an hkbn summer to remember
TRANSCRIPT
An HKBN Summer to Remember
2017 Co-Owners of the Future and their Sharings
Summ
er Inte
rns 2
017
Co-Owners
of the Futu
re
TALENTS
Summer Internship 2017
Co-Owners of the Future
Contents
Part 1 — Internship Highlights
Learning by doing: Practical, hands-on experiences
“Wow” experiences
Inspired series: #StartfromLimit
HKBN core values: TREE
Overviewp.1
p.3
p.4
p.5
p.6
PART 2 — Intern Reflections
Joannie Yuen — Administration
Kate Mok — Administration
Bonnie Young — Enterprise Solutions — Banking, Finance and Insurance
Jinseo Koo — Enterprise Solutions — International Business
Lynette Li —Enterprise Solutions—Major Corporate Account Relations
Dominic Cheung —Entreprise Solutions Marketing
Teresa Wong —Finance
Phipson Lee — Information Technology — Business System
Kathy Lee —Legal
Dustin Cheung —Network Operations
Shun Cheung —Network Planning and Commercial
Nawaj Sharif —Network Planning and Commercial
Anna Lai —Talent Management
Geovanny Lay —Talent and Organisation Development
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Overview
26 Jun — 18 Aug
26 June
Orientation day(interns on
board)
3 July
Reflection workshop & Calvin
Leung sharing
5 July
HKBN Experience
Day
10 July
Lunch with
Management Committee members
11 July
Talent town hall meeting
14 July
J.P. Morgan Hong Kong office visit
& Mixer Night
19 July
Monthly management
meeting
24 July
Corporate social investment
charity event
10 Aug
Microsoft Hong Kong office
visit
16 Aug
Monthly management
meeting
18 Aug
Farewell lunchNow
Our new journey begins
1
Internship
Highlights
2
HKBN Core Values:TREEOur first-hand experience in these two months tells that HKBN’s
core values, i.e. the acronym “TREE” (Trustworthy, Responsive,
Entrepreneurial and Engaging), are not a slogan but a common
operational principle understood by all Talents in the Company.
Responsive - business and social feedbacks
Everyday, we received mass emails from Company and we often read about how HKBN deals with service
reviews or feedbacks from customers. Every feedback is handled properly with a serious attitude as a
reprise to the core values. HKBN is not only responsive to business-relevant notions, but also to
community needs. We perceived the campaign #StartfromLimit as another “responsive” example. The
current atmosphere of Hong Kong society is so groomy that many Hong Kongers could not find a way out.
#StartfromLimit campaign reminds HongKongers of a positive attitude to life.
Entrepreneurial - innovation encouragement
HKBN is not satisfied in doing business traditionally. We witnessed how it always encourages Talents
to propose innovative ideas. One remarkable example would be the pain/GAIN Co-Grow programme.
By encouraging more “out of the box” proposals, HKBN will see its business strive without the past
baggage.
Engaging - nurturing sense of belonging
Policies enacted in HKBN are always Talent-oriented, for example, monthly early-off Friday for LIFE-
work priority. In early July, a Family Day was held. Talents brought their children to Company and had
an enjoyable time. Through all these activities and policies, a sense of belonging is developed and
Talents are engaged in work at an increasingly high level. As to CSI, we could also see HKBN’s
commitment in social investments that attracts Talents to volunteer. We were also fortunate enough to
join the trial run of a CSI activity.
Trustworthy—high degree of trust
One of our astonishments would be the high degree of autonomy and credits entrusted to Talents,
including Summer Interns in the Company. No matter which department we attached to, we all came in
contact with important information and were treated with trust. Trustworthiness could be seen to be
highly upheld in HKBN and cherished by every single Talent.
3
Inspired Series: #StartfromLimitHKBN has given summer interns opportunities to participate in an inspired series cwhich
included Calvin Leung’s Google internship sharing, and interactions with
“#StartfromLimit” campaign ambassadors, Mr. Lai Chi Wai, Mr. Langston Suen and
Principal Ivy Yip. To start from limit, what we have to focus on is to break the barrier that
we have created for ourselves. This was definitely not an easy task to accomplish in a
short period of time. Therefore, through the inspired series, these speakers shared with
us their life lessons, and we started to think about the following:
1. Stop blaming, start doing
We do not get to choose what challenges
to encounter in our lives. Even with
thorough planning, we would not be able
to stop all unwanted incidents from
happening. Instead of sitting there and
putting blames on others, this year
summer interns have learnt to be
proactive. Being proactive is a common
value found among all inspired series
speakers. While we cannot change what
has happened, we can fix it and become
stronger.
