Advice on working in HK

Hello,


I am from an Australian, female, early 20's - will be going to Hong Kong on secondment for 3 months... have only briefly visited Hong Kong a little while ago... I might be going to Hong Kong around April/May. What is fun/enjoyable to do in HK - what do young professionals do after work/weekends? Is there an area within HK that is frequented by expats? Any recommendations as to websites or other materials on the topic of working in HK? Anything that I should be cautious/aware of when working/living in Hong Kong?


Any other general advice?


I would be grateful for any assistance!


Thank you.

Hi,


First of all let me shamelessly self plug my HK Tips page: http://hongkongtips.rosboch.net. If you scroll down there's a list of some things you can do in HK. Granted, I have 2 kids so our interests may be a bit different. ;) Nightlife is great. Lots and lots of bars and restaurants in several areas.



"Is there an area within HK that is frequented by expats?"


As I understand it, expats are concentrated on HK Island, specifically South Side around Repulse Bay/Stanley, Pok Fu Lam and in Midlevels.



"Anything that I should be cautious/aware of when working/living in Hong Kong? "


Most of HK is exceedingly safe. Much safer than most Western cities. Of course, there are dodgy areas but the risk of physical harm is very small.


However, you should be aware of cultural issues, especially at work. The Chinese think very differently. I would recommend a cross cultural training class (your employer should provide one IMHO). This will give you a good introduction and allow you to avoid the most obvious mistakes.

Hi axptguy


I have been in HK a while and my employer never gave us cultural training courses when we started. Would love to know what I have been doing wrong all this time - are you able to post the obvious mistakes or, if you consider too sensitive, can you PM me?


Thanks

Hey NZlawyergirl. Shame you didn't get any training. Even half a day is incredibly useful.


First off, I don't think you've been actively offending people. ;) HKers are quite used to foreigners and they are much softer on us than mainlanders. If you work in a foreign company this is especially true. Chinese behavior often seems strange to us foreigners. I don't think I have all the answers and few Westerners ever really "figure out" the Chinese.


I would also say that the only two places where an expat typically has to "watch it" are at work and with staff in the apartment complex where said expat lives. It helps to be sensitive to cultural complexities in shops and restaurants, but it's not as important since the interaction is ritualized regardless of location. That is, there is an existing set of moves to be followed whether you are in a restaurant in HK or in NYC.


Mainly it has to do with context and group think. I'm by no means an expert but here are some observations I have made. I'm sure there are many on this forum who can correct and expand as needed.



- The concept of face is immensely important. For example, if you confront a Chinese employee with something they've done badly, without leaving an out, they lose face. This is very difficult for them.

- The group makes decisions, not the individual. Of course individuals have power, but there must be discussion and consensus. This can be very frustrating if you are trying to get a quick decision.

- In business dealings with Chinese companies, the saying is "No meal, no deal." There's no way they're going to talk business unless they have a relationship with you as a person first.

- Everything from language to social interaction is based on context. In most Western societies (especially anglo and germanic), what someone says is what they mean. In China, what they say is only the tip of the iceberg. As Westerners, we tend to take an answer at face value, but when a Chinese person says "x" he often means "y" or "z". We're missing the context. For a cool example, learn a little about Chinese signs. A single sign may change meaning entirely due to the signs around it, or be combined with other signs for yet more meanings. Contrast with Western alphabets where a letter is a letter.

- The Chinese will often say they will do something at work because saying no would be a loss of face. But they may end up not doing it. In the West, they should have said "no" to start with. But in China you should never have asked the question and have embarrassed them by doing so.

- Relationships are key. You can't just go in and introduce yourself. If you do, the person in front of you has no frame of reference for you. You find a mutual acquaintance who can introduce you.

- Have you noticed how when you are on a crowded street people just ignore each other? It's quite different from a Western city where pedestrians actively try to avoid touching. Here it's as if other people don't exist. It feels somewhat rude to Westerners but for the Chinese if they don't know you you are irrelevant.

- Always give (and take) things with two hands. This includes credit cards a the grocery store. It is especially important with business cards (called "name cards" in HK). When you receive a name card, study it. Whatever you do, don't fold it or cram it into a pocket.

Thanks axptguy. Interesting observations, I have at least been following the last one in relation to business cards and credit cards etc!!

While not nearly as comprehensive an answer as axptguy's, in my experience, if your polite and kind to people, you'll have no probs...I don't 'do' anything special in relation to Chinese that I wouldn't do towards a western stranger...so far no one's chopped my hands off so I guess I'm doing okay (triad reference)...except the name card thing...yeah keep doing that...

"While not nearly as comprehensive an answer as axptguy's, in my experience, if your polite and kind to people, you'll have no probs..."


Quite right. And I think you might even be forgiven the name card thing.




By the way love your nickname!

i am, as are the friends who gave me that name!

As long as you don't stop drinking and become "UnbearablyDullBobby". ;)

"axptguy38, sorry to say this but i think your tips are somewhat outdated. They sound like they're from 40 years ago when most foreigners had no clue about the Chinese and most Chinese spoke no English to communicate."


My apologies for not being entirely clear. I started my post by pointing out that in HK you don't really have to be ultracareful since people are used to foreigners. The points above are a "purist" version. In HK reality, people are much more flexible. But it helps to know the background.


I didn't just get the tips out of thin air either. They are based partly on training received before coming to HK. This was given by people who weren't alive 40 years ago and do biz in HK today. They are also based on observations by my wife, who does work here, while interacting with Chinese employees.