SKILLS CONFIDENCE HIGH AMONGST PROFESSIONALS IN HONG KONG SAR SAYS REPORT BY HAYS

A new report by leading recruitment experts Hays found that across Asia, Hong Kong SAR has a higher number of working professionals who think their hard skills and soft skills are sufficient to succeed and stay relevant in the next 3-5 years. The report titled Uncovering the DNA of the Future Workplace surveyed over 9,000 working professionals in Asia in February and again in September 2020 found that the overwhelming majority of respondents in Hong Kong regard upskilling as very important, particularly in the areas of digital and remote-working related skills. 

 

 

The report survey showed that the majority of respondents in Hong Kong (86 per cent) are confident that their current skill sets will still be relevant in the next 2-3 years, a much higher percentage than those in China (74 per cent) and Japan (71 per cent). But while 80 per cent of respondents believe their hard skills will still be relevant in the next 3-5 years, 67 per cent felt their soft skills could use improvement. When asked which upskilling/development opportunities have become more important to them after the pandemic took hold, the majority of respondents said ‘digital skills development’ (80 per cent), followed by ‘remote orientation training’ (70 per cent) and ‘change management’ (69 per cent). 

 

 

While the number of employers in Hong Kong offering opportunities for digital skills development has significantly increased from only 15 per cent pre-covid to 29 per cent following the pandemic outbreak, there is much room for improvement in the number of employers currently offering development opportunities in remote orientation (32 per cent), change management (27 per cent), remote leadership (16 per cent) and reskilling (18 per cent). This could be the reason why only 37 per cent of respondents in Hong Kong said their employer currently provides sufficient opportunities for upskilling – a stark contrast against 85 per cent who consider it as important/very important to their professional development.

 

Jack Leung, Regional Director for Hays Hong Kong SAR commented, “Across the region, there is resounding demand for digital skills, soft skills and remote skillets such as remote orientation and remote leadership. In the new era of work, companies may have transitioned to surviving uncertainty, but a future workplace will need to pivot and invest in training their increasingly digital and remote workforce to communicate, learn and lead remotely. However, results show that Hong Kong’s employers still have some way to go when it comes to offering learning and development opportunities. Areas like digital skills and change management are considered important by respondents but are also vital for organisations to remain future proof. A workplace in the future in Hong Kong will realise this is a win-win equation and not only prioritise but encourage upskilling in these areas for its employees.” 

 

The Uncovering the DNA of the Future Workplace report is based on findings from two surveys conducted on more than 4,000 and 5,000 respondents respectively across the five Hays operating markets in Asia: China, Hong Kong SAR, Japan, Malaysia and Singapore; to measure sentiments on the four core elements we believe will shape workplaces of the future: flexibility, technology, upskilling and purpose. The first survey was concluded in February 2020 at the cusp of the pandemic, with the second having concluded in September 2020. By comparing the two surveys, our findings aim to form a definitive understanding of how the pandemic has altered working sentiments, as well as a barometer for organisations as they seek to understand, attract and retain top talent amidst current challenges and those to come. 

 

 

 

 

Hays Specialist Recruitment Hong Kong is the one of the leading specialist recruitment companies in Hong Kong SAR in recruiting qualified, professional and skilled people across a wide range of industries and professions. 

 

Hays has been in Hong Kong SAR for over a decade and boasts a track record of success and growth. At Hays in Hong Kong SAR, we operate across the private and public sector, dealing in permanent, temporary and contracting positions in the following specialisms: Accountancy & Finance, Banking & Financial Services, Construction, Digital Technology, Engineering, Finance Technology, Human Resources, Information Technology, Insurance, Legal, Life Sciences, Marketing & Digital, Office Professionals, Property, Procurement, Supply Chain and Sales. Hays Hong Kong SAR has been awarded the “Best Workplace for Women™” and one of the ‘Best Workplaces™ in Greater China 2019’ by Great Place to Work®.

 

 

Hays plc (the "Group") is a leading global professional recruiting group. The Group is the expert at recruiting qualified, professional and skilled people worldwide, being the market leader in the UK and Australia and one of the market leaders in Continental Europe, Latin America and Asia. The Group operates across the private and public sectors, dealing in permanent positions, contract roles and temporary assignments. As at 30 June 2020 the Group employed c.10,400 staff operating from 266 offices in 33 countries across 20 specialisms. For the year ended 30 June 2020:

 

–    the Group reported net fees of £996.2 million and operating profit (pre-exceptional items) of £135.0 million;
–    the Group placed around 66,000 candidates into permanent jobs and around 235,000 people into temporary roles;
–    17% of Group net fees were generated in Australia & New Zealand, 26% in Germany, 23% in United Kingdom & Ireland and 34% in Rest of World (RoW);
–    the temporary placement business represented 59% of net fees and the permanent placement business represented 41% of net fees;
–    IT is the Group’s largest specialism, with 25% of net fees, while Accountancy & Finance (15%) and Construction & Property (12%), are the next largest
–    Hays operates in the following countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UAE, the UK and the USA