Hong Kong may turn overseas to scout big data talent

Candidates familiar with open source programming languages are expected to be in hot demand.

Companies in Hong Kong may soon turn overseas to look for in-demand talent with the necessary big data expertise as the city moves to nurture its nascent digital technology industry, according to human resources firm Hays.

The move comes as Hong Kong lifts regulations on companies moving into the cloud, opening up a slew of job opportunities across industries for candidates with strong digital expertise.

“This means that we are seeing many more digital transformation roles, for which companies ideally want candidates with cloud or digitalisation experience,” said Dean Stallard, managing director at Hays Hong Kong & South China.

Project managers, digital transformation managers, and technology innovation managers are amongst the positions that need to be filled as Hong Kong moves forward with its digital agenda.

“In the tech space things are always developing. Whereas in the past it would have been SAS skills that were in demand, now it is a shift towards open sourced languages such as Python and R,” said Riley King, senior manager of Hays Hong Kong.

However, job requirements are evolving as soft skills are increasingly gaining importance alongside technical skills. “You need to not only be able to work with the analytics and data, but also be able to make the story that the data tells compelling for stakeholders,” King noted.

The ban on cryptocurrencies in the Mainland is also putting the city in prime position to receive large investments on blockchain technology and related currencies due to its cultural and geographical proximity to the Mainland, Hays added.