Strong career prospects for digital talent: report
THE GLOBAL professional recruitment consultancy Michael Page is highlighting an upward trend in hiring within robotics and automation, in its Thailand Employment Outlook 2019 report.
“Thailand 4.0 will continue to have a positive impact on the country and [its] employment landscape,” summed up Kristoffer Paludan, regional director at Michael Page Thailand. “We foresee a specific focus on progression with industrial automation, digitalisation, artificial intelligence (AI) and internet of things (IoT).”
With heavy investments in these areas, skilled experts can look forward to strong career prospects. According to the report, e-commerce companies are currently experiencing the fastest new headcount growth in Thailand, often seeking senior professionals with online media, digital and software development experience.
“The drive to attract top talent in digital has sparked a lot of movement in the market, with companies offering attractive compensation packages such as flexible benefits tailored to the individual,” said Kristoffer. “That includes annual leave, private medical and work from home arrangements. To strengthen their career paths, job seekers pursue exposure to emerging technologies such as Big Data, IoT and back to front-end mobile apps development.” As a result, the talent race in technology will intensify across 2019. The report indicates a 15 per cent increase in the number of technology jobs posted in Thailand in the last 12 months. Successful job movers can expect a premium 20 to 25 per cent salary hike.
Thai companies and multinationals in the industrial space are developing succession planning and knowledge transfer strategies by replacing expatriate employees with locals. Thai professionals looking to step up to management positions will have to boost their communications and leadership skills.
“Thailand’s employers need to be aware that the savvy and well-educated millennial professional is more attracted to the exciting start-ups and newer organisations. More traditional firms will have to effectively communicate their brand heritage and understand their enthusiasm for making a swift impact in an organisation to attract the millennial talent pool,” Kristoffer advises.