Even though two-thirds of survey respondents in Hong Kong believe that their company is progressive with their diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives compared to others, 51% have complained about their company’s equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives because they deemed them as going too far, or are against their social values. 65% also felt DEI initiatives are tokenistic, or superficial.
These are some of the research data that we have gathered from 751 respondents based in Hong Kong SAR in our 2025 Workmonitor research.
Why does it seem that Hongkongers are divided on DEI, or are programmes and initiatives not hitting where it matters?
employees demand genuine diversity and inclusion, not just box-ticking
Employees care greatly about diversity and inclusion efforts by their employers. 46% of survey respondents said that they would not accept a job if the organisation was not making a proactive effort to improve its DEI. This sentiment is shared equally across different generations, with 50% of Gen Z and 46% of Baby Boomers feeling this way respectively.
The lack of DEI makes people feel excluded at work, and it goes beyond just gender equality and sexual orientation.
Social media and internet forums have further broadened and defined DEI. It is not just about gender equality and sexuality, it is also about race and nationality; mental health and neurodiversity. This additional information has led to some people realising that what they have experienced is actually discrimination.
For example, when everyone in the company is comfortable speaking in a language that is not understood by all, employees who do not understand the language may feel that they have missed out on important updates or an opportunity to share their ideas.
Another example is if the company has a drinking culture but fails to acknowledge that some people do not indulge in alcohol and exclude them from team bonding events because “they won’t enjoy themselves anyway”. This exclusion actively alienates employees from team activities, which can make them feel out of place even when they are working.
Employees are the ones who are experiencing these situations first-hand and colleagues who stand with them are more likely to expect employers to do better at DEI. These are also the employees who are the first to see through their employers’ minimal efforts in checking DEI boxes rather than make meaningful change.
did we lose sight of the real value of diversity and inclusion?
Hong Kong has long been celebrated as a city of diversity, serving as the gateway to China and a regional business hub that attracts talent from around the world. This melting pot of cultures has made Hong Kong a magnet for many global professionals seeking career growth opportunities.
However, the city’s economy showed signs of slowing even before the COVID-19 pandemic, and the pandemic exacerbated its challenges significantly.
Many expats have left the city during COVID because of its strict restrictions who have now settled somewhere else. At the same time, companies shifted their priorities towards revenue and profits, focusing on growing business development and minimising operational costs. This has led to workforce restructuring and a lower demand for DEI professionals, with Human Resources professionals double-hatting these roles instead.
Since then, we have yet to see demand for DEI professionals return. With the rollback of DEI by the Trump Administration in 2025, it might be more challenging for American companies to hire diversity and inclusion officers even in Hong Kong as they scale back to align with new compliance standards.
the cost of overlooking diversity and inclusion
Research has shown that companies that value diversity and inclusion perform better, especially with talent scarcity. McKinsey data highlighted that the most gender-diverse companies in Asia are 48% more likely to outperform their least gender-diverse peers. In Southeast Asia, when employees perceive strong commitment to DEI from senior leadership, turnover risk drops by 9% for women, ethnic minorities, and LGBTQ+ employees.
It is not always that simple for employers to continuously invest in DEI if we take the economy and business performance into account. During challenging economic times, business leaders may feel more pressure to focus on revenue and productivity.
However, having a constant focus on DEI is not just for business reputation or a more engaged workforce, it simply is the right, humane thing to do.
It is risky business to deprioritise DEI in any organisation, especially in a talent-scarce city like Hong Kong. Employees who face discrimination at work are more likely to resign and companies could be losing their top talent because they overlooked their experiences.
It is unreasonable to turn down a candidate who checks all the boxes just because they are different, only to keep spending time and money to look for a cookie-cutter candidate who looks the same, speaks the same language, and has the same thinking process.