2. Persistence
As mentioned above, realising and surpassing
one’s limit is not an easy task that can be
accomplished in a short period of time. No matter
how determined we are at the beginning, without
persistence, we would not be disciplined enough to
strive for a long term goal. As young Talents at
HKBN, we believe that we should reframe our
mindset to focus and persevere until we succeed.
Talents gather and discuss networking experiences with Calvin Leung
Urban Springs presents ground-breaking
sustainable innovations at JP Morgan Case
Competition
4
“Wow” Experiences
Apart from working in HKBN office,
we also had opportunities to learn
and explore outside HKBN. We
would like to fulfil the spirit of ‘Pay It
Forward’ by sharing some with you.
Another impressive one is about networking
skill. It is inevitably one of the most useful
amongst all regardless of which career we are
going to take. During the summer internship at
HKBN, we developed our networking skill step
by step. We learnt basic business manners and
techniques (like how to exchange name cards
and initiate small talks) from the Experience
Day, then we got to challenge ourselves at the
Mixer Night event at our COO, NiQ’s house.
After this summer, not only did we witness the
great improvement of each other, but we had
also enlarged our networks by meeting top
management teams and interns from other
companies. We appreciated the opportunities,
especially when it came to the part of listening
to others’ sharing. It was not just about enjoying
stories, but being inspired by them. Our take-
away may vary, but undoubtedly such
inspirations would be beneficial to our lives.
Our learning insights do not end here. From banking to smart-tech industries,
opportunities were provided for observation of various career fields. This certainly
broadened our horizons, and provided us with a good understanding of business
management and collaboration in the real business world. Whereas during this
journey, we felt excited to have learnt from different speakers the crux of
competitiveness, and the importance of taking challenges and grabbing
opportunities. After this series of fruitful programmes, we feel more prepared to
strive for our dreams.
Talents presenting comprehensive solutions to
water heating problems experienced by client
companies
5
Learning by DoingPractical, Hands-On Experiences
One and half days of CPE (Certified Professional Engineer) workshop was one of
most valuable experiences we had. In-office presentation made us aware of the
practical skills required and daily chores expected of a CPE, whilst the site visit to
Kwai Chung Estate equipped us with real life experiences about what CPE Talents
are doing to “Make our Hong Kong a better place to live”.
A CPE is expected to have not only technical knowledge
about setting up broadband services but also excellent
communication skills to “wow” the customers, so that
they would be willing to build long lasting customer
relationship with HKBN. We also learnt how to set up
router for home internet service and configure IP phones
for office environments with various hunting features
enabled. One of the CPEs even demonstrated to us how
to use cable pullers to carry cables from the cable room
to junctions and customer points. For instance, the white
[hard] cable puller (see photos) is used for drawing
multiple long tubes, whilst the orange [flexible] puller is
used for short distance cable drawing, such as in
residential buildings.
6
Christopher (a CPE) demonstrating
different cable pullers
On a different note, Dominic from the Enterprise Solutions had a chance to shadow
a sales promoter during the internship, through which he learnt valuable marketing
& sales skills. He also experienced the challenges of being a sales promoter.
One may ask “how do sales promoters identify potential customers?” It is rather
simple. When the customer looks at their easy-roll banner, our promoter would
shout “Broadband service, 4G data” (家居寬頻 4G上網) to draw customer’s
attention. Sales promoters are trained to communicate in both Chinese and
English, so that they can deal with potential customers coming from all walks of
life.
To sum up our on-field experiences, we learnt the significance of learning by
doing and that experiential learning is fundamental for unlocking our learning
potential.
7
Summer Intern
Reflections
“By three methods we may learn
wisdom: First, by reflection, which is
noblest; Second, by imitation, which is
easiest; and third by experience, which
is the bitterest.”
— Confucius
8
JOANNIE YUENADMINISTRATIONUniversity of Toronto
A company would not be able to sustain and
grow without a developed foundation. And
throughout this 8 weeks Summer Internship
program, I was given a chance to work at the
Administration Department and assist with
the operation aspect of HKBN. Being a
freshman in the department, I always
provided my team with creative and
innovative ideas for room design and office
space utilisation. However, from the weekly
meeting that I had with my senior manager
and buddy, I learnt that there are always gap
between idea level and operational level, and
I had to find a balance between them before
pitching my proposal to the manager.
