“In 2018, we expect the
manufacturing and industrial sector in Vietnam
to keep growing,” said Adrien Bizouard,
Vietnam country
manager at Robert Walters, a specialist professional recruitment firm.
A greater number of multinationals
are expected to expand across the country and build new factories, and demand
for engineers and manufacturing professionals was set to rise as a consequence,
he said.
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A company recruits staff at a job fair in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: VNS
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The local retail sector will also
see growth due with an increase in the number of shopping malls and real estate
projects, he added.
“We also expect 2018 will bring a
greater demand for professionals with strong business partnering skills,”
Bizouard said.
A Robert Waters report said the
FMCG, tech and pharmaceutical industries will continue to be active recruiters
of in-house legal counsel, while the financial services industry was set to
open up new roles for internal control and auditing functions in response to
increasingly complex regulatory requirements.
With use of big data steadily rising
across Vietnam’s
major sectors, highly proficient software developers will remain sought after
in 2018.
Hiring managers, however, will find
it difficult to source IT experts with strong management skills, full stack
developers and front end UI/UX professionals, because of a lack of suitable
candidates in the market.
To overcome the talent shortage,
firms are likely to look for Vietnamese candidates based overseas, the report
said.
Toby Fowlston, Managing Director for
Robert Waters Southeast Asia, said many businesses were creating online or
mobile platforms as companies seek to enhance competitiveness and market share,
with the digital economy continuing to expand across the region.
As a result of these
transformations, many companies need professionals with digital expertise, in
both marketing and information technology, especially those who are proficient
in running back-office digital infrastructure or with niche technology skills.
“We also foresee high demand for
candidates proficient in handling multiple human resource responsibilities,
while displaying a commercial mindset,” Fowlston said.
The market remained candidate driven
in 2017, with hiring managers struggling with talent shortages across most
sectors, he added.
This had a particular impact on the
hiring of high-potential professionals with international backgrounds and local
expertise.
With more large retail firms
planning to expand in the Vietnamese market, it is likely that human resource
professionals with experience of working in the retail industry will be sought
after.
As demand for technical and
specialist skill sets rises, hiring processes across industries would become
more stringent as more organizations seek to hire culture-fit candidates on a
long-term basis.
Professionals moving jobs are set to
receive salary increments of 20 percent, slightly lower than in 2017.
Those remaining within the same organization
can expect increments of about 10 percent as part of their annual salary
review.
JobStreet.com also forecasts growth
in the job market in Vietnam
next year, especially the first six months.
Wholesale, manufacturing and
production, construction and engineering are the sectors with the highest
demand for human resources.
Many companies in Vietnam say they have high demand
for managers and directors, but they find it difficult to recruit candidates
meeting their criteria.
Source: VNA