Ebook on recruitment strategies in the Asia Pacific region.

1. 5 ways to improve your
recruitment in Asia-Pacific
by Kumar Bhaya and Peter Hamilton

2. 1 / Know what motivates
While it’s true that, for most employees underpinnings to this way of operating—and other customer organisations, you’ll need employees globally, but demonstrating the
around the world, it takes a lot more than organisations need to recognise these. to ensure their business cards and job titles way in which your organisation is innovative,
just a good salary to attract and retain them, prove that they are worth the customers’ shows leadership and gives back to the
there are some significant differences in what Offering an employee opportunities and attention. Otherwise, you can be setting community is a major advantage in the region.
motivates people across regions. Cultural responsibility as a way of attracting and your people up for failure from the outset.
retaining them is fine, but organizations must For the foreseeable future there remains
norms and values have a lot to do with
also show that they (literally) value their workers •
Leverage your corporate reputation the need to have distinct (and often quite
employee expectations and motivations.
and demonstrate that they have real ‘worth’. Working for a profitable, influential and socially different) hiring, retention and reward
How and why these differences emerge responsible organisation is a key goal of many strategies in the different regions.
In Asia, hiring managers are more likely than
is not the key issue—rather, when we’re
in any other region to cite ‘uncompetitive
hiring we must simply recognise that they
salaries’ as the main barrier to securing the
exist and do our best to respond.
right staff. Four in ten firms in Asia-Pacific
outsource benefits and compensation
Although the labour market varies widely
processes to help them keep pace with
across the Asia-Pacific region, in those key
changing expectations and talent shortages.
markets with talent shortages, several key
What motivates employees: western versus Asia-Pac cultural norms
motivators for employees can generally be
While there is not always room to move
found. These have less to do with skills and Western motivators Asia-Pac motivators
on salaries, considering other elements to
experience and much more to do with the
build responsibility, influence and status into
Development: being exposed to new Status: all elements of a role that signal higher
value that employees perceive they have— a role can also make it more attractive.
and challenging experiences, being status: Job titles, management status, including
both within and outside of the organisation. For example: given the opportunity to put into the size of the team the role manages, and the
practice new skills, learning and ideas. profile of the projects and work that is done.
‘Worth’ has a specific context in the Asia- • The right title
Pacific market. In many ways, it’s more literal. Job titles are much more important in Asia
Leadership: being offered the opportunity Financial reward: being paid a salary that
Generally speaking, this is partly because than in most other developed markets. While
to lead others and transfer knowledge. those in the candidate’s’ social and familial
employees are expected to play a bigger role this may be difficult to balance as a global circle would revere. A higher salary often brings
in supporting those around them, including operation with like-candidates in other parts with it more responsibility to support others
offering financial support, than employees of the world, job titles can be critical for staff
in other developed western markets. While to get a foot in the door with customers Salary & benefits: being rewarded Influence: the impact that the role can have
this could change as wealth is spread more in Asia. If you’re expecting your staff to appropriately financially rewarded. both within and outside of the organisation.
widely in the region, there are deep cultural secure meetings with senior leaders from
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3. 2 / Dig deeper to measure candidate quality
The way we measure the suitability of However, the complicating factor in the region is
Reasons for hiring problems (by region)
candidates is becoming more complex. low unemployment rates and continued growth
in most industries. The availability of top talent 90%
Considering the variation in what motivates is already low in the region, so it is common to
employees in different regions, a cursory find organisations seeking candidates without
glance at a person’s CV can be deceptive. the ‘ideal’ previous experience, but with the 80%
The way we immediately perceive candidate fundamentals to be able to learn as they go.
suitability may not always hold true in every
Given the need to seek less experienced 70%
market, and it’s important to understand
how to read people’s CVs in accordance talent to fill key roles, the processes and
with cultural norms. Organisations often tools that hiring managers use to measure
60%
rely on job descriptions, hierarchies and candidate suitability are more critical here. All
pay structures to determine seniority and organisations need to determine how well their
suitability for advancement, but there is no interview and screening processes measure: 50%
global ‘one-size-fits-all’ measurement.
• aptitude for on-going learning;
The same job title in Asia may not reflect the 40%
attainment of the same skill-set as a similar • team working and leaderships skills;
title in the Americas or Europe. So, being able
• communication skills; and 30%
to more objectively and accurately measure
candidate suitability and skill-sets is important
• candidate’s ability to problem-solve
to getting the right people in the right roles.
and access strategic insights. 20%
Shortage of Skilled Staff Salary Uncompetitive Location
In Asia-Pacific, companies report a more
acute shortage of skilled staff, with 83%
APAC Source: Global RPO Report 2011
of survey respondents blaming it for Americas
their hiring issues, compared with 77% EMEA
in the Americas, and 75% in EMEA.
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4. 3 / Beware the pressures of a growing market
Organisations in Asia-Pacific report the greatest right outcomes (i.e. people who have the right
Have you been experiencing difficulties recruiting staff? (% yes)
difficulty in hiring. In fact, there has been a skills/aptitude and who stay long enough to
significant increase in the number of people deliver those skills). 80%
experiencing difficulty recruiting the right staff
between 2010 and 2011. Given the continued growth in hiring across
Asia-Pacific, organisations need recruitment
Across the region there is: providers that have an eye on the bigger 70%
picture including:
1. Stronger competition for candidates from
recruiters/other organisations • An understanding of impending skills
shortages by region/city/industry; 60%
2. Greater incentives and more offers for
candidates to leave existing employment, • Broad access to global candidate networks;
even when they’re ‘happy’
• Strategies for engaging and retaining 50%
For these reasons, organisations must consider the right people now; and
how they outsource their recruitment and the
kinds of metrics they place around this service. • Longer-term strategies for shoring up
In a tight talent market such as this, there is talent pipeline. 40%
a greater case for outsourcing recruitment
activities, yet it’s also far more critical to get the
30%
EMEA APAC Americas
2011 Source: Global RPO Report 2011
2010
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5. 4 / Think flexibility
Growth in contingent and temporary labour has • Determine critical success factors: most
parts of the recruitment process outsourced (by region)
grown almost everywhere in the past decade, roles usually start out with the assumption
yet it has grown exceptionally quickly in the that they will need to be filled by permanent 60%
Asia-Pacific market. While there are real and (although not necessarily full-time) employees.
valid concerns for the casualisation of lower- By looking more closely at what the critical
skilled workforces and the lack of security success factors of a role may be, hiring
50%
that this can bring—particularly in developing managers should indeed take a step back
markets—it is at the higher end of the market and ask themselves whether or not these
that flexibility has real relevance. require permanency to deliver. With the right
40%
candidate and access to the right technology
In Australia, it is estimated that independent
and internal networks, delivering on critical
contractors now make up around 10% of the
success factors should always be possible.
workforce1, and temporary and contingent 30%
workers are growing at a much greater rate in
• Focus on collaboration to create the
APAC than elsewhere in the world.
whole: providing managers with the overall
For those with higher level, in-demand skill sets responsibility to deliver a stream of work, and 20%
where salaries are already above average, being then giving them the freedom to structure
able to better balance work with other aspects the actual work as they see fit, allows them
of life, as well as being able to pick and choose to target individuals with particular strengths. 10%
more desirable projects, is a major advantage. Now, organisations should be able to access
For this end of the market, flexibility is a win-win the tools needed for effective collaboration so
situation and is particularly beneficial for women that this kind of ‘jigsaw’ approach is efficient
0%
who want to stay in or re-enter the employment and captures knowledge as it’s developed. Graduates Business Contingent/ Administrative Professional Company
Unit Temporary Wide
market after starting a family.
• Engage specialists rather than generalists:
For much of the Asia-Pacific region, employers APAC Source: Global RPO Report 2011
few professionals are exceptional at every
Americas
still have a long way to go to be able to deliver aspect of their job all the time. Finding
EMEA
truly flexible approaches to work at this end people who do one or two things really well,
of the market. Among the issues that must be and only asking them to do those things,
addressed to access candidates with critical obviously reduces job dissatisfaction, raises
skills, but who do not want permanent, full-time work quality and increases productivity.
employment are:
5
1
http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/F0330F5043199960CA25773700169C6B

