Job title inflation trend fading in Hong Kong

About three in 10 employees practice job title inflation.

Less than 30% of Hong Kong employers opt for job title inflation to attract and retain talent due to its limited success despite being a trend in Hong Kong and Greater China previously, Robert Walters reported.

The trend became common during economic downturns as employers offered inflated titles instead of higher wages to cut costs.

Forty per cent of Hong Kong managers also reported that past job title inflation has complicated recruitment, making it hard to find suitable candidates due to previously misleading titles.

Meanwhile, 60% of Hong Kong workers expect to be promoted within 12 to 18 months, whilst 50% of young workers consider managing a team as important in determining seniority.

Seven out of 10 employees said new titles won’t make them stay at a company.

Robert Walters advised hiring managers to avoid inflating job titles to prevent workplace inefficiencies and inequality but instead focus on fostering employee growth through training initiatives.