Industrial automation and consumption will lead talent demand in 2019: Hays
China's talent market in 2019 will be centered on industrial automation and domestic consumption as the world’s second largest economic powerhouse faces the rising costs of manufacturing and is shifting to domestic consumption as a key driver of economic growth, according to recruiting experts Hays.
Such changes come when businesses have started to move production out of what was once known as “the world's factory” due to the soaring costs of manufacturing. As an alternative to relocation, companies are increasingly turning to industrial automation to enhance their cost efficiencies, a recent report from Hays said.
In this process, engineers and research and development (R&D) experts who are equipped with the knowledge and skills to adapt products to local standards are critical. And R&D managers and directors are expected to have strong people management skills to work with clients for the purpose of understanding requirements and specifications, the report said.
Simon Lance, managing director at Hays China, said that employers are being driven to consider the technical expertise of a candidate to be “of paramount importance,” above other factors such as leadership qualities or salary expectations, as China is relentless in its endeavor to be the world's leading authority of quality manufacturing, innovation and new technology.
“Talent who are able to utilize new technologies that contribute to a company’s productivity will, therefore, enjoy heightened leverage in this candidate-short market,” Lance added.
In his eyes, enterprises will also continue to invest in product development, quality control and supply chain management, so talent in these areas will also be highly sought after in the coming year.
Meanwhile, as China pursues a consumption-led economy, talent in business development, sales and marketing professionals will be critical in such an endeavor, the recruiting firm noted.
In particular, as China boasts 802 million netizens and Internet penetration has hit a new high at 57.7 percent, more businesses will choose to attract and retain customers by leveraging on increasingly sophisticated Internet technologies during the next twelve months.
As such, candidates in these roles with a strong background in statistics, computer science, applied mathematics or information technology will be at an advantage in this talent scarce market, Hays said.
The report also noted that compared with international candidates, companies are showing greater preference for local talent and employers have been ramping up their efforts to attract and retain talent through methods beyond competitive salary packages, as they find it a challenge to fill the growing rate of job vacancies.
Such trends can be seen in the greater emphasis placed on gender diversity in the workplace compared to previous years and the mapping of identifiable career paths for employees, Hays said.