Sunny Cheung, chief executive officer, Octopus Cards Limited Photo: Wallace Chan

Pioneering Hong Kong smart-card payment company engages staff through strong sense of social consciousness

Although many corporations take social responsibility seriously, it requires real effort and team spirit for a company's workforce to extend its initiatives to benefit society as a whole. Octopus Cards Limited focuses on innovation, both in terms of business development and as a corporate citizen, to reach out to the community and contribute in a sustainable and relevant way.

Octopus believes that its employees are paramount and that staff engagement must come first. From there, they can serve the larger community, says Sunny Cheung, chief executive officer, Octopus Cards Limited. The corporation therefore invests considerably in training and development, as well as in facilitating flexible working arrangements, to consolidate a sense of belonging among staff. "We're dedicated to being a fast, reliable and innovative service provider, so that our staff members can be proud to represent the company," Mr Cheung notes.

At the heart of Octopus' corporate social responsibility is sustainability. One major programme is the Octopus Kids' Nurturing Programme, an ongoing collaboration with non-governmental charity St James' Settlement that focuses on broadening the education of underprivileged children through extra-curricular activities such as music lessons, dance classes and gymnastics. In addition to participating in special-interest classes, the kids on the programme also join a month-long wealth-management exercise, which helps them develop a positive value system.

"Each child is offered an Octopus card with HK$100 of added value. Most children use it to buy household items or gifts for their parents, rather than to purchase snacks or toys for themselves. This proves that the kids are surprisingly insightful in managing money. It also demonstrates their concern for their parents and family members," says Mr Cheung.

The participating children also learn to pay back to the community, using their skills and showing compassion, for example by visiting homes for senior citizens and performing for mentally handicapped children, he adds.

Voluntary activities

Innovation is key to Octopus' involvement in charity work. The company recently joined forces with The Hong Kong Council of Social Service to provide free portable Octopus readers for electronic flag-selling for fundraising. This move, the first of its kind, utilises the company's micro-payment business to enhance workflow efficiency and save on transaction costs for non-profit organisations on the flag-selling fund-raising initiative.

Participation in charitable endeavours provides a new dimension to work-life balance for staff as it gives them exposure to different social segments. "The company encourages employees to involve their families in volunteer work under the Octopus Kids' Nurturing Programme, which give them excellent opportunities to educate their children on social issues, such as poverty," says Mr Cheung.

Octopus is also constantly on the look-out for society-oriented activities, such as Oxfam Trailwalker and the annual Green Power Hike, involving strong participation from staff on an ongoing basis, Mr Cheung remarks. "We target robust, sustainable events that allow us to build long-term, beneficial relationships with the community."

To encourage staff to participate in community services, Octopus' management aims to provide a good role model by actively taking part in various charity initiatives. During the Oxfam Trailwalker last year, more than 60 staff and senior management members formed a support team for the company's eight participants. "The sense of fun and team spirit inspired by such an event are profoundly beneficial to the corporation and also motivate other staff members to take part in future events," Mr Cheung notes.

"This sort of social engagement helps staff improve their service levels and loyalty, as it provides them with a deeper understanding of the company's diverse customer groups and the importance of catering to their needs. The company regularly launches new charity programmes and staff training courses, which also help improve cohesion within the workforce."

Business innovation

Octopus' prominence in Hong Kong daily life creates many opportunities for innovation and long-term business and social development. Aptly, the company's motto is "Making everyday life easier", and it is always searching for wider channels to extend the use of electronic payments locally.

Octopus also targets small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in its business development and continues to extend its reach to different businesses, such as the taxi industry and wet-market merchants. "From a community perspective, the use of electronic payments can benefit businesses in the retail sector, while at the same time bringing greater convenience to the public," Mr Cheung explains.

"We invest in educating SMEs on the benefits of switching from traditional payment options to electronic payments. There may not be immediate returns for the companies, but in the long run it will help streamline commercial activities in the community and simplify daily life for consumers," concludes Mr Cheung.

Leading the way

• Staff engagement comes first
• Serving the community is key
• Helping others leads to improved service and team spirit
• Cards' prominence presents opportunities for innovation and development
• Senior management gets involved and sets an example

Taken from Career Times 3 February 2012, A16