Recruit Squad Limited was founded with one thought in mind - to provide professional recruitment and HR advisory services with integrity and trust.

 

We are headquartered in Hong Kong to provide Permanent Recruitment, Executive Search, and Contract Recruitment/Secondment Services.  

 

Industries we cover: 

 

• Information Technology

  • Director and C-Level

  • PMO & Project Management

  • Technical – Pre Sales / Post Sales / Consulting

  • Applications Development

  • Software / Web Development

  • Infrastructure Services

  • Technical Engineers

  • QA & Testing Services

  • Business Intelligence & Data Warehousing

  • ERP / CRM Solutions – SAP, Oracle, CRMs

  • Business Analysis

 

• Financial Institutions
• Insurance 
• Telecommunications
• Digital 
• Entertainment & Hospitality 
• News & Media
• Electronics

 

 

latest news

 

August 2024

 

Health benefits more valued than flex time in Hong Kong

 

69% of HR leaders say health benefits are crucial for employee loyalty. A third (37%) of human resource (HR) leaders said employee well-being is amongst their priorities. It tops employee value proposition (EVP), with 92% saying their organisation provides it, just behind flexible time off and working arrangements. 

Moreover, 69% of HR leaders say health benefits are crucial for employee loyalty, whilst 74% said it attracts talent. More than half believe it helps shorten working hours (59%), reduce absenteeism (59%), and improve employee productivity (53%).

 

The perceived impact of health benefits is greater amongst SMEs (35%) than amongst large corporations (24%).

 

The survey polled 1,000 managers and directors in HR and Benefits functions globally, including 200 in Hong Kong.

 

Source: https://hongkongbusiness.hk/hr-education/news/health-benefits-more-valued-flex-time-in-hong-kong

 

 

Why the talent crisis persist despite a larger pool

 

Professionals can command 15% to 20% salary increases in new permanent roles. The survey, which polled over 120 business leaders in tech, said 50% of employers have a talent shortage at the managerial level, especially in the digital transformation sector.

Top talents are becoming more cautious to jump ship, resulting in longer tenures amongst IT professionals. The average tenure rose from 1.4 years in the third quarter of 2023 to 1.6 years in the first half of 2024, said LinkedIn Talent Insights.

 

Source: https://hongkongbusiness.hk/hr-education/news/why-talent-crisis-persist-despite-larger-pool

 

 

Contracting jobs in high demand in Hong Kong

 

Interim hires, who don’t need fringe benefits, are favoured amidst corporate belt-tightening. Contract work in Hong Kong, once culturally taboo, is gaining momentum amidst rising demand for talent and flexible employment terms. Market uncertainty and corporate belt-tightening have led companies to favour temporary hires to mitigate risk and remain financially stable. Contractors have also proven to be ideal for short-term projects that demand quick hiring.

 

Hiring managers can also bypass the process for headcount approval, which could take months, letting them fast-track recruitment. Moreover, some people look for flexible work that they can leave after a year without being judged for it. Hong Kong is experiencing major shifts in finance and technology that have led to high demand for contractors due to the temporary nature of project work, he added. Hong Kong’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate stood at 3% in May to July 2024, same as that in April to June, according to the Census and Statistics Department.

 

Source: https://hongkongbusiness.hk/hr-education/exclusive/contracting-jobs-in-high-demand-in-hong-kong

 

 

 

August 2023

 

Hong Kong professionals who are devastated by the macroeconomic situation are now taking steps in their career plans. 

 

It also showed that 74% of professionals are taking steps to become ready in searching for another job. Less than 70% of workers' career cushion due to internal changes within their business (29%), the lack of job security from their company (22%), and turbulent economic conditions (17%).

 

More than 40% of professionals realised the value of their employer after exploring the jobs market and evaluating their skills. 

 

Source: https://hongkongbusiness.hk/hr-education/news/nearly-three-quarters-workers-prepare-look-new-job

 

 

 

February 2023

 

Jobless rate inches down to 3.4% 

 

The unemployment rate declined by 3.4% between November and January, down from 3.5% between October and December, the Census Statistics Department (C&SD) reported. 

 

The underemployment rate likewise decreased to 1.4% over the same period, from 1.5%. 

 

"The unemployment and underemployment situation continued to improve. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate declined by 0.1 percentage point from October - December 2022 to 3.4% in November 2022 - January 2023,” Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Chris Sun said.

 

“The underemployment rate also declined by 0.1 percentage point to 1.4%. The number of unemployed persons decreased by 7,600 to 118,400, and that of the underemployed persons by 3,200 to 52,100."

 

Source: https://hongkongbusiness.hk/hr-education/news/jobless-rate-inches-down-34

 

 

Business organisations applaud 2023 budget proposals

 

Under the budget, the government will allocate an additional $550m in funding to HKTDC.

