为了提高民众对合法房地产代理的觉醒,大马房地产中介协会(MIEA)发起一项名为#MYREALAGENT的运动,提醒购屋者和租户选择正牌房地产中介的重要性,以保护自身权益。

Women – The Secret ‘Sauce’ of Success


“Men can grow a business bugger, but Women make the business better” — Jack Ma.
Hiring as many women as possible is Alibaba’s “secret sauce” for success, Jack Ma was quoted to have said, “because women care for other people more than men do. Women are going to be very powerful in the 21st century – because last century, people compared muscle; this century, people compare wisdom,” the richest man in Asia said recently during a conference.
Ma also revealed that if he were to be reborn, he would like to be a woman because “women are more compassionate and have more wisdom. Men can grow a business bigger, but women make the business better.”
The co-founder of AliBaba Group went on to say that when robots, AI and big data take over, what is prized more is wisdom and compassion and not rational thinking because robots and AI will be more rational than any human being. What the machines lack are human compassion and empathy, and wisdom, which women possess in abundance.
These are undoubtedly very strong statements of affirmation of the role of women in the workplace by the recently crowned richest man in Asia. Companies should take note and start hiring women!
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In the real estate industry, the situation is not too bad across 4 Asia-Pacific countries – Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong and China – according to a recent joint research undertaken by Urban Land Institute and EY. The four countries are known to allow women to rise to the top if they have the ability – note that Australia used to have a female prime minister while Hong Kong is currently helmed by a female chief executive.
These 4 countries also have the largest concentration of women working in real estate. The survey of 280 women revealed that only half of them aspire to C-suite positions or sole proprietorship. About 29% said they aspire to senior-level leadership positions just below the C-level, while 19% are content to live out their career in mid-level management.
The most ambitious women hail from Singapore and Australia, with 58% and 62% respectively aiming for the top jobs or ownership. In China, this percentage dropped to 23% while a majority of Chinese women (41%) are happy working toward mid-level management positions.
The report attributes this discrepancy to 2 main reasons:
(i) Country-specific influences, such as culture and societal norms and expectations; and
(ii) Prevalence of family-owned real estate businesses in parts of the region which cause female employees to perceive these positions as unattainable.
CHALLENGES FOR WOMEN
For women to thrive in the workplace, flexibility in day-to-day schedule and generous maternity/ familial leave are essential. This is not just limited to the real estate industry but to industries across the entire economy.
Families across the world are still based on the man earning most of the income while women either stay at home as homemakers or earn a supplementary income working at lower level positions. Women who reach higher level positions are still expected to be responsible for most of the housework or their children’s needs – the lucky ones are usually supported by maids or their parents in an extended household.
In the ULI/EY survey, over 50% of respondents indicated that the tension between workplace commitments and familial commitments, is the main barrier that prevents them from achieving professional success. Respondents from China and Hong Kong cited this as the number one obstacle to their career progression.
Along the same line, the ULI/EY survey revealed that half of all respondents felt that generous maternity/familial leave and flexibility in their work schedule are critical to their success followed by technical skills training and development programmes. Such flexibility, if supported formally by top management is essential to encourage female talents to rise to the top.
At the same time, an informal support system in the form of internal (in-company) relationships, particularly with senior leaders, as well as an inclusive workplace culture help to foster an atmosphere of mutual support which is critical for the well-being of the female workforce.

 
 
 
Women in Asia Pacific’s real estate and land use industry frequently change jobs to find success, though only half aspire to jobs in the C-suite or as a sole proprietor.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Despite these supports being critical, almost half of the respondents said that the flexibility is absent in their workplace while 61% revealed that they do not receive generous maternity/familial leave from their companies.
Among the 4 countries, almost half of Singaporean female workers said that their companies help them access senior-level sponsorship. An example is Alpha Investment Partners, where individuals commented that their senior leaders take time to develop them as professionals.
Beyond the support that are unique to women in the workforce, female employees are also looking for challenging job assignments and an objective performance review process including hiring and promotion practices. A favourable environment such as those hoped for by the respondents would not only bring more women into the industry but would help keep them employed longer. At the moment, only Australian women – almost 70% – are optimistic that more females will join their companies.
At the end of the day, what is perhaps more important, is that companies should endeavour to provide a conducive environment for women to stay long-term with them. And the only way to do that is to provide work flexibility and generous leave as well as other career-supporting measures such as training and mentorship programmes.
But why is it important to retain women in the workforce? Ask Jack Ma (or go back to the beginning of this story).
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