Hong Kong companies to ramp up hiring of sales and marketing professionals

They are recruiting sales and marketing specialists to boost digital growth, customer acquisition, and marketing performance.

Companies across various industries are expected to hire more sales and marketing talent as Hong Kong is now slowly opening its doors to international travel and some talents relocating to other cities which reduces the workforce in Hong Kong. 

In the Market Outlook & Salary Snapshot 2023 report, Randstad said every company will be hiring specialised digital marketing professionals. The skills companies are looking for are generalist digital marketing, customer relationship management, growth performance, email marketing and content marketing.

“The rapid developments in digital marketing have led to an increasing talent demand for new and existing roles across all industries in Hong Kong SAR. Companies that have invested more into technology, specifically prioritising digital marketing over sales, are expecting a positive return on investments next year,” Randstad said.

READ MORE: Hong Kong banks offer up to 30% salary raise amidst talent crunch

E-commerce

Whilst many companies have increased their online presence, Randstad said some retailers are still hesitant to go online despite big discounts to attract traffic and the increased conversion rate reducing margins on goods and services. 

Meanwhile, companies that have ventured into e-commerce for additional sales channels are seeing an increase in revenue and are looking into hiring new roles and capabilities. Particularly, multination and large companies have opened new specialised sales and marketing roles that will oversee end-to-end user experience and drive e-commerce sales.

Financial and professional services

Randstad said the talent demand in the financial and professional services sector has declined slightly in the past years due to companies' relocation to other hubs such as London and Singapore. The roles that remain in Hong Kong were left to drive partnership and growth across Greater China.

It expects businesses in the sector to continuously focus on recruiting sales and marketing specialists to boost digital growth, customer acquisition and marketing performance.

“Talent with experience and capabilities in using business intelligence and analytical tools will asl be highly sought-after,” it said.

Retail, travel, and hospitality

Demand for talent in this sector is expected to “skyrocket” to be able to meet the forecasted inflow of travellers. However, employers would face difficulty if they are not prepared and not willing to pay higher wages.

Organisations in these sectors are expected to be faced with a “sharp manpower shortage” once borders reopen.

This is especially so as most workers in the industry have shifted and found new careers amidst the health crisis and are unlikely to choose to return after opting for more stable jobs, and the experience on how workforce demands are affected by a global event, according to Randstad.

Demand in the technology sector

Randstad said technology companies will continue to hire sales professionals such as product managers, sales development representatives and sales specialists to meet the business requirements amidst the digital transformation.

“Companies in software-as-a-service (SaaS), artificial intelligence (AI), big data and enterprise solutions are expected to expand their sales team rapidly to service middle-market and enterprise clients,” it said. 

Sales and marketing professionals 2023 expectations

Salary increases for specialised sales and marketing talents are expected to return to pre-pandemic levels due to the rise in demand. Workers who will be staying with their employer will get a 3% to 8% salary raise, higher than the 3% to 5% in the previous year.

Those who are switching employers next year will receive a 10% to 30% salary increase depending on the relevancy of their skills and experience.

“The appetite for bigger salary increments is more evident in the technology industry and digital marketing, where candidates can command up to a 20% increment on their total remuneration packages,” the report read.

Aside from salary increases, Randstad said sales and marketing professionals can expect and enhance total remuneration packages as companies are improving their offerings to attract and retain their workforce.

Some of the new remuneration financial schemes seen include quarterly commissions for marketing professionals, limited-period guaranteed commissions for frontline employees and equity-related benefits.

“New benefits are also being offered to talent to improve their overall work-life balance. More organisations are offering flexible work and to a larger extent, some technology firms are providing unlimited annual leaves,” Randstad said.

It added that expectations of the sales and marketing professionals are evolving and more will be looking for medical benefits that will include their immediate family members, new salary and commission calculation, as well as a guaranteed 13th-month bonus for 2023.