The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and the Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC) welcomed measures under the 2023-24 budget.

 

HKTDC said the additional $550m funding to the organisation will allow them to help local  enterprises “seize opportunities arising from the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) development.”

 

The organisation also believes the budget promotes “high-quality economic growth that matches with national development strategies, focusing on areas, such as finance, sustainable development, innotech and biotech.”

 

The HKPC, for its part, said the budget, particularly the measures supporting I&T development, “are very encouraging.”

 

“These initiatives, including the establishment of life and health technology research institutes, an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Supercomputing Centre, a Microelectronics Research and Development Institute and the Web3 Hub; and promoting the development of GreenTech, AI and quantum technologies, will enhance Hong Kong’s strengths in R&D capabilities, and invigorate the development of the I&T industry,” the council said.

 

Source: https://hongkongbusiness.hk/news/business-organisations-applaud-2023-budget-proposals

 

 

 

 

October 2022

 

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee delivered his inaugural Policy Address on 19 October 2022 (Wednesday). Titled 'Charting a Brighter Tomorrow for Hong Kong', the Policy Address, which he described as a "Policy Address for Hong Kong citizens", has outlined his initiatives for the city’s development in the next five years.

 

Apart from addressing important livelihood issues such as housing and healthcare, according to the Policy Address, the Government is also expecting to implement an array of new initiatives targeted at "competing for enterprises" and "competing for talents" more proactively and aggressively.

 

Source: https://www.humanresourcesonline.net/hong-kong-s-2022-policy-address-key-takeaways-business-and-hr-leaders-should-know

 

 

 

 

May 2022

 

Hong Kong's labour force statistics on Thursday revealed that unemployment rate went up to 5.4% from the February to April period, a 0.4% spike from the five per cent during the January to March period. The number of unemployed people increased by around 17,600, according to the data, with 206,100 people without work in February to April 2022.

 

The "more distinct increases" in the unemployment rate were observed in the decoration, repair and maintenance for buildings sector; and retail, accommodation and food services sector, revealed the statistics.

 

In addition, the number of employed people also decreased by around 51,300 during the period, going down to 3,559,200 in February to April 2022.

 

Over the same period, the underemployment rate also increased by 25,000 to go around 142,000.

 

Source: https://www.hcamag.com/asia/specialisation/employment-law/hong-kongs-unemployment-rate-spikes-to-54/406881

 

 

 

 

February 2022

 

According to the latest labour force statistics from the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD), Hong Kong’s employment rate as of the end of January 2022, remains unchanged from the previous quarter at 3.9%. Unemployment levels remain at their lowest levels since the onset of the pandemic though, the Labour Department has warned that joblessness could once again rise if the situation continues to spiral.

 

Movement across different industry sectors varied. The statistics revealed that there were increases in unemployment across the food and beverage, arts, entertainment and recreation sectors with food and beverage seeing the biggest increase. Yet, manufacturing, transportation, storage, courier and information and communications sectors saw and decrease in unemployment levels. Total employment decreased by around 4,200 across the period whilst at the same time, the labour force also decreased by around 12,300 workers.

 

Source: https://hrmagazine.com.hk/hr-news-archives/hong-kong-unemployment-rate-unchanged/

 

 

 

 

October 2021

 

“A lot of companies big and small wanted to shy away from certain things because they thought they weren’t appropriate. But it is in times like these where you get more visible,” says Precious Williams, CEO of Perfect Pitches, who helps her Fortune 100 clients boost their brands and storytelling prowess. “This is where you really reach out to your target market and other markets that you may have deemed insignificant at one time but now they are significant … how are you going to talk to them?”

 

That’s where a bold, authentic, and strong employer brand comes in. As the anticipated post-COVID-19 hiring boom approaches, companies must prioritize their employer branding—whether building or reshaping it—to be what today’s candidates expect. It can improve your organization’s reputation and also help fill open roles up to two times faster—and with the most highly skilled and aligned candidates, according to LinkedIn.

 

“When a company has a clear message and mission, it’s so much easier for a candidate to say, ‘I want to work there,’” says Austin Belcak, CEO of job search coaching firm Cultivated Culture. The Microsoft alum shares ideas on optimizing the hiring process with his nearly 800,000 LinkedIn followers. “Instead of ‘a job,’ they want to work at a company that aligns with their specific goals and values. Company branding creates opportunities for those people to connect the dots between their values and the company’s.”

 

Data backs that up. A positive employer brand can yield 50% more qualified applicants, according to LinkedIn’s employer brand statistics, and make companies three times more likely to hire a high-quality employee. It can increase employee satisfaction and retention, too, reducing turnover by 28%.