Aon Hewitt, the global talent, retirement and health solutions business of Aon plc (NYSE: AON), today announced its list of the Best Employers - Hong Kong 2015 in an Awards Ceremony & Learning Conference that took place at the Hong Kong Football Club. The agenda of the conference covered key market insights, benchmarks and case studies and a CEO panel that explored what Best Employers do better.

Aon Hewitt’s Best Employers study was first conducted in Asia in 2001. The purpose of the program is to gain insights into companies that are creating real competitive advantage through their people, to explore what makes a workplace of choice and to identify the Best Employers in the region.

The Aon Hewitt Best Employers program is the most comprehensive study of its kind in Asia Pacific. It is run in 12 markets: China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Australia and New Zealand. The study’s research methodology involves a rigorous process, conducted over a nine-month period that culminates in a solid, credible list of Best Employers.

Being recognized as an Aon Hewitt Best Employer means that:

1.         The organization inspires strong commitment and superior performance from its people;
2.         It drives business results through effective people practices; and,
3.         It manages its business in ways that build long-term success and sustainability.

“Best Employers clearly achieve better business results compared to market. We found that Best Employers in Hong Kong achieve significant higher growth in their income profits when compared to market average, said Sushant Upadhyay, Managing Director of Aon Hewitt in Hong Kong & Taiwan. “This makes becoming a Best Employer a business agenda and not just an HR agenda.”

Only a few organizations made it to the 2015 list of Best Employers in Hong Kong:

The most noticeable trends that emerged in this year’s Best Employers – Hong Kong 2015 research were:

Business and People Challenges

• Best Employers attain 37% higher growth in profit than participant average
• Best Employers have 20% lower attrition
• Best Employers filled 52% more openings internally compared to market level

Employee Engagement

• While employee engagement scores in Hong Kong have remained relatively stable over the last 10 years, Best Employers engagement score at 83% is considerably higher than market average (57%).
• Gen Y engagement score is the lowest age category at 51% (although for Best Employers, their engagement scores are distinctly higher at 78%).
• Overall, only 39% of Gen Y employees said that their future career opportunities in their organization look good.

Compelling Employer Brand

• 69% of organizations have a clearly defined employer brand. However, only 19% of CEOs and HR are aligned on its nature.
• Learning and Careers is the most prevalent employee value proposition theme for Hong Kong organizations, with 63% of organizations having it amongst their top 3 drivers.
• 85% of employees at Best Employers are proud to work there, compared to only 64% of employees at participating organizations.
• 78% of employees at Best Employers would recommend their company, compared to 37% at participating companies.

Kelvin Lam, practice leader for Performance &Talent with Aon Hewitt in Hong Kong highlighted: “With a major gap between employees at Best Employers believing their organization delivers on promises (84%) compared to only 55% of employees at participating organizations, Best Employers clearly walk the talk and fulfill their commitment.  This goes to reinforce the value of their employer brand when it comes to attracting and engaging the best performing talent.”

Lam added: “For the first time this year, Aon Hewitt and LinkedIn partnered to take a common look at external and internal measurements of Talent Attraction and Engagement.   The combined approach demonstrates the immediate positive impact of engagement on Employer Branding.”

Effective Leadership

• 84% of employees at Best Employers believe that senior leadership treat them as the organization’s most valued asset, compared to only 59% of employees at participating organizations.
• 75% Best Employers train their managers on career conversations, compared to 50% participant average.
• 81% organizations have career development goals integrated into their performance management process, yet only 51% employees said they know what career opportunities are available to them.

High Performance Culture

• 100% Best Employers include the engagement scores of teams in their people manager performance ratings, compared to 63% participants
• Only 50% of employees feel they receive appropriate recognition (beyond pay and benefits) for their contribution, compared to 81% at Best Employers.
• Only 31% organizations provide coaching to their managers on how to provide career advice to their teams, compared to 75% at Best Employers)
• 84% of employees at Best Employers believe their organization offers excellent career opportunities to strong performers, compared to only 57% of employees at participating organizations.
• Managers at Best Employers are perceived to be more effective in meeting employee needs. (Best Employers - 85%, Participants – 64%)

While the Best Employers study recognizes organizations that display standards of excellence, the journey to get there is one that Aon Hewitt recommends for every organization to embark upon.

“For organizations that don’t make it to the Best Employers list, but are aspiring to become Best Employers, we want to reinforce that this is a journey. Becoming a Best Employer doesn’t happen overnight, said Fritz Yeung, Aon Hewitt Best Employers Hong Kong Project Manager. “It is possible for everyone to become a Best Employer, if you’ve articulated the destination you want to head to and have planned your journey wisely.”

Participation in the program brings a wide range of benefits for organizations, such as finding out how employees perceive and rate their employer, the reasons why they are attracted to certain employer brands, and the type of organizational culture they value sufficiently to “stay and strive”. The study also provides a benchmark against company competitors in the market. Participating organizations gain access to Aon Hewitt’s latest market research insights, along with the best and most innovative people practices of Best Employers.

To find out more about the Aon Hewitt Best Employers Asia 2015 Study, please visit http://www.bestemployersasia.com   

To find out more about the Aon Hewitt Best Employers – Hong Kong 2015 Awards or to inquire about the next edition of the Best Employers program starting in soon, please contact Fritz Yeung, Best Employers Hong Kong Project Manager at fritz.yeung@aonhewitt.com  .

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About Aon Hewitt
Aon Hewitt empowers organizations and individuals to secure a better future through innovative talent, retirement and health solutions. We advise, design and execute a wide range of solutions that enable clients to cultivate talent to drive organizational and personal performance and growth, navigate retirement risk while providing new levels of financial security, and redefine health solutions for greater choice, affordability and wellness.  Aon Hewitt is the global leader in human resource solutions, with over 30,000 professionals in 90 countries serving more than 20,000 clients worldwide.  For more information on Aon Hewitt, please visit www.aonhewitt.com.

About Aon
Aon plc (NYSE:AON) is the leading global provider of risk management, insurance and reinsurance brokerage, and human resources solutions and outsourcing services. Through its more than 65,000 colleagues worldwide, Aon unites to empower results for clients in over 120 countries via innovative and effective risk and people solutions and through industry-leading global resources and technical expertise. Aon has been named repeatedly as the world’s best broker, best insurance intermediary, reinsurance intermediary, captives manager and best employee benefits consulting firm by multiple industry sources. Visit www.aon.com for more information on Aon and www.aon.com/manchesterunited to learn about Aon’s global partnership and shirt sponsorship with Manchester United.

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Media Contact: 
Romy Serfaty
+852.2917.7952 
romy.serfaty@aonhewitt.com