Helen So

“I love the comprehensive training that’s hard to come by anywhere else. Also, while fast-track career progression is real here, so is work-life balance.”

How has your career developed at HSBC so far?

Five years ago, I joined the Contact Centre and Remote Channel (CCRC) team right after completing my bachelor’s degree in business administration at the Hong Kong Shue Yan University. Since then, I’ve gone from junior officer to assistant manager, and now I’m a senior team manager. I really value the chance to grow my career so quickly here. It’s rare to find this kind of growth elsewhere, and it’s a key reason why I’ve chosen to stay with HSBC.

Why did you join HSBC Contact Centre and Remote Channel?

For business administration graduates like me, banking has always been a popular career choice. So, when there was an opportunity to join a prominent bank like HSBC, it was an easy yes. I also knew I would enjoy the nature of the work at CCRC. I love interacting with people and helping them to resolve their queries. I’m not into doing the same thing day after day, so this is perfect.

What do you do in your role?

I assist customers who call in with banking enquiries or requests for help with investment product trading. To perform this role, I needed to acquire insurance and investment licences and HSBC was very helpful with that, providing me with the necessary knowledge to ace them as well as exam fee subsidies. I also help mentor team members to build up their capabilities and support them in addressing more complex scenarios.

What do you like most about your career at HSBC?

There’s plenty that I like, but what’s top of mind are the opportunities for career progression, the training we get and work-life balance.

Career progression: HSBC is well-known for its transparent career trajectory, so there’s no guesswork as to where you’re headed. Especially in the CCRC, if you follow promotion guidance and meet the necessary criteria, you can be confident of advancing to the next level when you are ready. The role is always available, so you won’t have to wait for a vacancy for your advancement.

Training: I can count on exceptional training at every stage of my career at HSBC. When I joined the bank five years ago as a fresh graduate, I went through a really comprehensive onboarding that lasted three to four months, which helped me build the soft and hard skills I needed to do well in my role. Beyond that, there is also regular training on our new products and briefings on the latest market trends, so, we are always progressing as a team.

Work-life balance: I love to travel, so I’m glad to have generous annual leave entitlements at HSBC. I already had 18 days of annual leave when I joined, and now, I have 24 days. I can also go for flexible work arrangements, like having my day off during the week or restructuring my hours to enjoy a four-day work week. These give me a lot more control in planning my time and to live life at a more relaxed pace. Also, I appreciate that I can completely detach from work during non-working hours.

How would you describe the culture here?

Cutting-edge: HSBC consistently adopts new technologies and methodologies, empowering us to stay on top of market shifts and our customers’ evolving needs.

Globalised: Beyond Hong Kong and mainland China, my team and I also manage enquiries from around the world, such as those from the UK and continental Europe.

Speak-up culture: Everyone’s encouraged to actively seek and offer feedback, from top to bottom, and to embrace change. For example, we hold regular exchange sessions where a group of colleagues and leaders come together to share views and new ideas.

A big family: Since our roles and promotions don’t pit us against one another, we share a really close bond here. We support each other at work and hang out together outside of it. It helps that we have a variety of leisure facilities within the HSBC building, like a staff-exclusive gym, and recreational areas where we can have meals in a big group or bond over games like snooker or mahjong, without the hassle of choosing a venue or making a reservation.

What’s your direction in terms of career progression?

I hope to grow into an excellent team manager and a mentor who’s capable of helping new joiners reach their full potential.

Visit HSBC Contact Centre and Remote Channel to learn more.