Another project I focused on was the
development of open space office
area at HKBN. At the beginning, I
thought it would be easy to set a
guideline and regulation for open
space office usage but after a while,
I realised that it is indeed very
challenging to change the cultural
norm of the majority of Talents at
HKBN and not many of them would
accept the idea of open office space.
As an intern, my ideas were valued
and works that I accomplished were
treated equally as other full time
Talents. The most important lesson
that I acquired from the internship
programme is that we should never
settle but, constantly reflect and
improve ourselves.
Joannie (right) presenting certificates to her buddy (left) to thank them for the VOOL Summer!
9
Volunteering to present to Microsoft and showcase
the culture, innovation, and inspiration at HKBN!
Learning and experiencing Google’s culture at visit to
the Hong Kong Google Office
Finding my name card at the Google office in Hong Kong!
10
KATE MOKADMINISTRATION
University of California, Berkeley
UNEXPECTED EXPERIENCES
How many people can say that they’ve accomplished that within such a short
amount of time, or even at all during an internship? Most of my friends spent their
internships filing papers, running errands and making coffee. While I definitely had
some of those moments, I also got the chance to participate in real projects that
had a real impact. Just one of my projects – that I was responsible for creating a
green bazaar. I wasn’t just “helping” out. I was given the opportunity to
communicate with the vendors and organise everything. I was given the
opportunity to interact with the vendors and my department to gain a further
understanding of the big picture. It wasn’t just about the bazaar, I learned.
A REAL LIFE LESSON
Overall, my work experience at Administration department was positive. I was
very happy with the number of things that I have learned and experienced in the 8
weeks of being a Summer Intern with the company. I ended up learning a lot more
than I thought I would be able to in the time span.
Kate (2nd right) with other interns.
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BONNIE YOUNGENTERPRISE SOLUTION — BANKING, FINANCE AND
INSURANCEUNIVERSITY OF TORONTO
THINK A STEP FORWARD #WorkSmart
Being attached to the corporate sales team that is focusing on the banking and financial
institutes, I was given an opportunity to join couples of their meetings with our potential
users, as well as to go to site visit with the CPE team. Those were very exclusive
experiences in this internship that might not be available in every department and it is
intellectually stimulating.
I remember we had meeting with the Senior Vice President of Strategic Planning &
Transformation of a bank and he really WOWed me. Normally the clients will only sit and
listen to our presentation, then ask questions about our services but this time their
senior VP brought out couple innovative thoughts during an one hour meeting. He
always says that “we can explore on this further”, on every items that appeared on the
agenda, even it was supposed to deal with another department which is not in charged
by him. He inspired me, we need to think a step forward in the technology world, be
creative and make impossible to be possible, do things before everybody else do it .
For example, the bank is using traditional way to verify their clients’ addresses, then how
can our company (with eight hundred thousands residential users, i.e. eight hundred
thousands verified addresses) cooperate with a bank to make this process a lot easier
and reliable, on a technology level. With the trend of big data and the importance of
technology, we need to be innovatory and think big.
Bonnie emceeing at the annual HKBN Cloud Event
12
HKBN gave me an unforgettable summer and I met 13 fabulous Talents here, I gained an invaluable friendship and an unique extraordinary internship.
Bonnie with her department head, Brian Lee, at
the farewell party.
Bonnie accompanied other Talents to yum cha at
the nearby restaurant.
13
Bonnie discussing with clients and co-workers at an official HKBN site visit.
JINSEO KOOENTERPRISE SOLUTIONS — INTERNATIONAL
BUSINESSHANYANG UNIVERSITY
OPEN IN DISCUSSION
While I worked in ESIB department, what I
could learn the most was the importance of
a comfortable atmosphere to interact with
my team members. Our department is
totally open to discussion even to an intern
such as me. Since the day I started to
work, my manager Karina created a
comfortable atmosphere for discussing and
questioning. That is, I could present
opinions and questions without being
pressured, although I was just an intern in
the hierarchy and didn’t have the
knowledge enough. Looking back on these
days, I believe that it helped me a lot to be
immersed into the work. Therefore,
whenever a certain amount of works were
assigned to me, I brought more questions
than this was supposed to be. Naturally,
the atmosphere had me interested in the
industry and conduct more research. In
other words, I believe that the free
discussion atmosphere created a positive
cycle to me and the department.
