Get a glance at the latest that is happening within HR and Administrative job market in Asia. If you’re interested in getting more in-depth information on salaries and trends of the market, just click here, to download our latest 2018 Asia Salary Snapshot.
Hong Kong
Job Vacancies & Hiring Intentions
The job market in Hong Kong compared to last year has been a lot more active. This year, we are seeing more firms with the intention to hire, whereas a year ago many would opt for contract staffing solutions. The demand for administrative staff is high on all fronts, from payroll positions and junior administrative positions, to secretarial roles and regional HR business partners. While hiring intentions for permanent roles are higher, companies are more careful, with a preference for versatile candidates.
Secretarial roles that serve 3-6 people are becoming more common, where the need for highly paid and trained 1 on 1 roles serving Senior Management have decreased. We’ve also seen a greater demand in Hong Kong for candidates that has the ability to manage responsibilities across regions, with an overall drive to increase productivity. On top of that, we are also witnessing a demand for Mandarin speaking candidates, which rings true even for Western companies.
Market Climate & Predictions
Compared to 2017, the market has been more active with faster speeds in the process of recruitment. The demand for secretarial staff has increased slightly especially in the finance industry. Companies have also been doing a good job, keeping their annual salary increment consistent with them market. As such, candidates are less aggressive in moving, and for those who do, are demanding for larger salary increments. On the other hand, bonus payouts for HR remain consistent, averaging 1-2 months per annum. With candidates showing less willingness for movement, we predict that for companies to score the perfect candidate, they will have to show more initiative and also be willing to shorten the recruitment process, so to not lose out on talent.
Singapore
Job Vacancies & Hiring Intentions
In Singapore, the market for Administrative & Secretarial roles has been slow. Many companies are looking for cost-effective solutions, which has caused a rising demand for talents who’d be willing to wear multiple hats in a role. Companies continue to double up positions in hopes of cutting costs as the market rate for permanent salaries are on the rise.
Market Climate & Predictions
Moving into mid-year where companies have mostly completed their budgeting for the year, it is predicted that the approach by most companies will be to hire Administrative & Secretarial roles through temporary and contract means. This rise in demand for temporary and contract solutions will subsequently decrease the demand for permanent roles in these positions. We foresee this to be the case in the near future to achieve easy management until teams are more stabilised before companies are willing to move into permanent hiring.
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