Written by Jayanti Menches

Survey shows talented individuals can look forward to an increase in pay and more opportunities in HK and the mainland.

Often the first to be made redundant in times of economic uncertainty, marketing communications and creative services professionals can reveal in the optimism of the job market in Hong Kong and the mainland, as reflected in a recent survey.

And both contract and freelance staff can look forward to a significantly stronger market in the year ahead.

An in-depth salary survey of such staff conducted by Aquent, a global professional services firm, forecasts skills shortages on the mainland and increasing intentions to hire in Hong Kong .

Aquent focuses on a niche market, delivering staffing, search and outsourcing solutions for the marketing, communications and creative industries.

According to Duncan Cunningham, Aquent area manger in Hong Kong , “the market is coming back very strongly compared to 2003”.

Hong Kong and the mainland, however, were separate stories, he said. Although 80 percent of employers in the sector in Hong Kong were expecting sales to increase, they were still tending to err on the side of cation terms of recruitment. The mainland, on the other hand, continued to have “very bullish expectations”. More than 90 per cent of companies in Shanghai , Beijing and Guangzhou were expecting revenue growth for the next 12 months, Mr Cunningham said.

The Hong Kong economy is rebounding and, according to Aquent’s findings, all sectors are planning to increase permanent and temporary staff.

A dearth of talent was driving the need for creative professionals on the mainland and has led to the development of a strong freelance market, Mr Cunningham said. “Very good creative professionals are seeing their value and worth.”

With demand for talent high, salaries are set to increase. In Hong Kong , where pay has not risen significantly in recent years, an increase of 3 per cent to 6 per cent is predicted. A rise of 8 per cent is expected on the mainland. Mr Cunningham is concerned about the shortage of talent in Hong Kong , particularly due to the massive transfer across the border.

He said marketing and communications professionals were quite happy to be there and were keen to stay.

“They earn the same level of salaries as they do in Hong Kong and the cost of living is cheaper. Professional roles are perceived as being more interesting, and people think they are gaining a lot more from a career perspective by being based in the worlds largest growing economy.”

But he added: ‘You no longer see the big expat packages of old.”

With the changing times, the demand for creative, marketing and communications professionals is shifting. “The interactive market is bouncing back. It has been the hardest hit sector in the last few years,” Mr Cunningham said.

Specialists focusing on particular industry sectors are in demand. Roles such as branding, strategic planning or copywriting in both English and Chinese are also much sought after. A massive growth in temporary staff usage is forecast in the coming year, with more than 35 per cent of companies intending to increase the use of contactors, but very few companies are actually budgeting for this.

Mr Cunningham said Hong Kong was more cautious in its recruitment forecast and most companies taking on freelancers would prefer to keep them and look to converting them to permanent staff as confidence returned to the market.

In the mainland, there will be a continued need for freelancers, due to the paucity of talent. According to Mr Cunningham, mainland companies are focusing on accruing staff instead of retention, training and development.

• Revenue Growth:
  Greater China including Shanghai , Beijing , Guangzhou and Hong Kong are predicting a growth in revenue and sales in the coming year.
• Hiring trends:
  The advertising, creative and public relations sectors to lead the hiring increase expected within the communications industry.
• Staff turnover:
  Experienced local talent is hard to find, lending to high turnover as candidates jump to more lucrative opportunities.
• Salary increases:
  The skills shortages and anticipated increase in hiring has led to planned increases in salaries.