The latest findings from Randstad’s Hong Kong work monitor report have revealed that Hongkongers are the least likely in Asia Pacific to take action to upskill themselves. The revelation seemingly puts Hong Kong’s workforce at a disadvantage as they fail to increase their attractiveness and impact their ability to negotiate higher salaries.
Of those surveyed, one in ten felt as though learning and development were irrelevant to their employability whilst two in ten said that L&D was not needed to stay relevant to market changes. Furthermore, almost a quarter of Hong Kong workers said they do not require a skills assessment test from their employer or wish to find out what skills they are lacking. The majority of the 77% who did desire to identify which skills to develop were aged between 25 – 35—highlighting the need for younger generations to adapt to future ways of working.
The lack of motivation to upskill is seemingly at odds with Hongkongers’ perceptions of their future employability. 70% of respondents acknowledged that it was increasingly challenging for them to identify which skills to develop as the world of work continues to change. 36% also noted that they had a lack of clarity about their personal and professional goals since the pandemic began.
HR professionals in Hong Kong could do more to highlight the importance of developing skills and could dedicate time to help employees identify relevant skills for development. A sustainable approach of ensuring that talent development meets organisational strategies will ensure that HR’s organisation can bridge the widening skills gap whilst at the same time ensuring the business has what it needs to succeed.
Paul Arkwright
Publisher
