Nearly 100 senior executives from diverse industries across Hong Kong gathered on 15 May for an exclusive forum on “Building a Motivated Workforce in the AI Age.”
Jointly organized by Esperanza and the HKGCC Training Academy, the event posed a critical question: how can we maintain and boost employee motivation as AI integrates into our work lives?
As MC Genie Park pointed out, AI acts as a double-edged sword, promising enhanced productivity and innovation while stoking fears of job displacement and skill gaps, which could potentially impact workforce motivation.
During the discussions, featuring insights from Chamber CEO Patrick Yeung and Esperanza Founder John Tsang, companies were encouraged to learn how to collaborate with AI. Dr Felix Lee, Co-CEO of The GBA Healthcare Group, reminded attendees that a company’s purpose is to be a unifying force for its team.
The panel “Leveraging AI to Amplify Workforce Vitality and Performance” brought together HR innovators and tech leaders. Kelvin Lam of Mercer highlighted lagging employee engagement and the urgent need for a human-centric approach to technology, especially as Generative AI reshapes roles. Microsoft’s Fred Sheu noted that a structured organizational AI development blueprint is often lacking, and introduced the “Frontier Firm” concept.
Practical AI applications that enhance employee experience and well-being were shared through use cases from HiBob’s Frank Devitt, Intellect’s Edmond Leung and and Fred Sheu of Microsoft Viva, while Jo Ledarney of Colliers discussed early AI adoption experiences.
The session, moderated by Dr. Cecilia Leung, Director of Certification and Strategic Initiatives at HKGCC, concluded with a Q&A that examined adoption roadmaps, reskilling and ethical AI use, featuring a clear call for feedback to assist HKGCC and Esperanza in unlocking human potential in this AI age.
HKGCC’s AI Journey
This was followed by a seminar titled “AI at Work: HKGCC's Journey & How You Can Too” on 27 May. It explored the Chamber’s AI adoption journey and how businesses of any size can integrate AI into operations to enhance productivity.
Leung presented the Chamber’s structured 3-Phase Framework for AI adoption: Spark (readiness assessment, engaging teams), Build (evaluating tools, policy creation, pilot testing – HKGCC's current phase), and Master (scaling usage, continuous training).
HKGCC’s AI ambassadors unpacked six distinct cases that enhance operational efficiency and member experience at the Chamber. Industry giants Google and Zoom also presented advanced AI applications. Ricky Lau highlighted Google's productivity tools, such as NotebookLM, while Terence Lui demonstrated AI-powered collaboration across Zoom features such as Workplace, Events and Phone.
The event concluded with a fireside chat that included Hilaree So, Head of Employee Experience at HKGCC, and Michelle Leung, Head of North Asia, Zoom Communications. Moderated by Leung, the exchange addressed common hurdles in AI implementation, including overcoming inertia, addressing employee resistance, ensuring data privacy and measuring ROI.