Following major workspace renovations, the Bank has opened a digital floor at its Head Office that is designed to facilitate the incubation of new digital banking solutions to meet the fast-changing preferences of customers.

Over the next two years, more than 270,000 square feet of gross floor space at Hang Seng’s Head Office, which was completed in 1991, will undergo a comprehensive transformation to provide a more dynamic work environment for over 2,400 members of staff. Offices in two other core Bank buildings in Mongkok and Kowloon Bay will also be transformed. On completion of the project, a total of 6,500 employees at these three locations will be working in new people-centric workspaces.

By offering employees more choice as to where and how they work, as well as the introduction of flexi-hours, the new workspaces will encourage more energetic working to create a new workplace culture. This more flexible work-style approach will be supported by a technology-enabled and paperless workplace, and a design that provides a broader variety of spaces for individual and collaborative work. A ceremony was held on 11 January to mark the opening of the new digital floor.

Louisa Cheang, Vice-Chairman and Chief Executive of Hang Seng Bank, said: “To make Hang Seng more dynamic and vibrant, we are continuing to transform our workspaces. Our new digital floor offers a contemporary design that promotes creativity and the generation of new ideas. In a fast-moving market, we are launching different fintech initiatives and providing customers with more digital banking solutions that integrate with their increasingly mobile lifestyles.”

With a gross area of close to 15,000 square feet, the digital floor accommodates around 150 individuals - including members of Hang Seng’s digital banking team and their business partners - who spearhead the Bank’s fintech initiatives. Adopting an open layout, the digital floor provides specially designed social hubs, communal areas, collaboration booths and wireless interactive screens that encourage employees to work together on the development of new ideas. It is also equipped with ergonomic furniture that promotes employee wellness.

The digital floor reflects a major transition from a traditional workspace model that is dominated by standard workstations to an activity-based model that enables staff to choose from different workspace setups based on their working styles and project needs. The interior design philosophy is based around nature and growth, symbolising the planting and nurturing of new ideas and an emphasis on workspaces that promote health and wellness.

Hang Seng was the first bank in Hong Kong to launch AI chatbots that offer retail banking customers round-the-clock assistance with a range of services. Biometric authentication and mobile security key have also been rolled out to ensure that customers enjoy easy and secure access to digital services. The recent launch of a one-stop personal payment platform and all-in-one digital payment collection services have further reinforced the Bank’s strong position on the digital financial services landscape.