“Our people are our most valuable asset, which is why we put a lot of emphasis on effective communication and staff engagement. We have to get our people engaged, integrate our messages, and embed our global ESG goals in everything we do. That way, words can be effectively transformed into action, and we can create a purpose-driven culture and initiate positive change.”
Linda Lin
Partner, Head of People, Performance and Culture
KPMG China
Our commitments
Inclusion, diversity and equity
- Have an inclusive culture built on trust; have an educated, empathetic workforce; and be an advocate for equal opportunity
- Eliminate discrimination in respect of employment and occupation
- Empower women in the workplace, marketplace and community
Health and well-being
- Protect the health of our people — both physically and mentally — and enable them to be effective and productive
Continuous learning
- Develop a continuous learning culture
Human rights
- Respect human rights
Inclusion, diversity and equity
Have an inclusive culture built on trust
Following the 72-hour KPMG Global Courageous Conversations event last year, the message from our people was clear – we need to integrate ‘equity’ in our day-to-day actions. Equity is about creating fair access, opportunity and advancement for everyone. Demonstrating its importance at KPMG, what was previously known as ‘Inclusion & Diversity' (I&D) has been renamed as ‘Inclusion, Diversity and Equity’ (IDE) at all member firms.
IDE is a fundamental component of our culture and values. At KPMG China, we are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace, where all staff members are valued and respected for who they are and what they do.
National and Regional IDE Councils (previously called I&D Councils)
To drive our IDE policies and strategies and cultivate an inclusive culture, we have put in place a National IDE Council, together with Regional IDE Councils.
Led by our Head of People, Performance and Culture, the National IDE Council sets the overall strategic direction for IDE, and oversees firm-wide IDE policies and programmes. Governed by the National IDE Council, the Regional IDE councils identify issues that are important in their respective regions and implement corresponding initiatives.
Be an advocate for equal opportunity
Our employment practices underline our contributions towards SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth, which aims to achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men.
The Staff Handbook emphasises our principle of employing a diverse workforce based solely on an individual’s ability, performance, occupational requirements and business needs. Our recruitment and employment decisions are made regardless of gender, marital status, religion, race, nationality, disability, family status, sexual orientation or other factors.
Eliminate discrimination in respect of employment and occupation
Inclusion and Diversity Policy
KPMG China’s I&D Policy contains our firm’s principles to create an inclusive workplace culture, with zero tolerance for any form of discrimination against any persons. Our firm’s position on equal opportunities is also elaborated in the policy.
IDE focuses
Our IDE strategies focus on four key areas: Gender, Generations, Skills and Embracing differences. Key initiatives are highlighted as follows.
Gender
- Mentorship programmes for female colleagues
- Gender equality network
- Celebration of International Women’s Day
- SHE Inspiring Talk Series
- Male Allies
Generations
- Next Generation Council
- Leaders Developing Leaders
- ‘Tune-in’ sessions
Skills
- Unconscious bias training
- Design thinking workshop
- Thinking diversity workshop
- Combating microaggressions workshop
Embracing differences
- IDE Week
- Pride@KPMG
- Mental health and wellness programmes
- Awareness-building activities on World Mental Health Day & International Day of Persons with Disabilities
Empower women in the workplace, marketplace and community
KPMG China provides equal opportunities for our partners and staff to develop and succeed in their careers regardless of gender. This commitment contributes to SDG 5 Gender Equality, which aims to ensure women’s full and effective participation, as well as equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making.
Have an educated, empathetic workforce
We have developed different programmes and campaigns to raise our people’s awareness of different IDE issues such as gender equality. This helps them build an inclusive mindset and be more empathetic in their day-to-day interaction with different people.
Next Generation Council
The Next Generation Council (NGC) offers a channel for young colleagues to express their thoughts and share their ideas about the firm. The NGC includes over 20 younger colleagues from across different regions, functions and grades. Their first project was to take part in the ‘Everyone Agile’ initiative, for which our NGC members conducted extensive research and put forward proposals on flexible working arrangements to the firm’s senior leaders. Selected ideas from these proposals will be implemented at the firm going forward.