THE REAL WORLD EXPERIENCE
In addition, I could experience the real work environment. I participated The sales
process, from pre-sales to post-sales, could be overall participated as a part of the
team. For example, I could join sales meetings and feel the real work field.
Furthermore, I was able to interact and have conversations with experts of the field
and get to know experiences from the real work field in the process of the
participations. This is one of the most appreciative part to the company and
department, and I believe that this was a priceless experience for my future career.
Jinseo (Left) with his department head and buddy
14
LYNETTE LIENTERPRISE SOLUTIONS — MAJOR
CORPORATE ACCOUNT RELATIONS CITY UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG
IT’S NOT ONLY A MEETING
Other than my data integration work, dealing with spreadsheet and database, I was
able to attend some client meeting in the later part of my internship period. Along with
my colleague, I attended two meetings in a shipping company in Cosco Tower and a
hotel in Sha Tin. The first meeting in Cosco Tower is related to fault handling and
customer complaint. The second one is just a normal service review meeting to
update our client on their service status. These two meetings expand my horizons a
lot, especially the first one.
The meeting in Cosco Tower is very impressive to me. Due to one of our company
systems that have not been updated for a long time, it automatically terminates our
client’s IDD service upon their credit limit. However, the IDD service is of significant
importance to the company and its users. Therefore our client is very dissatisfied and
demand a comprehensive explanation and compensation. In the meeting, I
experienced how clients stress on the service quality they receive, in terms of service
recovery and service speed. He cannot stress enough on how my colleagues can do
to regain his trust and and improve future operations. I also learned how my
colleagues employed customer negotiation techniques when dealing with negative
customer feedbacks, when the company cannot afford to lose the client.
Lynette’s first client meeting at Cosco Tower!
15
Lynette with her team for the Account Servicing
Manager
Lynette parting ways with another intern at
HKBN
Lynette cooperating with other fellow talents for
CSI activity 16
I observed the following from my colleagues. Before the meeting, they prepared a
number of variables that they can work with the customers during the discussion.
During the meeting, when they were under attack, they did not defend only
because they want to. They dare to take attacks and extract as much information
as they can from the customers. This gives them more clue on what to do more
and what to avoid when closing deals with this customer in the future. In addition,
they referred to their own notes prepared beforehand and jot down what the
customer say at the same time. This allowed them to keep track of the discussion
and avoid repeating agreements that have been made. However, due to intense
anger of the client in this meeting, the same discussion topic was repeated by the
client. In return, my colleagues leveraged the opportunity to recap what the
customer said and reassure him that they have been listening to their arguments.
I really learned a lot in this meeting.
Lynette collaborating with other marketing talents to plan, execute, and orchestrate the annual Cloud Event
17
DOMINIC CHEUNGENTERPRISE SOLUTIONS MARKETING
HONG KONG BAPTIST UNIVERSITY
THE SATISFACTION FROM 0 TO 100
In this internship,I think that the tasks assigned by my department is quite different
from other internship. First, I held a cloud event in July. To me, it is a big challenge as
it is my first time to hold such a large commercial event (Around 70 people + 40
Sales). Through this event, I had a better understanding of event marketing and able
to know some specific design terms. At the same time, I am really satisfied with this
event because we received a lot of positive comments which is a motivation for me to
work harder. Second, I participated in a market research, I need to conduct lots of
phone calls and online survey to obtain data about how people feel about online
retention. Through this market research, I had a better understanding of how to
collect the data, like sample size and focus group etc. Also, it help me to train my
attitude when conducting phone calls as I need to face different kinds of customers in
the future. Third, I had a chance to create a marketing strategy, I felt surprise when I
first knew that I can have a chance to participate in designing a marketing strategy by
myself. I needed to design the strategy by myself as we are targeting to two different
kinds of customers. Through this marketing strategy, I had a better understanding
about the steps of creating a strategy as well as follow production, like how to make a
DM, use which type of paper, laminate or not etc.
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GET A TASTE OF THE MARKETING WORLD
Although it is harsh and need to meet tight deadline in many times, I really learned
a lot from these three tasks and broaden my horizon because this is exactly what I
would like to do in the future. ESMKG really let me get a taste of what marketing
is instead of learning from books.
