Almost half of HK employers wary of skill shortage effects on operations

Hong Kong's talent market is tight.

Around 45 percent of employers in Hong Kong believe that the skills shortage has the potential to hamper the effective operation of their business or department.

According to a release from Hays, based on the findings in its 2015 Hays Asia Salary Guide, the survey of 2,361 employers, representing over four million (4,017,026) employees, found that the most difficult professionals to recruit are senior management candidates in sales, accountancy and finance, engineering, marketing, operations and human resources.

Finding entry to mid management candidates in sales, engineering, technical, operations, IT, accountancy and finance, marketing, and human resources is also challenging.

These shortages, according to employers, may hinder the effective operation of their department or business.

In response, and despite the increasing trend to localise the workforce, 65 per cent of employers said they will consider employing or sponsoring a qualified overseas or expatriate candidate in skill-short areas.

Here's more from Hays:

“This particular finding demonstrates the extent of Asia’s talent mismatch and the severe shortage of suitably skilled local professionals in many industries and sectors,” says Christine Wright, Managing Director of Hays in Asia.

“It also highlights the need for employers to continue innovating to attract candidates in a tight labour market. This is especially important since 48 per cent of employers told us they expect their permanent staff levels to increase in the year ahead and 72 per cent expect their level of business activity to increase.

“With hiring plans remaining strong in most sectors and industries, more pressure will be added to the tight talent market to produce the highly-skilled local professionals that employers need.

“For Hong Kong’s job seekers, this presents a great opportunity to secure a job that can offer you career advancement or long-term career progression. By focusing on your long-term career objectives, rather than short-term financial benefits, the current market can provide the opportunities you need to get your career to where you ultimately want it to be,” Christine said.