Zurich takes lead to ensure gender equality

Zurich Insurance Group (Zurich) has become the first global insurance company to receive the Economic Dividends for Gender Equality (EDGE) certification in key markets of operations, including Zurich Insurance (Hong Kong) - the first company in Hong Kong to receive EDGE. This has demonstrated our commitment in closing the corporate gender gap, a step in providing equal opportunities for all as well as an important step in the direction of our Diversity & Inclusion culture.

EDGE is the leading global assessment methodology and business certification standard for gender equality which provides Zurich with data and benchmarks to measure and create specific initiatives to improve gender equality within all our offices globally. As one of the participating countries, Zurich Insurance (Hong Kong) has taken some steps towards closing the gender gap such as pay equality with an analysis of salary data against the local market benchmark, identifying any unexplained salary gap between genders. We are also exploring options for flexible working program such as working from home and part-time jobs for permanent staff such as new parents. Finally, the company is working towards a systematic approach to the recruiting practice in which we consider setting KPIs to ensure we have an equal number of genders during hiring activities, placing a minimum number of female candidates for each position.

Andy Wong, Head of Human Resources in Hong Kong claims "a gender-diverse workforce ensures we have a range of different ideas and opinions which express our customers' viewpoints and preferences."