WHAT’S HOT IN ... SOUTHEAST ASIA

Srisumeth Rittipairoj
Marketing and Communication Manager, Adecco Consulting

What jobs are in demand in Thailand?
New banking regulations have forced commercial banks to distinguish compliance functions from their legal departments and focus more on the operational elements of their businesses. In turn, compliance and risk-management positions, ranging from management to operational levels, have become hot jobs.

Also, in response to customer demand, banks have set a goal of delivering a consistent customer experience across all channels. Commercial banks and financial institutions are adopting proactive business strategies to reach a certain level of sophistication, improve their customer satisfaction and expand their customer base. Frontline customer services and so-called bank ambassadors are needed and are in high demand.

The banking shake-up has left a shortage of good middle managers, especially at smaller banks, which find it difficult to hire well-trained managers away from larger banks. The talent market is becoming more candidate-driven. The best candidates are getting multiple interviews and finding work far more quickly. It’s a candidate’s world out here.

Chris Mead
Regional Director for Malaysia and Singapore, Hays

What’s happening in Malaysia?
Demand exists for credit, risk and assurance professionals, and those with corporate finance skills. This is mainly due to tightening regulations and the desire of Malaysian banks to establish themselves in new domestic markets or overseas. The banking system is still relatively localised in Malaysia. There is a strong emphasis on recruiting Malaysian candidates from both international and local banks. Within finance, there’s high demand from the FMCG industry for financial controllers with full end-to-end manufacturing experience in multinational organisations. Heads of finance or financial controllers with exposure to the online industry are also in demand.

Also sought-after are senior managers for financial shared-service centres. Senior managers often leave this area to gain better opportunities in core finance. Commercial finance managers for business planning are needed by multinational companies to increase efficiencies. Demand is greatest in the FMCG, manufacturing and pharmaceutical industries. Employers are starting to increase salaries for candidates in this area due to the positive impact they can have on a business.

Paul Endacott
Regional Managing Director for Southeast Asia, Ambition

What’s the scene like in Malaysia and Singapore?
There has been a consistent level of demand in recruitment across both Malaysia and Singapore as we progress through 2013. There is normally a lull during the summer period, but that certainly hasn’t been the case this year as companies continue to invest in good people that underpin their regional growth strategies.

In banking and finance, there has been an uplift not just limited to areas such as risk and compliance. We also see this in finance, product control, audit, front office functions, technology and marketing and communications. However, this isn’t indicative of an upswing. Rather, it is a reallocation of resources based on global deployment strategies.

The demand for contractors continues to increase as our clients seek a more flexible workforce and a solution to headcount constraints. The ongoing challenge for our clients is to find high-quality talent. This is unlikely to abate any time soon. So it is of paramount importance that employers remain focused on retaining their best talent and defining themselves as an employer of choice in order to attract the best talent.