Embracing the New Way of Life in Hong Kong

Moving to Hong Kong can be an incredibly exciting chapter in your life. While filled with boundless career and personal prospects for you to explore and achieve, this journey, like many others, has its challenges. Newcomers will likely find several common topics they need to address, such as learning a language, adapting to the local working culture, or building new relationships. But what makes Hong Kong so exciting to move to is the city's embrace of tenacity and room for a wide spectrum of lifestyles — there's no set path you must follow to achieve success here.

Talking Your Way Through Hong Kong 

All things considered, it’s relatively easy to adapt to the way of life here. Displaying a unique blend of cultural influences at every turn, Hong Kong is home to historical connections and a modern global outlook, thus a vibrant, constantly evolving mix of cultures and communities. Even your daily cuisine should take little adaptation — as an international culinary hub, a vast selection of cuisines abounds in the city.

One of the biggest revelations newcomers might have as they arrive in Hong Kong might just be the diverse application of languages. Cantonese is spoken by the majority of locals, followed closely by English and Putonghua; as for written languages, signage, documents and everything else are officially written in traditional Chinese and English.

There's no rush for newcomers to pick up Cantonese — Hong Kong is celebrated for its cultural tapestry and its status as a bilingual metropolis. Enough proficiency in English or Putonghua will get you very far here. At work, in social circles, and in everyday communication — these two languages are commonly used in Hong Kong, so much so that not knowing Cantonese is merely a hindrance to your daily life. 

Learning Cantonese may not be a top priority for the newly arrived, but it is our wholehearted recommendation — embracing the lingual landscape in Hong Kong and learning Cantonese will open the door to deeper connections with local communities and culture, and more career opportunities. Language app options are great for picking up the first batch of essential words and phrases, while in-person language classes can patch up gaps of knowledge and integrate you into the local community more quickly. You can also consider picking up a hobby or joining an interest class for more opportunities to interact with locals — after all, the best way to learn a language is to put it to use! Some companies, education institutes and the designated partners of Hong Kong Talent Engage, will organise Cantonese language classes for the talent, providing many avenues by which you can start learning. 

Adapting to Hong Kong Workplace Dynamics

The workplace dynamics in Hong Kong are just as spirited as the other aspects of the city — life here moves at a fast pace, with a high value placed on efficiency and productivity. Hong Kong is a culturally diverse city with highly varying styles of management, so much so that you may well experience different working cultures and practices even within the same industry. 

As talent around the world comes to work in Hong Kong, more employers in Hong Kong are happy to offer positions with good career progression and flexible working options to cater for changing preferences, making for a more energetic, open-minded and outspoken working culture across the city. Since the pandemic, hybrid or full-time remote work policies have become popular among local companies and multinational conglomerates alike, as employers grow increasingly open than ever to flexible work arrangements. So when you work in Hong Kong, you can expect a progressive, inclusive and multilingual working community, in which unique perspectives and backgrounds are valued.

Finding Your Career and Lifestyle Here

To start your new chapter in Hong Kong, you are also suggested to expand your social network; attend seminars, join meetup groups, connect with industry peers, mingle, and keep your ears out for opportunities — networking is key as always in leading you to your possible dream job. Join volunteer work, do good to the society and the world while knowing likeminded people; pick up an exercise, or join an exercise group, to keep your body and mind healthy while meeting people who share your passion and fitness goals! You can also reach out to our designated partners under Supporting Services to meet other talented people in the same shoes. This city is full of energy — organise your day and week accordingly, and set aside time for rest and exploration, and you’ll find yourself adjusted to the rhythm of Hong Kong in no time. Join our events to network and know more about Hong Kong, stay tuned to our social media channel.