Candidates specialising in merchandising and marketing have the most positive job outlook this year as local demand leads economic growth in Viet Nam, according to a 2017 job outlook report by JobStreet.com.

Southeast Asia’s largest online employment company according to Forbes used a seven-point scale for the survey, polling 8,109 employees and 2,964 employers in various industries and specialisations across six countries -- Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Viet Nam.

Merchandising and marketing scored 5.44 and 5.13 points in the report.

Software developers and IT sales came next with 4.97 points, keeping in mind that Viet Nam is a growing IT hub and this will drive recruitment of specialists in cloud computing, big data, business intelligence, and information security.

It was followed by arts, creative and graphics design with 4.95 points and sales-engineering with 4.9 points.

The outlook set out to define job specialisation trends and other factors with some recommendations to modify hirers’ recruitment strategies in this context.

Hirers in Viet Nam have posted the largest expansion trend, with 68 per cent of companies planning to increase headcount in 2017.

None of the companies have any plans to freeze hiring, while 20 per cent of companies in Singapore plan to freeze hiring this year, the highest in the region.

In terms of hiring, 37 per cent of Vietnamese employers find it hardest to hire for managerial positions, followed by junior staff, which is the hardest level in Singapore and Thailand.

Recruiters in all industries have a positive outlook, with those in the manufacturing industry being the most positive.

This is because Viet Nam is continuing to see a surge in foreign direct investment (FDI) in manufacturing (FDI growth increased from 9 per cent in 2015 to 9.7 per cent in 2016).

Vietnamese candidates have indicated they actively monitor job opportunities via online job portals.

They prefer job hunting predominantly on the internet -- through job boards, company career websites and social media -- though at 47 per cent, they account for the lowest percentage in the region (Malaysia has the highest at 54 per cent) -- besides the more traditional methods of referrals and recruitment agencies.

Angie Phang, general director of JobStreet.com Viet Nam, said with a limited candidate pool and increasing opportunities, a company’s brand image has never been more important.

“Communicating this positive image is critical and social media and online channels are the fastest, most pervasive tool.

“Engage and retain – Survey market wage plans and hiring trends to ensure job offers are attractive enough to retain employees.”

The positive market outlook for 2017 by both candidates and hirers affirms that the talent war is getting increasingly tougher. Employers must have a clear and transparent strategy for recruitment and career development for both the medium and long terms to ensure a competitive edge in this booming job market. — VNS