- Sue Campbell moved to Hong Kong in 2010 as managing director of a management consultancy firm.
- She said that in China, employees have a strong sense of hierarchy and younger staff have little say.
- Campbell highly recommended living in Asia and said the experience boosted her confidence.
This essay is based on a transcript of a conversation I had with Sue Campbell, 58, about moving to China for work. The following has been edited for length and clarity.
When I started working in Hong Kong and China in 2010, Asia felt like the center of the universe – there was so much growth, opportunity and technology.
Shanghai is a very busy, vibrant city with something going on around every corner – you’ll see incredible 3D billboards and people hawking their wares on the street opposite a giant Louis Vuitton store.
I’m originally from Australia but moved to the UK in 2000. I moved to Hong Kong in 2010 and have been the Managing Director of Asia for a global human resource management consultancy for eight years, as well as the Managing Director of China for two years, spending one week in China each month, usually in the Shanghai office.
Overcoming cultural differences was a job in itself
The company I worked for Responsible for large-scale professional recruitment; Assisted other companies in setting up or expanding their operations in China.
Navigating cultural differences was a big part of my job: I often acted as a liaison between our overseas clients and our team in China, helping everyone understand each other better.
I created a project team with a local project lead to get input on the changes to workflow and communication, and ensured my colleagues took ownership of the new system.
Since moving to the UK from Australia, I have experienced cultural differences in the workplace and have learned to be sensitive to people’s different perspectives and that those differences are not always obvious.
It took time to build trust with my Chinese colleagues – communication in Australian work is generally very direct so I had to adapt my style to slow down, listen and spend more time building relationships..
I respected that people approach things differently and made sure they felt I was representing their perspective.
Chinese employees are very conscious of their position in the company hierarchy.
In Chinese work culture, the hierarchy was very prominent. In meetings, people followed the opinions of their superiors. It was rare for younger employees to speak up. I had to actively encourage them to speak up.
Job titles were very important and people expected career progression. At the time, our global company was trying to flatten its organizational structure, and I had to explain that that wouldn’t work in China. Instead, we created a different structure with three sub-levels and made people feel like they were being promoted.
People also placed great importance on things like office size, the view from the office, and having a corner office.
It took time to overcome this deep-rooted need to respect hierarchy. To encourage change, I spoke to people one-on-one whenever I could. I looked for opportunities to ask my colleagues direct questions and tried to build trust. I often sat in open-plan areas, something someone in my position wouldn’t do. I think it made me more approachable.
People were less open about their struggles at work
Another difference I noticed was that if a project was not going well, no one raised the issue in meetings. Problems might be evident behind closed doors, but it was difficult to bring the issues out into the open.
For example, when one client wanted to hire a scientist with a very specific background in a remote location, our team knew from the start that this would be virtually impossible, but this concern wasn’t shared until deadlines started to slip and the client became worried.
In some Western cultures, concerns or issues are more likely to be flagged up early, but that’s not always the case. In China, I think people seem to take pride in their work and don’t want to tarnish their reputation.
I realized that no one would tell me the problem until I had to have an awkward conversation with a customer because we were late. As a Westerner, I quickly had to learn that what isn’t said also matters. I had to be more sensitive to subtle cues and never assume without checking with my colleagues.
My team members were not used to following direct orders like in Western countries.
From my experience, delegating work often required more time and explanation. If I were to ask someone to take on a project in Western countries, I might say, “I need 100 people for these jobs by the end of this month. Please take them on.” In China, I would sit down with people and work out a detailed plan.
My colleagues and I had to be specific about what we wanted in a way that I had never done before. One of my more experienced Chinese colleagues who has worked a lot with global companies said it might be because of the Chinese education system. Schools don’t give students as much freedom to do things their own way as they do in the West, they said.
However, the team I worked with in China didn’t have experience in large-scale recruiting, so maybe they just didn’t have the confidence to make a detailed plan. After making a plan, the team was very eager to deliver results. My colleagues were really hard-working and had a great work ethic.
Working in a new culture has given me confidence
I moved back to the UK in 2018 and after seeing the terrible impact of plastic waste in Asia, I started my own company called KIND2, which makes solid shampoo bars.
My time in Asia was a really interesting chapter in my life, it gave me more confidence.
If anyone has the chance to work in Asia, I would highly recommend it. Although there were many moments where it was more difficult than working in a culture I was familiar with, I wouldn’t give it up for even a second.
