very quickly and, in contemplating a return to the workplace, they often feel the need to re-establish business contacts. It is especially important in Hong Kong, where networking is so important," says Ms de Silva.
Although participants are not guaranteed jobs at UBS, the bank did hire three people who had gone through the programme in the US.
In Hong Kong, a few people have been interviewed and the bank is keeping an eye on job openings for them.
"[The programme] is a recognition that skills generally are hard to come by in the market. You read a lot about skill shortages all over. Hong Kong is certainly not immune," says Guy Day, managing director for recruitment firm Ambition in Asia.
"Companies just have to think outside the box to look at people that perhaps ordinarily may not be considered."
For those who have opted out of the workforce and consider going back, Mr Day says they could keep their skills updated by attending refresher courses or evening schools.
Ambition recently placed a mother-of-two with a boutique financial services company in Hong Kong. The lady had been a project manager with a leading bank with experiences in financial planning analysis, before stepping out of work five years ago to look after her children.
"Returning to the workforce is never a challenge if you have a marketable profile," Mr Day says.
Once they have gone back, however, they will have to deal with the routine, the pressure and the meeting of deadlines that characterise the workplace.
"Many of those whose careers have been interrupted have become the masters of their own time. The difficulty many face is to discover how to balance their roles at home with their responsibilities at work," says Ms de Silva.
Even if companies do not have tailored programmes such as Career Comeback, they could still consider offering career breaks as a way to retain employees.
Although the concept of career breaks is considered unusual in Asia, where people sometimes do not even take their holidays and there is a bigger focus on achieving promotions, some companies, especially financial services firms which are the most short of talent, have been more inclined to allow their employees to take time off.
Mike Game, chief executive of Hudson Asia, the human resources consultancy, says people who want to take breaks should articulate their rationale carefully and provide a commitment to return. Even if they are not sure about the return date, they should at least be clear about the intention.
"How you make a business case to the employers and present a compelling reason for them to say yes is very important. In a market like this, employers are not likely to say no," says Mr Game.
...............................................................
Under syndication arrangement with FE