Talent Interest Alignment
In our journey of sustainability, Talents play an essential role in defining our success. By having “skin-in-the-game” via Co-Ownership, pain/GAIN and ESG-related special incentive programmes, HKBN Talents hold a vested interest to go above and beyond to ensure that sustainability is deeply embedded in all aspects of our business and operations.
HKBN Co-Ownership
Unlike the more traditional approach of providing stock options to a small group of senior executives, HKBN Co-Ownership is open to all supervisor-and-above level Talents spanning across Hong Kong, Macau, and mainland China (equal to approximately 40% of our Talent base). Our Co-Ownership culture gives Talents a one-of-a-kind opportunity to prosper as part owners of the company they serve.
To participate, Talents can choose to invest between 2 and 24 months of salary to acquire HKBN shares at full market price. The shares are then matched with free shares vested at a specified ratio after 3 years, and given only after key company performance targets are met.
pain/GAIN Schemes
Our pain/GAIN schemes offer Talents actionable opportunities to prosper by putting their “skin-in-the-game” in specific company projects or initiatives. pain/GAIN is entirely voluntary and open for Talents to start – typically in team groups.
To participate, Talents can propose a plan when they see the potential to deliver enhanced performance results for our Company. As a rule, all proposed plans must include some element of ESG. Once approved, Talents are then required to invest their own money as a “skin-in-the-game” commitment. After project completion, if results exceed the ROI target, participants are rewarded with monetary “GAIN”. Miss the target and initial investments are forfeited as “pain”.
ESG-related pain/GAIN Schemes
According to estimates, the vast majority of publicly traded companies in the Asia Pacific region do not have ESG-linked executive compensation policies in place – and HKBN is proud to be an exception.
What makes our approach different is that, instead of sticking with the standard of rewarding executives with incentives or bonuses when ESG KPIs are met, participating HKBN senior Talents must link a portion of their salaries to the success or failure of our ESG performance.
Skin-in-the-game of ESG
In a bold push to enhance HKBN’s energy footprint, a group of our senior executives (including our Group’s Executive Vice-chairman and Group Chief Executive Officer) are putting one month of their salary on the line. Exemplifying real skin-in-the-game, each participating executive has committed to reduce our electricity consumption in FY24 by 14% (relative to a FY22 baseline). Succeed and each participant will receive a nice financial bonus – whilst saving HKBN millions in energy expenditures! Fall short and the entire one-month sum goes to charity.