Specialised roles in talent acquisition, management and compensation are highly sought after.

Human resource positions, particularly in talent acquisition and management as well as compensation and benefits are poised to be in hot demand in Hong Kong’s job market throughout the course of the year amidst an influx of companies from the Mainland setting up shop in the financial hub, according to recruitment agency Hays.

Intensified recruitment in the HR industry is resulting in talent shortage as more aggressive players from China enter Hong Kong with the aim of expanding into overseas markets.

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Some companies have even resorted to transferring employees from their finance departments to plug the shortage in HR business partner roles, Hays noted.

“Some of these positions, due to their specialist nature, are particularly niche, and finding those with the appropriate talent is a sizable challenge,” said Hays Hong Kong and South China managing director Dean Stallard. “Another issue intensifying the problem is the way in which organisations with differing needs dissimilarly define success.”

Bilingualism in Mandarin and English is increasingly emerging as a key skill enhancing the employability of candidates.

“Individuals who can not only speak Mandarin but also adapt to the Chinese business culture is something that companies are actively seeking out,” Stallard added. “If candidates have these qualities, or have spent time working for Chinese companies, these experiences will be advantageous,”

“If they can demonstrate their strong soft skills, their niche specialisms and their bilingualism, they should find themselves as a key part of the super connecting highway, as Mainland China reaches out through Hong Kong to the wider world at large.”