SHKP Quarterly

CH Tang: Management Trainee Programmes give the Group a youthful impetus 鄧卓軒：管理培訓生計劃 為集團注入新世代動力 "The Group actively invests in cultivating young talent, which results in a three-way win situation, as it is beneficial for the young people, the company and Hong Kong," said C H Tang, Group Head - Internal Affairs. SHKP's Management Trainee Programmes reflect SHKP's dedication to nurturing promising young people to help them reach their full potential in the future, he added. The Group's comprehensive talent development system has been a crucial cornerstone of the Group's robust growth for more than 40 years. Continuously improving the Management Trainee Programmes In the 70s, the Group started recruiting Management Trainees, many of whom subsequently moved into management roles in the Group. "In view of its business development needs, the Group resumed its systematic Management Trainee Programmes in Hong Kong and on the mainland in 2002. The programmes have been in operation since then," he said. According to C H, following a prudent approach, the Group has long established a positive reputation in the market, which is highly appealing to young talent. To help satisfy young people's career aspirations, the Group continues to optimize its programmes to enhance their attractiveness. For example, the Group officially put in place a 'career path' last year. "Generally, as long as their work performance is satisfactory and they meet the evaluation criteria, the Management Trainees can take on a supervisory role after three years, a senior supervisory role after five years, and a managerial role after eight years, becoming junior managers," said C H. A clear progression path gives Management Trainees greater motivation to work hard to achieve their career goals. D u r i n g t h e t h r e e - y e a r p r o g r amm e , Management Trainees who opt for the property businesses stream work in two to three departments in the first year, so that they become familiar with a variety of the Group’s businesses. Then they continue their development in a business function of their choice. Management Trainees who opt for a non-property portfolio businesses stream work on research, financial analysis and market study projects at headquarters for the first six months and then work in subsidiaries, where they handle different functions. "The focus of the programmes is to expose Management Trainees to as many businesses and roles of the Group as possible. We also recognize the fact that young people enjoy taking on new challenges, so during the three years, the Group sends them to various departments or subsidiaries for on-the-job training and work, giving them the kind of freshness that switching jobs can provide," said CH. Selecting elite candidates from over a thousand applicants every year According to C H, the Group receives nearly 2,000 application letters every year for SHKP Management Trainees. After a rigorous selection process with different assessment exercises, the Group chooses about ten applicants. "Cultivating talent requires a lot of resources and effort, so we put strong emphasis on the quality of the applicants. The young people who are enrolled in our programmes are definitely the elite," said CH. C H gave some 'tips' to young people who are interested in applying to become Management Trainees. In addition to outstanding academic performance, they 22 Profile Vol 93 • Q3 2019 • SHKP Quarterly