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HAYS QUARTERLY REPORT

The balance shifts as candidates move back towards the driving seat

Engineers, Senior Project and Program Managers, Urban Planners and Java/J2EE candidates are some of the skills employers seek this New Year reports Hays, the leading recruiting experts in qualified, professional and skilled people.

In the January - March edition of the Hays Quarterly Report, Hays reveal that the growing list of skills in demand by employers in Hong Kong and China is the result of several factors.

“Firstly, there are many instances of employers opting to recruit now in an attempt to gain competitive advantage and secure the best of the available talent,” says Emma Charnock, Regional Director of Hays in Hong Kong and China.

“Secondly, many organisations that cut staffing numbers to the bone in 2009 are going to look for new recruits. Departing staff last year were rarely replaced, with their duties absorbed by remaining staff members. Now that the market is slowly recovering, employers are reassessing and re-creating vacancies where required. Many also have growth plans scheduled for this year, although activity is not expected to increase strongly until March, following Chinese New Year.

“Thirdly, candidates already in permanent roles are preparing to re-enter the job market. Some have already started looking for their next career step, while others are confident that they will move after Chinese New Year. This momentum will also generate opportunities as positions become vacant, further fuelling the jobs market,” said Emma.

According to the Hays Quarterly Report, the following skills are sought:

Hong Kong hotspots:

  • Accountancy & Finance: Financial and Regulatory Reporting and IFRS candidates are needed in response to increasing levels of internal and external regulations. Candidates with Chinese accounting experience are also sought by a number of companies in improving markets that want to expand into China.
  • Insurance: Senior Project and Program Managers are needed to deliver and implement key strategic plans and initiatives. Unfortunately these candidates are in short supply. Banking candidates do not easily fit into the insurance sector however this is where most of the market’s skills are based. Over the past few years Senior Finance and Actuarial have remained in constant demand.
  • Construction: Infrastructure projects will create high demand for experienced engineers and construction professionals with exposure to rail transport and infrastructure-related projects. Candidates with both Chinese and English language skills and relevant Asian experience will be extremely desirable.
  • Legal: Consumer banking, private wealth management and equity capital markets are the prime areas of demand. Investment banks are hiring again, with vacancies across capital markets and derivatives. Within private practice, junior to mid level lawyers (with between two and five years PQE) with banking, capital markets and M&A experience are sought.

China hotspots:

  • Architecture: Urban Planners are sought in response to the urbanisation and development of second and third-tier cities. Interior Design Directors are needed given the upsurge in hospitality projects. Finally, Project Architects are in demand due to increased building activity in second and third-tier cities.
  • Banking: Demand has escalated for sales experts within Global Markets, Financial Institutions and Corporate Banking. Employers seek highly experienced candidates with superior interpersonal and communication skills. An understanding of the China market with its constantly changing rules and regulations is also essential.
  • Education: Teachers of multiple subjects, such as both Maths and Physics or Art and English, are in demand. Given the number of Chinese students wanting to attend American universities, teachers with American teaching experience as well as IB experience are in demand. Finally, supply teachers able to work for short periods at short notice are needed.
  • Human Resources: Staffing professionals are wanted as the market slowly recovers. Following the redundancies of 2009, a welcome market recovery and plans for the Shanghai World Expo are creating this demand.
  • Information Technology: Microsoft technologies such as .NET 3.5, Biztalk, Sharepoint and SQL Server 2008 will be in demand this quarter. Java/J2EE candidates are needed. Virtualization technologies such as Citrix and VMWare are also sought. Finally, candidates with consulting and English language skills are needed for multi-national corporations.
  • Pharma: Regional and global projects have poured into China as a result of the number of pharma companies that have established regional or China headquarters in Beijing and Shanghai. This has created a demand for candidates with English language skills, good communication skills and related work experience.
  • Sales & Marketing: Retail-related roles, such as Area Managers and Boutique Managers, are in demand as retailers in second-tier cities expand. Within advertising, the digital sector needs Senior Account Directors and Group Account Directors in response to the trend towards E-commerce and CRM.

For further details on these skills in demand, as well as employer and candidate trends, see the Hays Quarterly Report at www.hays.com.hk/report

Hays, the world’s leading recruiting experts in qualified, professional and skilled people.

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For further information please contact Caroline Stallion, Marketing Executive on +61 (0) 2 8062 6122 or caroline.stallion@hays.com.au

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