Corporations in Hong Kong are utilizing overseas talent to solve skill shortage problems.

According to the survey results released by recruitment consultant Manpower, corporations are experiencing talent shortage in job categories of senior executives / board members, sales representatives, and middle management staff. The survey shows that China, the U.S. and Japan are the top three countries where workers come from to help Hong Kong corporations address skill shortages.

On the other hand, it is reported that 20% of the 505 employers surveyed express concern about the potential negative impact on the labour market from talent leaving to work abroad. In Hong Kong, the driving factors for employees to relocate for work are increased pay (77.4%), better employment opportunities (71.3%) and opportunity for career advancement (70.3%), followed by opportunity to experience a new culture (67.7%) and opportunity to learn another language (58.5%).

Lancy Chui, General Manager, Manpower Hong Kong and Macau Operations, comments, “While it’s true that we need to do more to keep our most talented workers, we must also consider how we can strengthen our collective employer ‘brand’ to attract more talented workers from overseas to fill our current and future talent shortages.”