Online recruitment sentiment in Southeast Asia’s IT industry continues to grow on a healthy trajectory despite global headwinds.
According to the latest Monster Employment Index (MEI), Singapore, Malaysia and Philippines witnessed double-digit positive annual growth in online hiring in the IT, Telecom/ ISP and BPO/ITES sector in May.
The MEI is a monthly gauge of online hiring activity monitored by Monster.com, recording industries and occupations that show the highest and lowest growth in online hiring, including specific data points from the IT and Telecom sectors.
Philippines reported a 23% year-on-year annual growth during May 2016 to 2017, the highest growth witnessed amongst all three markets.
Singapore witnessed a 13% year-on-year growth in May, a 2% drop from 15% year-on-year growth reported in April, while Malaysia saw a 9% year-on-year growth.
In line with hiring trends in the IT space, demand for Software, Hardware and Telecom talent remained relatively stable, where Singapore and Philippines exhibited positive hiring sentiment.
Singapore saw the strongest demand for these professionals, at 13% year-on-year growth. However, this is a 5% decline from the 18% growth reported between April 2016 and 2017.
Malaysia saw a 4% year-on-year decline in demand for this talent. This is an 11% drop from the 7% year-on-year growth reported in April. The Philippines reported 10% year-on-year growth in online hiring, a 5% jump from the 5% year-on-year growth reported in April.
“Despite a positive hiring outlook, there is a growing sense of job insecurity amongst tech professionals,” says Sanjay Modi, Managing Director, Monster.com – APAC and Middle East. “This is particularly evident in the IT/ITES industry, where automation and changing business models have left most professionals distressing about redundancy. No doubt this has put the spotlight on upskilling,”
“While some traditional jobs in this sector may cease to exist, delivery, innovation and design will grow faster than conventional executive jobs, as companies will pivot even more around customer expectations. Having said that, it will be key for talent acquisition leaders across organizations to lead by example and promote a strong culture of learning, innovation and agility.”