Most employees find their company culture 'weak'

Hong Kong professionals are most affected by long work hours and ineffective leadership, according to a recent poll.

More than two-thirds of employees do not have a favourable view of their corporate culture.

This may be a cause for concern, as 81% of employees said a strong corporate culture was ‘important’ or ‘very important’ in choosing to join or remain at a company.

One in three go so far as describing their culture as ‘weak’ or ‘very weak’, found the study by Deacons, the city’s oldest and largest law firm.

In contrast, 66% of companies surveyed believe their culture is ‘strong’ or ‘very strong’, indicating a clear gap and misunderstanding about the employee experience.

Employers also continue to be in favour of a more conservative working environment. A third (34%) described their workplace as structured, and 23% as traditional.

More than 70% of employers believe hierarchy to be an important attribute. However, only 5% of employees think the same.

Emphasising the potential for Hong Kong-based companies to embrace a more modern approach, 39% of employees said their ideal workplace culture would be supportive and almost one in four desired something more dynamic.

Top employee concerns
When asked about their grievances, Hong Kong’s notorious long hours came out top.

Three leading concerns cited were:

• Long hours (65%)
• Domineering senior management (64%)
• Lack of communication from senior management (60%)

READ MORE: Hong Kong slow on tackling employee overwork

For Generation Z, a lack of diversity in the workplace ranked first (65%).

Employers, on the other hand, cited lack of communication from leaders (72%) as a primary grievance.

Emerging issues such as not having a whistleblowing policy (47%) and a lack of support for mental health and stress (45%) were viewed as more concerning than traditional areas like racism and insufficient child care provision (both 35%).

The survey found that employees have a far stronger understanding of well-established company policies in relation to diversity & inclusion (73%) and paternity & maternity leave and benefits (70% and 68%, respectively).

This, versus their understanding of a whistleblowing policy (57%) and the use of AI and automation in the workplace (50%).

‘Modernising’ corporate culture
Fortunately, employers are demonstrating a shift towards progressive thinking, with 80% citing strong corporate culture as the most important factor in retaining and attracting talent, marginally ahead of annual leave and salary (both 78%).

On what changes companies should prioritise in the next 12 to 24 months, employees highlighted:

• Improving health and safety (16%)
• Introducing equal pay (16%)
• Reducing working hours (12%)
• Improving insurance and wellness packages (9%).

Generation Z felt particularly strongly about introducing equal pay, with one in four ranking it the top priority.

“The changing attitudes of modern-day employees are pushing companies to reassess corporate culture in order to attract and retain the best talent,” said Elsie Chan, Partner in Deacons’ Employment and Pensions practice.

“With employment disputes on the rise, companies that do not have adequate policies in place to address both traditional and emerging issues, or that simply aren’t communicating those policies on a regular and timely basis, are more susceptible to legal action as employees increasingly exhibit zero tolerance for unethical or discriminatory behaviour.”

Chan added that introducing gender-equal pay, tackling long hours and ensuring that employee well-being is nurtured, are “demands that cannot be ignored”.

“Strengthening corporate culture is not just good for staff morale and for driving productivity, it is fast becoming a legal imperative,” she said.