The company attaches great importance to human resources and strives to equip staff at all levels so they can excel at work. This year, SHKP and its subsidiary, Hong Yip, were once again awarded the Manpower Developer honour by the Employees Retraining Board. Since the launch of the Manpower Developer Award Scheme in 2010, SHKP and Hong Yip have received the award for 10 consecutive years. The head office, Hong Yip and 67 corporations are therefore now acknowledged as Super MDs, with the validity period extended from two years to five years to highlight their continuous achievements in staff training and development.

SHKP was recently awarded a record high of 24 accolades in the annual Real Estate Survey, organized by internationally renowned financial magazine Euromoney, reflecting widespread industry recognition of the Group's continuous improvement.

In Euromoney's Real Estate Survey 2020, SHKP took home all seven property awards in Hong Kong, including the Best Overall Developer, Best Mixed-Use Developer, Best Residential Developer and Best Innovative Green Development Developer. SHKP also won six out of seven awards on the mainland, including the Best Overall Developer, Best Mixed-Use Developer, and Best Retail/Shopping Developer.

In the Asia Pacific region, SHKP won the top regional award, the Best Overall Developer, for the seventh year, the most among all developers, while receiving five other awards, including the Best Residential Developer and Best Retail/Shopping Developer.

SHKP also clinched three global honours: Global Best Innovative Green Development Developer, Best Residential Developer and Best Mixed-Use Developer.

Recognized as one of the benchmark awards for the real estate industry, Euromone's annual Real Estate Survey was held for the 16th consecutive year. More than 2,700 representatives from advisers, developers, investment managers, bankers and corporate end users of real estate worldwide took part in this year's survey.

Awards received by SHKP:

SHKP places great emphasis on young talent. This year, the company recruited 14 university graduates in the mainland and Hong Kong to take part in its three-year Management Trainee Programme. Group Training recently organized a five-day induction programme to allow trainees to develop an all-round understanding of the company.

New arrangements amid the pandemic

Mainland and Hong Kong management trainees used to participate in an induction programme in Hong Kong. While the mainland trainees were not able to come to Hong Kong this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, they met the Hong Kong trainees via online video conferencing. Through sharing by senior staff, the participants learned about SHKP's corporate culture and the Group's different business functions. Site tours were arranged for the local management trainees to visit the Group's residential premises, office buildings, malls, retail operations and construction sites to familiarize them with SHKP's diversified businesses.

Facilitating the career development of young people

The management trainees undertake internships in a variety of roles throughout the programme to gain wide exposure. A senior staff member is assigned to each trainee as a mentor to offer valuable work advice and life coaching. In addition, the company provides multifaceted training to develop the potential of the trainees and allow them to take on more important roles in the future.

The construction industry has not only driven the economic growth of Hong Kong, but has also transformed the city's urban landscape. To mark the 100th anniversary of the Hong Kong Construction Association (HKCA) this year, the HKCA is hosting a Construction Industry Century Memories roving exhibition, titled 'Memorable Structures in the Past Century', with SHKP a platinum sponsor of the event. 

In addition to showcasing precious historical artefacts and the development history of the HKCA, the exhibition features a 12 x 2.5-metre animated artwork, named 'Transforming Stones into Today's Hong Kong'. Created by a young Hong Kong artist based on more than 100 photos of Hong Kong during different periods, the watercolour painting employs interactive animations of urban transformation, the evolution of construction technologies, and building developments, illustrating inspiring stories of Hong Kong construction projects and people over the past century. The International Commerce Centre, developed by SHKP, is vividly featured in the artwork as one of Hong Kong's iconic landmarks (see animation). Visit the exhibition, and get a first-hand look at the fascinating artwork!

Schedule and venue of the Memorable Structures in the Past Century exhibition:

From now until 26 October – The Oval Atrium in IFC Mall, Central
Note: For the latest information on the two subsequent exhibitions, please visit the related website: https://www.hkca100.com.hk/en/exhibition.php

Underscoring SHKP's emphasis on manpower development, Hong Yip Service Company Limited, a subsidiary of the Group, established Hong Yip People Development Academy in 2007 to cultivate talent for the industry. In view of the ever-rising expectations for property management services, Hong Yip has continuously improved the academy by incorporating innovative technology into training to enhance the learning experience of staff.

