By Sharon Desker-Shaw
ASIA-PACIFIC

Marketing and communications companies are hiring again, a move that is pushing long dormant salary levels up, while highlighting an increasingly severe skills shortage in the making, according to Aquent.

Covering five markets, the Aquent Asia-Pacific Salary Monitor noted that the strengthening economic rebound had prompted employers to re-enter the hiring market in big numbers as trading conditions improve.

As expected, China is leading the recruitment charge followed closely by Hong-Kong, which has gone from bust to boom in the last 12 months. Aquent described the unfolding situation in China as a “ hiring frenzy”, and predicted that salaries would rise by eight percent compared with a few percentage points above inflation for the other markets, which until recently were battling deflation.

While that may be the case for staff currently on a company’s payroll, agency heads in Singapore say prospective employers have to offer significantly more to effect a move. “Salaries are starting to ratchet up again, especially for people with seven years’ experience or more”, said Bhaskar Rao, CEO of FCB Singapore. “If you’re hiring, you’re looking at fairly significant salary hikes of about 20 per cent.”

Staff shortages are expected to be particularly acute in Singapore and Hong Kong, where the spate of redundancies prompted experienced agency talent to either move into what is perceived as the more stable client side of business or leave the industry altogether.

In Hong Kong ’s case, experienced talent are also migrating north as a result of better career prospects offered by a booming economy.

Aquent Asia-Pacific CEO Greg Savage noted: “ Singapore is a market which is feeling the effects of ‘over-pruning’ staff levels when revenues started to stagnate. Talent have long memories and security is still top-of-mind when choosing an employer. With so many companies across the marcoms and creative spectrum looking to hire, a severe skills shortage is fast approaching.”

Zenithmedia Singapore ’s executive group director Harprett Kainel Singh said all the major agencies in the city were on a talent hunt, looking to add between 10 and 15 per cent to their payroll. Zenith itself has added about seven new planners and two buyers and is looking for another three planners. Harpreet said that employers had a “slight advantage” after at least two years of an employer-driven market in Singapore.

Aquent noted that the greatest demand were for strategic planners in both Singapore and Hong Kong , with the latter also requiring CRM and industry-focused account service specialists.

“However, the sort of planner that is being sought are those that have an integrated background and are creative,” said Savage, noting that agency perceptions of planers as a cost-centre was changing. “Some agencies are using the ‘new business conversion ration’ as part of a planner’s KPI”