The value of creating a new vision in times of crisis

Hong Kong, where I am based right now, is in a bit of a rough spot at the moment. The city is now faced with a third wave of infections even as we are still dealing with the financial fallout from the first and second waves. With that said, the worst seems to be over for Mainland China. In Q2 2020, China’s year-on-year GDP grew by 3.2%, a reverse from the 6.8% contraction the quarter before. Looking purely at the numbers, Mainland China is certainly recovering at a faster pace than the rest of the world. 

This is part of the reason why I wanted to reach out and share some of the learnings that I have had over the past few months, specifically around recovery, a renewed vision and some of the customer-, people- and future-centric initiatives we have put in place to take us through the crisis and beyond. 

Customers always come first

Recruitment has changed dramatically over the last decade. Aside from more demands and options, clients and candidates alike now have more information at their fingertips, too. Simply connecting companies to qualified candidates is not enough anymore. It has to be more in-depth, more strategic and more thought through — but how, exactly? 

Back in 2019, when we were still allowed to travel for leisure (remember that?), my brother and his wife happened to be in town for their 50th birthday. To celebrate, I brought them to one of the top restaurants in Hong Kong known for its delectable food and even better views. And while we did have a fantastic meal there, I was especially touched when, recently the restaurant’s customer service manager got in touch personally to offer a special discount on our next visit. It wasn’t done through a blanket email, which is often the case, and they remembered the birthday celebration we had last time. They didn’t need to go the extra mile, but they did it anyway. It made us feel like a valued customer with a real personal touch. Without the need for further persuasion, my wife and I made dinner plans for the entire family. 

Of course, forging customer relationships is more complicated than a simple restaurant transaction. However, maybe there is something simple that we can learn from our friends in the F&B and other industries.

To that end, we recently expanded our seven-member customer development team, whose mission is to lead key accounts, build deeper relationships with companies whom we have previously worked with, as well as share ideas and best practices on recruitment and business recovery. For example, the team has run workshops with companies around how to run quality interviews, how to manage an efficient offer process, as well as insights on the general recruitment market. We are also looking at how we can connect with our candidates better in the new normal, how we can assist them more in finding a new role — with our help or otherwise. It’s these extra steps that we are taking to build trust and credibility. 

People are our greatest assets

In my last article in April 2020, I emphasised the need to band together through uncertainties and anxieties. Now, perhaps more than ever before, leaders need to step up and let everyone know where we are, where we are going and how we are planning to get there together. 

When the crisis first started, our immediate priority was to take care of our own people while managing the business accordingly. This of course still remains a primary objective. We want to provide the best employee experience possible within the company — and we are doing so in several ways. 

First, we have increased the number of feedback sessions to find out what people are thinking and feeling, as well as check in on the physical and mental wellbeing of them and their families. Also, over the past few months, we have run a number of initiatives and celebrated the members of our women, parents and the LGBTQ+ community, making sure we provide an environment where everyone can be their true self and have the same opportunities to succeed.

All of that falls under the overall vision of creating moments that matter. We want to help our teams create emotional bonds during their career with us. It could be a promotion, or simply getting through a tough spot with the help of teammates. Whatever it is, we want our purpose — ‘Changing Lives, Creating Opportunities’ — to be at the forefront of everything that we do, whether this is for the companies and candidates we work with or employees of our own.

The future is now

It is funny to speak about the future when, in these uncertain times, we hardly know what will happen next week — but we can make educated guesses nonetheless. In Mainland China, domestic companies are growing more confident and ambitious, thanks to government investment in the technology, healthcare, life sciences and education sectors. Manufacturing also continues the upgrade from a high-volume-low-value model to a high-value-low-volume one. Contracting is also becoming more popular as a way of working in China. All of these trends are areas where we will increase investment.

Speaking of trends, the so-called ‘Future of Work’ has come much earlier than expected thanks to the pandemic. From working remotely to flexible work arrangements, many of us have had to get used to brand new ways of working that none of us thought was likely just years before. We all need to continue to adapt and we will make those adjustments whilst ensuring that we maintain our culture. The key will be to get the right balance between flexibility and maintaining the team culture and environment that provides so many learning opportunities and, of course, fun!

Technology plays an important part and I believe there will be a continued evolution rather than a revolution in the world of recruitment. While technology will certainly serve to streamline our processes, at the core of our business are the relationships that we are building. Finding jobs for people, ultimately, is still a very personal thing. As part of our new vision, we don’t just want to be the company with the best access to companies and candidates in the market. We want to be the company with the best relationships.

Let’s get personal

I have been with Page for over 25 years now, with the last 11 years spent living in Shanghai  and Hong Kong. Ask anybody who has been in the company just as long — or longer — and they will have a laundry list of personal stories to share. For me, I came to Shanghai in 2009 right after the Global Financial Crisis. My job then was straightforward: to grow Page’s China business and develop a crop of high-quality leaders along the way. 

The first few months, however, were tough to say the least. Steve Ingram, our CEO, would regularly check in. When we managed to maintain our headcount and were on the way to breaking even, I was eager to report the progress — but was it really progress? We discussed whether such results were good enough, not just for Page but for me as a professional. I moved to China with my entire family, including my daughter who was just one year old at the time. It was a big leap for all of us. I didn’t come here to just ‘break even’; I came here to develop a culture and grow the business. This revelation allowed me to focus on where we were and where we wanted to be. 

Coming out this current crisis has similar feelings and has renewed these motivations. Whilst times are tough, the leader’s role is to paint the picture of a better future and it is certainly true that a difficult road often leads to an amazing destination.

I spoke about forging emotional bonds, and this is the bond for me: to continue to change the lives of our customers and our own people and now to lead the business on the next stage of the journey. Growing the business is still very much the goal. However, we want to grow in a slightly different, more meaningful way. 

Our new vision, to focus on Customers, People and the Future, is how we plan to get there.