Productivity matters, but ensuring that everyone has a good experience at work is important too. If you want your talent to continue working with you, companies need to make sure employees feel valued and supported in a workplace where discrimination has no place.
from box-ticking to impact: rethinking your diversity and inclusion strategies
At least half the survey respondents in Hong Kong felt that DEI initiatives have gone too far and are superficial, and 62% said that their employer’s DEI initiatives are not wide-ranging enough, often focused on one demographic or sexuality.
The survey results conflict — 67% of respondents said that their employers’ DEI initiatives are genuinely making a difference, but 57% have complained about their company’s DEI initiatives because they deemed them insufficient.
It is clear that employers are doing plenty, but they are not hitting the right spots.
As the definition of DEI expands and employees seek more personalised experiences, it’s important for employers to align their policies and initiatives with the new definitions. Some areas of equality still remain important as there are still gaps to close, like ensuring an equal gender representation and ensuring a safe environment for LGBTQ+ community.
Here are some steps to make sure that your DEI efforts hit the right spots to engage with your employees and drive meaningful change:
1. identify the gap and understand what employees want
If you already have a calendar of events that you’re committed to for the whole year, you should introduce a post-event feedback for your employees to find out if your event met its objectives in making positive change. In your feedback form, you should ask:
- What they like and don’t like about the event
- If they understand the event objectives
- How has the event changed their awareness and interactions
- If the event should take place again next year
If you don’t have an events calendar and are thinking about what you should do to raise awareness of your minority communities and foster a supportive culture, you can run employee surveys or conduct focus groups to identify the gaps and ask for ideas on what would make an impact.
Through these surveys and focus groups, you may learn that what your employees want is significantly different from what you thought makes sense. They might want small-scale events for more in-depth conversations, feedback postal boxes for anonymity, or more e-learning as opposed to events.
These inputs from employees can help you adjust your focus and investments to make a greater impact on employees.
2. involve employees in closing DEI gaps
Once you’ve identified the gaps and have some new ideas on how to reinvent your DEI strategy, make sure to involve your employees in the preparation and implementation. Engaging employees at every stage not only fosters a sense of ownership but also ensures that the initiatives are relevant and impactful.
Identify some DEI ambassadors within the organisations who can advocate for inclusion and drive engagement. Communicate the organisation’s DEI goals and objectives transparently with them so they know how and when to contribute.
Because they have been involved from the start, they are more motivated to help drive participation and messaging to everyone in the organisation. Being on-the-ground, they will also be able to help you collect feedback and improve in the future.
When identifying and engaging employees as DEI ambassadors, it is important to have a good and equal representation of the community, including allies. Having a mix of individuals ensures that all perspectives are considered, and it also serves as the perfect opportunity to improve the understanding and awareness of individuals who are not a part of the community.
3. create toolkits and conduct training
Whistleblowing and anti-discrimination policies can only go so far. In fact, when it is time to put these policies in place, it may already be too late for the organisation and victims.
It is important that DEI training is conducted for everyone in the organisation, even if they are working remotely or as an intern. These training programmes can be focused on tips for active listening, respecting each other’s pronouns, as well as recognising unconscious biases and how to intervene appropriately.
Consistency is key when it comes to shifting mindsets and creating a shared understanding. Ongoing education and proactive engagement are key to ensuring that respect and dignity are not just policies on paper, but lived values in the workplace.
Besides training, human resources teams can put up infographic posters with useful tips and send email communications regularly to keep them updated about upcoming courses and events, as well as key takeaways and videos from previous courses.
always be in-the-know about talent expectations
Talent expectations are always changing, often influenced by their personal experiences and the external environment which includes social media. It is critical for employers to always be on top of the evolving talent expectations so that you can be more successful in attracting talent and retaining your employees.
Randstad conducts two annual surveys every year — Workmonitor and Employer Brand Research — to understand talent expectations on DEI and other employee value proposition (EVP) factors. If you would like to know more about what attracts talent and how to align your organisation to their values, reach out to our specialised talent consultants.
If you are a job seeker looking for a safer and well-supported work environment where you can be your authentic self, reach out to our specialised recruiters. We work closely with employers and hiring managers, and we advocate for job seekers to find you a place where you can belong.