The HK office is a monarchy, the first thing told by the MD at the final interview was "Loyalty is a must or else! I will know if you talk behind my back!" With so much bureaucracy, the value of employees is based on how good at playing politics, and how much time is spent staying in the office. The reporting line is very confusing, with no clear lines of communication, and impossible deadlines. There is no mentorship as well, globally they have a buddy program, but not in HK/APAC. The performance is based on "loyalty" rather than skill set and experience, and "no" is not accepted in any form. 24/7 on-call is required even on holidays or annual leaves, therefore a new iPhone is a must because of its strict security protocols, which means cashing out before cashing in. The MD asks everyone to have a dedicated Lazard iPhone/device, so when my dept. head found out I hadn't gotten one yet (I wasn't sure about the stability of the job, and I couldn't afford to start a 2-year contract plus a new phone), I was given a very mean look and told I must get one soon. Long story short, if you have a choice, look for a place that treats technical professionals like humans instead of slaves or tools of political power play.
