50% of Hong Kong workers willing to move overseas for the "right job": survey

27% are already job hunting by now.

Looking back over the last 12 months, 50 per cent of employers in Hong Kong tried to combat skill shortages by upskilling their employees, while 39 per cent improved their attraction strategies, according to recruiting experts Hays. Only 11 per cent took no action.

In skill short areas, 61 per cent of employers in Hong Kong would consider sponsoring or employing a qualified candidate from overseas. Across all countries, 59 per cent of employers would consider employing or sponsoring a qualified candidate from overseas in areas where there are skills shortages. This is a six per cent drop compared to last year’s results, which could be indicative of tightening labour laws in the countries surveyed.

Singapore has the most ethnically diverse workforce in Asia with 21 per cent of foreign workers in the country. Hong Kong ranks second with 12 per cent, Malaysia third with 11 per cent with Japan 9 per cent and China 6 per cent.

“Interestingly the 2017 Guide shows candidates are mobile with 50 per cent of respondents in Hong Kong willing to move countries to secure the right job,” says Christine Wright, Managing Director of Hays Asia. “Our candidate survey also reveals 27 per cent of candidates in Hong Kong are already job hunting with 18 per cent planning to change jobs in the next six months and 17 per cent from between the next six to twelve months.”

64 per cent of candidates in Hong Kong have nominated salary or benefit package as their main motivator in wanting to switch jobs. However this year, 45 per cent of candidates have nominated ‘lack of career progression’ as a reason to switch jobs and is an increase of 19 per cent from last year.

Wright adds, “Employers will need to have access to current candidate attraction and retention research to guide their candidate and employee strategies, to ensure they have the best people possible to help navigate what is expected to be, a fast changing year in 2017.”

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