Opportunities abound this year for gig workers in finance and project management in the region, debunking the notion that temporary or contractual work is popular only for roles requiring low skill levels.
Demand for finance – and by extension IT, accounting and regulatory – jobs is expected to be strong after the implementation of the IFRS17, enhancing Hong Kong’s attractiveness as a derivatives hub.
Temporary program managers, business analysts and PMO specialists will also continue to be sought out as they have been in the past 12 months.
“We have seen the market develop, becoming more sophisticated,” said Dean Stallard, managing director of
Hays Hong Kong.
Recruiting company Hays said 56% of recruiters in Asia are embracing a more flexible recruitment approach, and three quarters are choosing to hire temporary contractors through a recruitment agency.
In its Asia Salary Guide 2017, Hays said job candidates are slowly shifting their attitude toward the gig economy as it gains legitimacy in all industries, but most notably in project management, IT and accounting.
The arrangement provides companies with a malleable workforce.
Workers, on the other hand, enjoy the benefits of flexible schedules and competitive salaries.
“More companies than ever before are viewing temporary and contracting resources less in the context of short term staff augmentation, and instead increasingly as value-add hires,” Stallard said.
Related stories:
Should you consider the gig economy?
Mitigating the risks of contingent workers
