09 June 2023
With employees hailing from over 90 countries and offices spanning 4 continents, Exness embraces diversity and fosters an international work environment. This rich tapestry of backgrounds offers our teams the opportunity to gain invaluable knowledge and experiences that know no bounds. Many of our employees embody this diversity within themselves, having already acquired international experience. One such example is Karen Hutcheson, our Head of People Asia, whose story we share with you today. Karen's international profile is truly remarkable, having been born in the Philippines, studied in the US, and worked across various Asian countries, as well as in the US and Australia. In our conversation, we explore her personal journeys and how they have shaped her approach to work-life balance while driving organizational change and leading a team of HR professionals.
Karen Hutcheson Head of People Asia
I am the Head of People in Asia, and I am responsible for managing the end-to-end people experience for all our employees here. In this role, we oversee the administrative, people care, and operational aspects of the HR function, working closely with our HR business partners. Also, I work closely with the centers of excellence teams, including talent acquisition, learning and development, projects, total rewards, and internal communications and events, even though they do not directly report to me. We collaborate on numerous projects together. Therefore, my main focus is on ensuring a positive and comprehensive experience for all employees throughout Asia.
We have several ongoing projects, but one that stands out is the feedback initiative we conducted with all our employees. We've recently undergone significant changes, including adjustments to our senior leadership structure, and we asked our employees to share their insights and experiences, both positive and negative. Then, we launched a project to gather and address their feedback, with the support of our wider People team and other departments.
There are critical areas we are prioritizing in our project, but it is an ongoing endeavor. We can address certain issues as low-hanging fruits. For example, in response to feedback about our food program, we made a swift change by providing food allowances instead, allowing employees to order the food they prefer. This was a quick win and was well-received by the team.
However, some concerns cannot be resolved overnight. For instance, our employees have expressed the desire for improved support and engagement from their people managers, along with greater transparency and fairness. Therefore, we are actively working on enabling and empowering our people managers across the organization to provide the necessary care and guidance.
Another important focus is building a culture of honesty and transparency, where employees feel comfortable speaking up.
We want to ensure that they have the freedom to approach any leader, including our CEO and COO, to express their insights and feedback. It requires a more comprehensive development and coaching approach, as well as time and concerted effort.
Simultaneously, we continue to encourage our employees to engage in conversations about their experiences with the changes we implement. We rely on their communication to ensure that the improvements we make truly meet their needs.
I initially started in learning and development. From there, I transitioned to projects and change management, which exposed me to various other HR functions. Over time, I delved into different areas, including HR business partnering, talent acquisition, employee relations, internal communication, engagement, total rewards, and communication. I accumulated a breadth of experience that allowed me to understand the end-to-end processes.
I can't envision myself pursuing any other career than HR. However, I genuinely believe that HR is one of the most challenging jobs in the world. It's a role where you may not receive expressions of gratitude or appreciation. Instead, you frequently encounter complaints or grievances. So I believe, to thrive in HR, you must have a genuine love for people. You need to truly care about individuals because you'll often confront the negative aspects of the workplace. Despite this, you must take care of every employee, ensuring they have the best experience possible. It can be demanding, but when you make a decision or assist someone, it's incredibly rewarding to make a positive impact on their personal or professional life, regardless of its scale.
When people ask me why I chose HR, I always emphasize that it's a role that adds value to every individual's life within an organization. Embracing people professionally is at the core of this job for me."
I was born and raised in the Philippines, but I have been fortunate to experience life in various places, and in a way, it has prepared me for the next adventure. Here's a brief overview of my journey:
And then, one day, I received a call from Exness. I have been with the company for 5 months now, and the journey feels incredibly fulfilling. So far, I am thoroughly enjoying the journey. It presents its challenges, but at the same time, it is incredibly rewarding.
I cherish this traveling and expatriate lifestyle. However, there is also a downside to it. While I have family and friends scattered around the world, it often feels like I am far away from them. Fortunately, in today's interconnected world, there are countless ways to stay connected, thanks to the Internet and all those fantastic applications.
I always emphasize to new employees or team members that the most valuable learning comes from experience. Working with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures not only helps us learn about ourselves, but also uncovers areas where we can improve. Based on my experience working in different regions and companies of varying sizes, including large multinational enterprises and small yet fast-paced tech startups, I would like to highlight 2 important insights:
It's encouraging to see the younger candidates’ emphasis on the right aspects, and we must understand their perspectives and preferred ways of working."
If you want to work in an international company, I recommend you consider the following 3 approaches.
Hard work is commendable. I devote a great deal of time and effort into my work, driving organizational change and leading a team of HR professionals. However, I firmly believe that maintaining a focus on work-life balance and nurturing a fulfilling personal life allows you to bring your best self to both work and life. Pushing yourself to the point of exhaustion may yield impressive results but for a short period, and then it may lead to burnout and resignation.
In my younger years, I was driven by a desire to prove myself, dedicating 12 to 14 hours a day solely to work, without considering anything else. My perspective shifted when I joined an Australian company. I witnessed a culture that valued and respected individuals' personal lives, where colleagues would leave early to attend their children's events without any scrutiny or judgment. They didn't have to ask permission or reveal the details of their plans; they simply told their colleagues that they were leaving.
This experience prompted me to reevaluate my approach. I realized that no matter how much we love our jobs or how essential we may feel, the reality is that we can be replaced if necessary.
This shifted my focus to acknowledge that, in the end, my family and my husband are the ones who truly consider me irreplaceable. And this moment became the starting point for me in maintaining a work-life balance."While the perfect balance may vary for each individual based on their unique values and circumstances, I would like to highlight 2 universal practices that have greatly helped me:
I believe that maintaining diversity and inclusivity is extremely important for every company in today's world. At Exness, we have placed a strong emphasis on our Diversity and Inclusion program, and we have implemented several initiatives to support it. One example is our active promotion of language awareness, ensuring that everyone in our truly international team possesses the necessary skills to communicate effectively in English, our primary business language.
Another important initiative we are planning to do is the establishment of a women's group within the company. This group aims to empower and support women, providing them with a platform to learn from one another and have their voices heard. It is essential to address the existing gender gap in leadership roles within organizations worldwide, and we want to examine this area to achieve a better balance.
Furthermore, it is important to approach cultural diversity with respect and sensitivity, particularly within the Asian context. To this end, we are working towards developing an LGBTQIA+ agenda and program, which is becoming increasingly common among many companies in the region. As a first step, we plan to create an internal community for team members who identify as LGBTQIA+, offering them a supportive and expressive forum.
As an organization, we still have numerous opportunities for growth and improvement in these areas. We aspire to further enhance diversity in our hiring practices, seeking to include individuals from an even broader range of nationalities. Currently, we are privileged to have team members from 95 nationalities, which is truly remarkable. However, this commitment remains at the forefront of our focus, and we will continue to explore ways to expand in this space.
I think that by implementing these initiatives, we can foster a work environment that celebrates and embraces the differences and contributions of all individuals."