The hosts of the programme, Mr. Larry Poon and Ms. Jenny Lee, mentioned that the technology industry has always been difficult to attract talents. Mark stated that the problem is due to a severe lack of local talents in Hong Kong. There is also a large variety of skill requirements for AI development, especially in electronic, mechanical engineering and programming, while Roborn is looking for talents in all these sectors. Regarding the criteria for selecting employees, both Mark and Simon agreed that an enthusiastic person, with a passion to learn continuously, could adapt to this fast-growing industry.
To retain employees, Mark suggested that it is important to use both carrot and stick. Like other companies, Roborn is paying well-performed employees with competitive salaries. In addition, Roborn focuses on building a local technology brand in Hong Kong by utilizing the connection with universities and media, as a result, to promote Roborn’s products and values. Thus, the confidence of current or potential employees on Roborn could be maintained at a high level. At the same time, Roborn could achieve sustainable development through technology implementation instead of mere R&D.
“Roborn has always been a platform for colleagues to unleash their potential”, Mark added. Mark emphasized that Simon and other colleagues have a high degree of autonomy to build their own team. They could look for the most suitable talents who could adapt to the changing market. Mark stated that “Equality” is critical in building the company’s culture. Being a learning model himself, Mark hopes that the most ideal working culture of solving problems together, could then be achieved through barrierless communication with colleagues.
Mark and Simon also shared their thoughts on “leadership”. Simon mentioned that he observes and understands the market by watching the daily news, improving himself through continuous learning. He respects colleagues’ views from different angles as well as balancing benefits for each stakeholder. Moreover, Mark believes that colleagues could try different positions or projects to discover and unleash their potential. At the end of the programme, Mark reminded teenagers to treasure Hong Kong’s connectivity with the world while developing their own competitive skill sets at the same time.
（Full version：rthk.hk : Radio 1|管理新思維|吸引創科人才）