Leaders Among Us
Launched on International Women’s Day in 2021, the ‘Leaders among us’ initiative aims to highlight stereotype-breaking stories from among our people. Not only do we encourage our people to excel, but we also challenge stereotypes to help them be their best selves. For example, the first episode featured a female senior manager who shared her experience of working in the traditionally male-dominated IT industry.
International Women’s Day
Every year on 8 March, KPMG member firms around the world take part in the International Women’s Day (IWD) celebrations. A series of nationwide activities in China are arranged to celebrate the uniqueness of women and their contributions. In 2021, we took part in a series of nationwide virtual events, including the SHE Inspiring Talk Series, our flagship programme with the theme #ChooseToChallenge. Other regional events included Plan International’s virtual Run for Girls race, online seminars and a ‘Tune-in’ session. Over 400 colleagues, alumni and clients participated in these events.
IT’s HER Future mentorship programme for female colleagues in the Advisory function
IT’s HER Future mentorship programme is designed to support the personal and professional development of our female colleagues in the Advisory function. Backed by strong support from senior management, mentees can learn from experienced partners and leaders to build their confidence and leadership skills as they grow and pursue their career ambitions.
“I started my career at KPMG focusing on engagements, and changed to a role overseeing the regional office in Hainan. I am grateful for all the support that I have received throughout my career journey, and hope to encourage my younger colleagues to have the courage to explore, voice their opinions, ask for help when needed and keep going.”
Nicole Zhang
Partner, KPMG China
Health and well-being
Protect the health of our people - both physically and mentally - and enable them to be effective and productive
We care for our people and support their well-being by providing a healthy and safe working environment for them.
Health and safety policies
Our Staff Handbook specifies our principles and requirements for various health and safety issues, ranging from fire precautions and office safety to indoor air quality and more. To ensure staff safety wherever they work, we also provide the Health and Safety Guidelines for working outside the office.
Insurance coverage
Our staff are well covered by our insurance package for medical, life, personal accidents and business travel. They are also supported by the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), which offers a 24-hour support hotline for professional personal counselling services.
Staff wellness programme - myLife
To improve the well-being of our people, we have over 50 staff-led interest groups called myLife, which is a staff engagement and wellness programme.
Through three key focuses – mind, body and social – myLife aims to help our people strike a better work-life balance and drive social interactions amongst our people. All these interest groups are funded by the firm to run different activities, ranging from football, hiking and photography to parenting activities.
Continuous learning
Develop a continuous learning culture
At KPMG China, we are committed to cultivating a culture of continuous learning by providing abundant opportunities for our people’s personal and professional development.
Fostering active learning
Active learning is one of the top 10 skills to remain fit for the future. We encourage our people to learn actively anywhere, anytime. In FY2021, we rolled out several programmes which promote active learning so we can meet the different learning needs of our people.
1. Spot the Chance to Learn
Through providing practical tips, the Spot the Chance to Learn initiative served as a reminder to inspire our colleagues to think about how they can capture opportunities to learn new things every day, and live our KPMG Value of 'Excellence'.
2. Unleashing our people's potential along their career journey
Our development initiatives focus on empowering our people to enhance their potential throughout their career journey with us. Our ‘Everyone a Leader’ leadership framework aims to empower our people to take personal ownership and lead, no matter their role.
Average training hours per individual:
“At KPMG, we invest in developing future skills and expertise to enable our people to grow their careers and maximise their potential. Our Purpose-led, Values-driven culture enables our colleagues to develop and thrive both at a personal and professional level.”
Carmen Ting
Head of Talent
People, Performance and Culture
KPMG China
Human rights
Respect human rights
We respect human rights. We avoid being complicit in human rights abuses including those involving business relationships, and ensuring we eliminate all forms of forced, compulsory and/or child labour in our own operations. Our Code of Conduct states that we do not tolerate illegal, unethical, human rights-violating behaviour from clients, suppliers or public officials with whom we do business.
