Cynthia Nixon’s arresting ‘Be a Lady They Said’ video was a hot topic at our office celebration of International Women’s Day last week.
Beyond the chat about the glossy showreel highlighting double standards for women, I was struck by how some young women on the team said they aren’t aware of any major gender imbalance in Hong Kong. Digging a little further, it seems this is a common perception: in a survey last year, only 6% of Hongkongers cited gender as an obstacle to getting a job – the lowest response in Asia. It’s even more surprising when the data shows an altogether different reality.
Hong Kong has the lowest participation of women in the workplace in the whole of APAC (55%), and only 1 out of 3 management positions are held by women – the second lowest in the region (only Japan ranks lower). The city’s gender pay gap sits at 22%, which is wider than it was 10 years ago; at board level, female representation is a paltry 13.6%. In the traditionally male-dominated industries of finance and law, it’s not uncommon for women to be a minority voice in a testosterone-fuelled work environment where long, rigid hours are the norm and there’s bare-minimum parental leave or childcare provision.
So why are young women at Archetype seeing it differently? Well, we’re in a typically female industry for starters – it’s known that marketing/comms agencies are dominated by women – but as someone who’s new to Archetype, I think there’s something to be said about the boutique size of the agency and its empowering culture.
Now, as a newbie, I might be a little drunk on the Kool Aid – but, I also have fresh, perspective. What struck me from Day 1 is that a culture of kindness and inclusion is creating a workplace where everyone is paid well, empowered and treated fairly regardless of gender, age or nationality.
Women are champions of the business at Archetype. Here in Hong Kong we have a female Managing Director and an all-female leadership team (across the region, 6 out of the 9 Archetype offices are headed up by women). If anything, the office skews too female – a current recruitment drive is focusing on finding more men to address the gender imbalance. (Side note: if you’re ambitious, curious and male and want to work with us get in touch here).
Day-to-day business is underpinned by a commitment to a healthy work-life balance. We all have the flexibility to work from home to fit with childcare or, reflecting broader family commitments, elder parental needs, and part time roles are available. New mums get an extra 4 weeks unpaid on top of the statutory 10-week maternity leave, and their return is carefully staggered to allow an easy adjustment back to work.
There’s a palpable focus on good time management so people end the day at a reasonable hour, which is unheard of at most agencies. The team rarely works beyond 6.30pm, 7pm at a push, and there are sessions of uninterrupted “Deep Work’ to further facilitate getting stuff done.
Diversity and inclusion are work in progress, I’m not saying Archetype has totally nailed it, but it’s clearly ahead of the curve of many businesses in Hong Kong. While we may lack true gender equality (have I said we’re looking for more men?!) we are a small yet multinational team of 20, with 7 nationalities. Our size enables us to be nimble, while cultural diversity broadens perspective, reduces bias and helps us understand our clients and customers better.
As if further evidence were needed, the financials also demonstrate how a culture of inclusion boosts performance, and ultimately profitability. Despite the turbulence in Hong Kong last year, Archetype has its best performance ever – in Hong Kong and across the region. At Archetype, diversity is proving smart for business.
Want to work for Archetype? Contact us here.
The Women’s Foundation Hong Kong is an excellent source of information about gender issues and runs best-in-class programs to advance girls and women in Hong Kong. See twfhk.org/