Money Moves Financial firm sees value in a caring culture by Wing Kei If staff receive the support and training they need to perform well, there will invariably be two consequences — fewer problems related to employee retention and a generally greater sense of job satisfaction. According to Rosa Lee, senior vice president of Grand Finance Group Co Ltd, these factors, in turn, contribute to better workplace efficiency. The company provides a comprehensive range of financial products and advisory services for clients. To maintain quality services, it also pays close attention to any employee requirements. "Our management always encourages staff to stick to working only during office hours and to be accountable and responsible in their jobs," Ms Lee says. "Overtime and long hours don't increase the level of efficiency." The company has an "east meets west" culture. While academic credentials are highly valued, management also looks for people with the ability to think clearly, Ms Lee says. "We expect our staff to exercise good judgment and use common sense." Employees often specialise in different areas of finance. This makes it easier to serve international clients with diverse investment priorities and an interest in different financial markets. "We don't focus on corporate advertising of our services because many of our new prospects are found through referrals from retail and institutional clients," Ms Lee adds. Similarly, new recruits are often recommended by word of month. "People trust us because we have a good reputation in the industry," she says Grand Finance offers good remuneration packages and is now actively looking for professionals to help the next phase of expansion. "It is a competitive market in Hong Kong and hiring the right talent is not easy," Ms Lee says. "We want our employees to be happy at their jobs." Prospective recruits must be well qualified, hard working and professional. There is introductory and ongoing training for all recruits. This covers financial products, compliance issues and market intelligence. Each year, the company also hires interns and management trainees, and likes to offer ad hoc benefits to staff, such as travel discounts, free concert tickets and additional medical benefits for family members. An office has already been opened in Shanghai and more mainland offices are likely to follow. "China is a growing market and we are definitely exploring opportunities in this area," Ms Lee says. Taken from Career Times 20 October 2006, p. A2 Your comments are welcome at [email protected]