Pay-off from job switch slightly lower this year
QUALIFIED Thai senior-level executives can expect their pay to increase by 10-20 per cent when switching jobs this year, a survey by professional-recruitment firm Robert Walters has suggested.
The adjustment rates are lower than in previous years when average salary increments were 15-25 per cent, Gerrit Bouckaert, country manager of Robert Walters Thailand and Vietnam, said in an exclusive interview with The Nation.
“It has started to decline, but it is still substantially high,” he said.
In fact, Bouckaert pointed out that net incomes (after tax) of qualified Thai senior professionals such as financial controllers and other top positions were already higher than their peers in Europe, where income tax rates are higher.
But higher pay is not in everyone’s future. Qualifications that warrant higher salaries include international exposure and specialist skills, said Robert Walters associate director Punyanuch Sirisawadwattana.
According to Robert Walters’ latest annual “Global Salary Survey”, the jobs in high demand include finance project managers, digital marketers, Microsoft AX specialists, demand planners and anti-money-laundering professionals.
Meanwhile, as hiring budgets and salary levels were reduced in 2016, companies will be recruiting more junior talent.
Other key highlights for 2017
l Increasing inflow of shared services and outsourcing projects will drive recruitment of accounting managers with team management experience and system implementation skills.
l Specialists in strategy, financial planning and analysis process improvement and digital professionals will be highly sought after as banks streamline and digitise their projects and business processes.
l As companies recognise the importance of having a strong human-resources function, there will be a high demand for compensation and benefits professionals with analytical skills, business acumen and experience in organisation development.
l Professionals with omni-channel marketing experience will be in demand as many companies implement this business model in 2017.
To have a high chance of recruiting the right talents, Bouckaert suggested that firms make sure they have transparent, smooth, and fast interview processes, as well as good employer branding.
“With social media, news [is] spreading fast,” he warned.