Through the cloud event, I have better understood the whole process of holding
an event and the importance of communication.
Dominic outside the HKBN headquarters
Dominic in preparation for his client calls (at his
desk)
19
TERESA WONGFINANCE
A JOURNEY
I would use ‘unprecedented’ to describe my experience at HKBN. To be frank, I was
quite surprised to be allocated to the Finance department, because its works did not
directly relate to what I am studying. Indeed, my supervisor decided to give me both
academically related and unrelated works. Hence throughout the internship, I learnt a
lot of ‘new’ practical skills. You may wonder why did I put the word under a pair of
quotation marks – because it might seem to be a fundamental skill to most people,
but definitely not for me. I remember on the first week, my supervisor asked me to
use the Excel to generate a report. Thanks to this piece of work, I had master the
basic part of that software.
AN ATTITUDE
Because of getting in touch with different tasks, I encountered a lot of difficulties.
During those times, I had worried about the process of the works. Here, my
colleagues were being very helpful. Whenever I came up with questions, they would
teach me techniques to tackle with the barriers. Sometimes, we would share ideas
with each other, for instance on how to improve efficiency of the entire project
implementation. I think these valuable conversations are achieved thanks to my
willingness to take challenges and to communicate with others. I learnt plenty and I
believe they would always be advantageous in the future.
Teresa concentrating on work Teresa handing certificate to buddy20
PHIPSON LEEINFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, BUSINESS SYSTEM
SOLUTIONSUNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES
For the longest time, I was always afraid of applying my learning outside of a
classroom environment- I would be fearful of the expectations people had towards
me, and try to mitigate the stress by avoiding it. However, upon entering HKBN’s IT
Department, I was immediately forced into an independent leadership role where I
was not only conducting research into the online registration and renewal services
HKBN provided, but also offering coding insights by providing technical support for
the ongoing server-side and front-end projects. From self-learning database
algorithms, to programming the front-end for the company’s up-and-coming
application, what was supposed to be a holiday transformed into my opportunity to
push past my limits.
STAY HUNGRY, STAY VICIOUS
Often times, I was assigned large-scaled projects by my department head(s), under
the assumption that I was proficient in a multitude of programming languages and
would be able to program the expected behavior on computer. Surprisingly, most of
my existing knowledge with programming in university was irrelevant: though I had
learned basic algorithms and data structures, the projects required extensive
knowledge and experience with contemporary languages such as python,
javascript, html, SQL, etc. For a first year who has only coded on C++, I was often
discouraged by the plethora of knowledge and information I had to master within a
short time frame. However, rather than passively absorbing information, I treated
my office as a laboratory, where I could ask questions, discuss solutions, and
investigate algorithms with my colleagues. Gradually, I overcame my inferiority
complex, and would ask questions with my department supervisors on a daily
basis. In my free time, I would continue to investigate the language, to catch up with
my peers. Nonetheless, my insatiable hunger and desire for improvement was
paramount to my success in this internship.
21
THE ART OF STORYTELLING
I had always considered networking a tedious means of building ‘fake’ relationships
and exploiting other people. However, upon immersing myself in a variety of WOW
experiences, as well as hearing the advice of my peers, I was able to strip away that
negative mindset and embraced networking as a method of storytelling. Similar to a
TED Talk, I would listen to people’s concerns and ideas, and better ‘humanize’ them
by listening to their stories. By asking my department heads about their personal
experiences with Artificial Intelligence, as well as sitting down for lunch with some of
the graduate trainees to discuss their achievements and motivations for doing
programming, I have been able to better grasp the world of Information Technology
and built up inspiration to better motivate myself to specialize in machine learning.
Phipson parting ways with other HKBN talents to return for school
Phipson offering opinions on water heating solutions for business
22
KATHY LEELEGAL
DURHAM UNIVERSITY
THE LEARNING EXPERIENCE
Within my department, I was given real, legal
work to do. HKBN really trusted me with the confidential material because it would
help me learn. I am so grateful this internship exposed me to actual legal work. I
learned to use the legal sources in Hong Kong, such as using government
websites to check the ordinances. My department head was also really patient
with me when she explained to me how there are a couple specific Ordinances
that apply to the telecommunication industry and these are the ones the Company
mostly work with. In addition, I had no idea that talks and discussions in the
Legislative Council are recorded and they could be helpful at times. I was also
exposed to different types of contracts and was taught on how to look for
important terms and what to look out for when circumstances arise. I worked with
a lot of Competition cases and it is actually a course I will be taking next year or
the year after. This experience will make it a lot easier when I take the Competition
Law course.
EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED
Also, HKBN really trusts our abilities and doesn’t hesitate to help us grow.
Because of this, the Company doesn’t hold back and honestly if you wanted to
learn something about the company which might not be related to your
department, I am sure HKBN is more than happy to help with your learning. What
I feel about this internship is that it is really flexible, it really isn’t just about sitting
at your seat and doing the same thing for two months. You also get chances to
meet people outside the Company, whether it be a business partner or a
colleague’s friend. For example, a colleague in another department introduced me
to lawyers from other firms which enhanced my knowledge. This is the kind of
environment HKBN is. You don’t just expect something from your small bubble,
the company functions in the way that your learning is more important than just
being so fixated on what the paper says.
Kathy (right) presenting at Microsoft
23
DUSTIN CHEUNGNETWORK OPERATIONS
OXFORD UNIVERSITY
YOU “RISE” ME UP
From the day to day network operations at the office to celebrating my birthday with
other interns, this has been a joyful experience. From day 1, my team wanted my
internship to be more project based so I wouldn’t just be performing day to day
mundane tasks. They believed it was the best way for me to make the best out of
those 8 weeks. Hence I was always involved in meetings, site visits and onsite duty.
These are all practical skill sets that can be learnt from first hand experience. The
highlight of my time here was the RISE project. This opportunity allowed me to oversee
the entirely of a project, from start to finish. I learnt a great deal from those particular 2
weeks: I learnt how different departments across a firm work together; how vital good
preparation is; how to deal with unexpected problems; how to turn complaints into
compliments; most importantly how to make sure the customer says “see you next
year”. Surprisingly, the work I was given in the office was very rewarding as well. Much
of the work was not academically related and I had to learn a lot of concepts and skills
from scratch but really this is probably the case with many jobs. I can say with pride
that I’ve made quite a few mistakes but my colleagues were always there to help me
out, which I really appreciated. Many people at HKBN have said to me, “This is the
time for you to make all these mistakes. Make sure you learn from them.”.
I am by no means leaving HKBN. I will be taking HKBN back to England in my heart
along with friendship, life lessons, experiences and memories that will last forever.
Dustin at RISE
Dustin surprised for his birthday!
24
NAWAJ SHARIF &SHUN CHEUNGNETWORK PLANNING &
COMMERCIAL
Hong Kong University &
University of Toronto
MEANINGFUL INSIGHTS INTO HKBN NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURE
Even though 8 weeks might not seem enough to attain in-depth understanding of
the complete fiber network infrastructure, we gained an expansive overview of the
infrastructure through multiple site visits and in-office discussions with our
department talents, who were always eager to help us learn and grow from within.
In general, we were exposed to the learnings of how HKBN provides broadband
services from the core network to the customer points utilising the network
hierarchy of core, distribution and access layers. We were very fortunate to visit
each level of the network hierarchy and learn from our buddies and mentors in
department. One key learning was the two types of technology HKBN uses to
provide their services: Metro Ethernet and GPON. Overall, we’ve gained
meaningful insights through these experiential learnings and we would like to take
the opportunity to thank all, in and out of the department, for opening up a vivid
window of learning by doing.
Shun (left) and Nawaj (2nd left) presenting certificates to department heads
25
NETWORK PROJECT PLANNING DATABASE (NPPD) FOR PRODUCTIVE
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
We were responsible for testing the functionality of the proposed database to be
used in Network Technology sector(?) for cross-functional project management.
We’ve tested and ameliorated it to make the database more user-friendly. In
addition, we prepared UAT tests at multiple stages before the NPPD launch to
obtain feedback from different departments to further improve the functionality of
NPPD - much like an ‘Agile’ style of product development. It was an amazing
experience to be involved in a task where we directly assigned tasks to the user
and obtain feedback to continuously develop the product - we saw the results of our
contributions in action. Furthermore, the field trips made us aware of why we
actually needed to have an integrated project management tool like NPPD. We’re
not only involved in planning, but were also able to experience the outcomes of our
action.