Developing a variety of training apps in collaboration with higher-education institutions

Hong Yip People Development Academy features a well-equipped training centre in Kwai Hing, which can accommodate 100 participants. In recent years, the academy has introduced innovative technology equipment for teaching. Through collaboration with the University of Hong Kong, the Vocational Training Council, and other external institutions and organizations, it has also developed virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) applications, as well as mobile apps, for staff training.

First property management company to run Qualifications Framework programmes

Over the past decade, Hong Yip People Development Academy has evolved from a functional department to a training centre, providing more than 22,000 training sessions for nearly 300,000 participants. In 2010, Hong Yip was accredited by the Qualifications Framework (QF) as the first property management company to run QF-recognized training programmes from Levels 1 to 3, as well as the first private company in Hong Kong with Specifications of Competency Standards-based in-house training programmes. The academy has successfully organized 19 QF-recognized programmes, which account for nearly half of such programmes in the industry, including the highest number of QF Level 3 accredited programmes. In addition to providing training for Group staff, the academy designs and offers courses for other institutions and non-profit organizations, such as the Hong Kong Management Association, to help raise the level of the property management industry and fulfil its social responsibility obligations.

In recent years, Hong Yip has actively leveraged innovative technology applications for manpower development, which has garnered widespread recognition. This year, for example, Hong Yip's 'Virtual Reality Training Platform' won the silver award in the Best Safety Enhancement Programme of the 7th Best Property Safety Management Award, organized by the Occupational Safety & Health Council. Last year, the company took home the bronze award in SHKP's Work Safety Suggestion Scheme with its proposal for 'Virtual Training and Safety Intelligence'. By offering professional and systematic training, Hong Yip seeks to prepare its staff and the industry well for the licensing regime of the Property Management Services Ordinance.

Every summer, SHKP organizes Summer Internship Programmes to let young people gain valuable work experience. As the local economy is affected by the pandemic this year, it is challenging for graduates entering the work force. In view of this, Sanfield Building Contractors (Sanfield), the construction arm of SHKP,  increased the number of places in this year's Summer Internship Programme and introduced learning elements involving technology application to help nurture young people for career development in the industry. 

102 participants join the Summer Internship Programme

This year's Summer Internship Programme received an overwhelming response, with close to 350 applications from university students majoring in construction engineering, civil engineering, building services engineering, quantity surveying, building safety and related fields. Sanfield admitted a record 102 interns. For one and a half months, the company arranged for the interns to work on tasks related to their major and engage in other construction processes. The interns also learnt about cutting-edge Building Information Modelling (BIM) and gained experience with SHKP's proprietary vertically integrated smart handover app. It is hoped that through learning about and mastering the latest industry technology, the participants' employability will be enhanced.

An intern majoring in building services engineering, Ng Wing-yan, said: "We learn about theory in class and get to know how everything actually works only through an internship. After learning from industry experts on site, I now have a better understanding of what I learned at school." An intern majoring in civil engineering, Cheuk Chi-yeung said he was glad to have the opportunity to experience BIM operations first-hand. "I was assigned to the Siu Hong site, which has mature BIM applications," he said. "The experience opened my eyes! The project has implemented BIM since the design stage, so different departments can upload the construction component details to the same platform. Site conditions can be determined at a glance, effectively boosting construction efficiency and safety."

Full-time four-year Apprenticeship Training scheme

Sanfield has continued to co-organize with the Construction Industry Council and the Vocational Training Council a four-year Apprenticeship Training scheme for students at the level of DSE or above. The company arranges on-the-job training for the participants and fully subsidizes them to pursue Higher Diploma programmes. Upon completion of their studies, the apprentices may be promoted to junior management and enjoy a career path in the construction industry. 

Messages from Summer Internship Programme participants

The company values corporate social responsibility (CSR) and prioritizes environmental, social and governance (ESG) elements in its business decision-making process to promote sustainability. Recently, SHKP exceeded the overall average score in different categories of the 50 Hang Seng Index (HSI) constituent companies this year, and ranked the sixth in the fifth Hong Kong Business Sustainability Index (HKBSI) and fourth in the first Greater Bay Area Business Sustainability Index (GBABSI). Both indices are organized by the Chinese University of Hong Kong Business School's Centre for Business Sustainability. The company was ranked a 'Pace-setter'.

