Young Voices | How long can they stay - The work and social dilemmas of Hong Kong drifters

For those who live in Hong Kong and wish to change their future for themselves or the next generation, housing and savings are undoubtedly the first step in deciding whether they will stay. After solving their livelihood problems, how long they can stay depends on whether Hong Kong can provide them with the development opportunities and interpersonal space they desire. In this article, we will take a look at the plight of Hong Kong drifters from the perspectives of work and socialization.

Hong Kong protects labor but system lacks flexibility

Mr. Ho has been working in the Mainland for nearly 20 years. After coming to Hong Kong, he feels that there is a good flow of information and more freedom for his staff to develop, and he puts it in a nutshell: "Competition in Hong Kong is not yet particularly fierce, and there is still a surplus of resources."

Many Hong Kong drifters from non-Cantonese-speaking areas face the problem of a language barrier when they look for a job, worrying that they will not be able to cope with their work as they do not understand or speak Cantonese, and that they will not be able to communicate well with their colleagues. Although Mr. Lin does not speak Cantonese, he is able to work well in a Hong Kong company whose main clientele is from the Mainland. He favors the egalitarian, easy-going atmosphere of the Hong Kong workplace over that of mainland companies. "You don't have to work OT (overtime), you just leave when you get off work". Mr. Lin's wife, Ms. Jiang, found that the Hong Kong workplace is more relaxed and friendly towards females, and "they don't discriminate against you just because of your marriage or parenthood".

When Ms. Liu came to Hong Kong, she was able to use her talent for writing articles in her spare time. However, she soon realized that the Hong Kong workplace system has an "iron-faced and unfeeling" side, "Hong Kong people do things in an official manner and are used to expressing their dissatisfaction through complaints, the accountability system is clear and less humane and flexible, and the lack of tolerance for mistakes hinders people's creativity and drive to make mistakes, after all, doing more makes more mistakes."

From this, we can see that the characteristics of Hong Kong's workplace are distinctive. The advantage is that employees' freedom of personality and their rights at work can be fully protected, but the accountability system is too rigid, which affects the innovation momentum.

Hong Kong Drifters Face the Shackles of "Circle" and "Language"

These interviewees unanimously revealed that most of the people in their social circle are not local. The difference in language and culture has been an unbridgeable gap for many years. In addition, as foreigners, Hong Kong drifters do not feel the unconditional and full acceptance and tolerance of their city, which indeed affects the comfort of "drifting" here. The reporter associates this with the "positive acceptance" felt in Chengdu some time ago when traveling there on business, where the warmth and friendliness of the Chengdu people resolved the tension of the expatriates.

Interestingly, through her work as a blogger on Xiaohongshu, Miss Jiang has been noticed by many locals and has met many like-minded people. "Hong Kong people are also very used to reading Xiaohongshu," she says.

It is suggested that the SAR Government can do more - such as organizing free Cantonese classes to create exchange opportunities for Hong Kong drifters and locals.

Mr. Zheng from Hunan province, who came to Hong Kong for an interview but did not choose to stay in the end, told the reporter that he had no doubt about the development opportunities in Hong Kong, and he would like to bring his children to study in Hong Kong with him, but with an annual salary of HK$400,000, he did not have the courage to afford the life of "the old and the young" in Hong Kong. Miss Jiang, on the other hand, commented on the Mainland and Hong Kong in this way - you can go to Shenzhen for food and entertainment, but in terms of long-term work development and lifestyle, Hong Kong has more opportunities, more interesting activities, and more access to resources and social channels.

On the whole, the main reason for Hong Kong drifters to stay in Hong Kong is that they are fascinated by the unique cultural atmosphere of Hong Kong, and that there is a vibrant job market, a global atmosphere and a platform here. However, the differences in work culture, language and circle barriers, high rents and difficulties in saving money are all problems that the government cannot ignore and need to solve in the long run when attracting foreign talents.

Conclusion

It is very difficult to find a place in the world that is perfect in every aspect and meets all the requirements of different people. It is a fact that Hong Kong has a well-developed economy and a diversified society. However, due to its mature development and favorable economic conditions, Hong Kong has also experienced problems such as a high cost of living and unaffordable property prices. When we wish to recruit talents from the Mainland and even from beyond, we must consider the following question: other than money and opportunities, what can we offer mainland talents? Profitable but indifferent city? High income yet unable to purchase a residence? The reporter believes that, in addition to prospects for advancement, Hong Kong drifters want a feeling of belonging. No matter how exhausted or busy they are, Hong Kong drifters need a warm and caring home after working hard, learning, and staying in various locations across Hong Kong.