Shun playing against CIO Eric
Nawaj presenting enterprise solutions to clients and department
26
ALL ENDINGS ARE JUST BEGINNINGS - GIVE AFTER TAKE
This journey ended like a dream. I still remember the tick I put next to Talent
Management Department on my wish list, it was like yesterday. I was told that HR
is the core of a company which would be the best place to figure out its visions
and directions practically. Up to this stage, I feel significantly grateful being
attached to TM because my acquisition is more than original aspirations, including
the caring and lovely colleagues.
DATA ANALYSIS - STORIES BEHIND NUMBERS
One of my KPIs is carrying out data analysis about HKBN Talents. Having
reported and discussed twice with department head, I notice my insufficiency
through feedbacks, including: what I should pay attention to while reporting to
seniors, more initiative role should be taken to dig out stories behind data for
verification of hypothesis, etc. While it’s hard to list them all out here, they would
be surely accumulated and served as vital tips at work.
POLICIES - COMPASS BEYOND BLACK AND WHITE
My other task is policies and contract templates review. I was allowed to discuss
and express views over these important documents as a fresh eye, which
surprises me a lot. Having gone through some policies and the Handbook, I got
more profound understanding on how HKBN develops its Talent Culture and what
policy serves for. If core values is lighthhouse of company - bright at the top as
reminders, policies are compass - handy and more substantial that leads us to the
correct direction, i.e., operation culture of a company.
LEADERS - PURPOSE MATTERS FOR ENGAGEMENT
My another task is being coordinator among Interns. After these two months, I
found one thing crucial to be a coordinator, or say leader - you get to explain
purpose behind tasks allocated. With purposes clearly explained, groupmates
would be motivated by understanding what they are actually working for but not
merely an up-to-bottom instruction. I will bear such leadership skills in mind and
practice it in no longer future.
ANNA LAITALENT MANAGEMENT
The Chinese University of Hong Kong
27
“It might be strange to start a story with an ending. But all endings are also
beginnings. We just don’t know it at the time.” This is my favourite quote from “the
Five People You Meet in Heaven” written by Mitch Albom. Ending of my internship is
just beginning of my own life journey applying insights to study, work and ultimately to
community. Thanks everyone for these fruitful two months.
Anna’s last day with her Talent Management department
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GEOVANNY LAYTALENT & ORGANIsATION DEVELOPMENT
POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG
EVENT PLANNING - A WHOLE NEW
EXPERIENCE
Being attached to the Talent and Organizational
Development department (TOD), which mostly
involve organizing different kinds of internal
company events was a whole new experience
for me. It didn’t take me long to realize how I
was inadequate for my first task – organizing
HKBN’s first family event. I totally remember
the pressure I felt when my buddy, Jay, told me
that he wants me to be responsible for the
whole event. On the side note, I realized that
giving me such responsibility means that
despite of my lack of experience, they trusted
me as a member of the team, and that
motivated me to give my best.
Through organizing this event, I learned that
event planning truly requires a lot of
preparation, and that every single thing needs
to be taken into consideration. Alongside my
buddy, we planned for everything from zero. We
started from brainstorming activities, drafting
the proposal, getting the word out to all the
talents, searching for vendors, acquiring overall
logistics (from signage to food), purchasing
giveaways, setting up the venue, and the list
goes on. Thankfully, as much as we have
prepared, everything went on smoothly. I still
vividly remember the happy faces of the
children and parents while enjoying the
activities, it was priceless. To sum up, we sent
out a follow-up eDM with a link to a survey for
the department to acquire feedbacks for future
improvement. My heart was content when I saw
the positive comments given by the
participants.
Children during Friday x Family Day
Families during Friday x Family Day
29
POSITIVE ATTITUDE AND WILLINGNESS TO LEARN
Even though I had a few experiences organizing events for university societies, the
task given to me by the department was on a different level. I encountered
challenges, a lot of uncertainties hit me during the process. Through these times, I
am really grateful for my colleagues who were being very understanding and helpful.
They always encourage me to be proactive, and to ask questions when in doubt. We
discussed a lot, and they valued my opinions. Through this experience I would like to
sum up my biggest takeaway for this summer - skills or knowledge in itself is not
enough; you need that attitude to complete the pack. If you show your willingness to
learn and be proactive enough, your surrounding will be more than happy to support
you.
Geovanny and Talent Management Department during
Edith’s farewell and housewarming party
Geovanny presenting certificates for Talent
Management department upon farewell
party
30
THANK YOU, AND THE END…FOR NOW!
31
HK BNSummer Interns
2017