The HKBSI measures the ongoing development and recognizes the performance of Hang Seng Index constituent companies on business sustainability. The debut GBABSI aims to encourage and motivate companies in the Greater Bay Area (GBA) to adopt CSR as a progressive business model. It covers Hong Kong-listed companies with operations in the GBA that are eligible for southbound trading under the Stock Connect scheme.

SHKP is fully committed to environmental protection. Its property management subsidiaries, Kai Shing and Hong Yip, and Chun Fai Construction, won 20 awards at the 2019 Hong Kong Awards for Environmental Excellence, which is testament to the company's exceptional performance in following eco-friendly construction and management practices.

Uptown Plaza and YOHO Midtown win the gold and silver awards respectively 

Uptown Plaza won the gold award in the Property Management (Commercial & Industrial) category. It has introduced a wide range of energy-saving and waste-reduction measures in recent years, including removing the spotlights from its outdoor advertising signboards and enhancing the energy efficiency of its chiller plant, thus reducing energy consumption by over 9%. At the same time, the mall launched a recycling programme, which encourages its tenants to reduce the consumption of renovation materials. Also, the mall installed recycling machines, collecting more than 7,000 plastic bottles in three months. In addition, in recognition of Uptown Plaza's efforts to promote green vegetarian food and green living, its Green Manager won the first Outstanding Green Achiever award. 

YOHO Midtown won the silver award in the Property Management (Residential) category. Its Owners' Committee joined hands with Kai Shing to promote green living to households under the theme 'Environmental to accompany, to share, to innovate'. The residential estate set up Three-in-one Recycling Cum Garbage Container rubbish bins and implemented a Green Audit Scheme, which assesses residents' performance in categories such as food waste, energy use and carbon emissions, and provides recommendations for improvement. The residential estate also collects rainwater and recycles pool water for cleaning, making the best use of water resources.

Certificates of Merit received for outstanding management in various projects

Kai Shing, Hong Yip and Chun Fai also won a number of Certificates of Merit. Hong Yip introduced the Internet of Things technology in various shopping malls and residential estates, using automation and intelligence to reduce power consumption and manpower, in order to extend energy saving to daily property management work. Chun Fai received a Certificate of Merit for its outstanding management and green measures at TSWTL33 in Tin Shui Wai, an integrated residential development.

The Point by SHKP has gained immense popularity with consumers since its launch last year, continuously attracting more and more members. The Point by SHKP is a multi-functional platform featuring appealing gifts and attentive services, contributing to the excellent performance of SHKP malls in promoting and enhancing customer loyalty. Recently, the company received two gold awards for The Point by SHKP in the Best Loyalty Campaign – Launch/Re-branding and the Best Loyalty Programme – Retail categories at the Loyalty & Engagement Awards 2020, organized by international media organization Marketing Magazine. This achievement is a testament to SHKP's commitment to continuous improvement, using the combination of new technology and shopping mall management to create new opportunities. 

Helen Chan, Deputy General Manager – Promotions, Leasing: The Point by SHKP leverages the power of the Group's shopping mall network to give customers an opportunity to earn and redeem bonus points in different malls, while providing them with attentive services.

Shirley Li, Deputy General Manager – Promotions, Leasing: The Point by SHKP provides consumers with a convenient digital platform, where customers can earn bonus points with every purchase in SHKP malls, earning more by spending more. In their birthday months, The Point by SHKP will even prepare surprises for them. 

Eric Lau, Assistant General Manager – Promotions, Leasing: The Point by SHKP is a one-stop integrated loyalty programme, a platform combining a range of functions in one go, including a bonus points scheme, gift redemptions, and dining and entertainment reservations, all of which help increase customer loyalty to the malls. 

Dorothy Choi, Senior Promotions Manager, Leasing: With the Group's development in digitalization, the malls are no longer constrained by traditional promotional approaches. Through the implementation of The Point by SHKP, the malls can plan both online and offline activities more effectively and comprehensively. We will continue to introduce innovative promotional activities to optimize the shopping experience for our customers in the future.