6. 5 / Improve your ‘candidate experience’
The candidate experience is the overall From the moment the first connection is made,
the basic elements to focus on are:
impression that candidates have of an be it a click on a site, an email or a telephone
organisation once they’ve applied for or taken call, the candidate experience begins. Above
a role there. In many ways, it’s similar to the way all, recruiters should treat the candidate The This includes everything related to the corporate and employer
brand
that any customer might experience a company experience as a deliverable, which should be brand. It is the brand awareness and quality of the corporation’s
experience
products and/or services—not just the PR and marketing.
and must be both targeted and of real value to targeted, marketed, designed and tailor-made.
the individual.
It is critical for companies to focus on the The This covers facts and figures, reports and any type of data a candidate
reputational
Regardless of whether or not a candidate is specifics of their own recruitment experience. can learn about the role, company and industry. How has your company
experience
successful in obtaining a role, the way they When was the last time you walked in the performed recently and over the long term on all measures? Is this
information readily available and well presented? In terms of the role
are engaged and informed throughout the shoes of a candidate? What was your candidate
itself, what has it led to for other candidates? Has there been high
process is equally important. This will determine experience when you joined your organisation?
turnover in the team and why did the previous person depart the role?
whether or not: Have you had other experiences that were
better/worse?
• An unsuccessful yet still desirable candidate The This is about how candidates connect with you before and
technological
returns to apply for future opportunities during their recruitment. It can be the first impression of an
experience
Application Tracking System, but also the technical impression
• How engaged the successful candidate is at of websites, webinars, games, and other elements.
the beginning of the on-boarding process
The This is not limited to recruiters or interviewers only. The human factor
human
• How you’re perceived in the recruitment experience
contains all the people that a company has ever had onsite, offsite or
market, including what is said about you and online. Who are your leaders? How do they resonate and what do
how you’re rated in recruitment circles and they say about a candidate’s likely experience of working there?
online forums/networks.
The Processes tell candidates a lot about how well a company is
process
organised or how respectfully they treat applications and people.
experience
Trust, a sense of security and success perceptions can be won
or lost depending on how well the process is leveraged.
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7. About the Author
Kumar Bhaya is Director, Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) for Asia at
Kelly Services. As a key member of Kelly’s global RPO practice, Kumar leads a
team of seasoned recruitment professionals managing client relationships and
RPO programs across the region. He has a Bachelors degree in commerce, a
Masters degree in business and a Diploma in computer management. Kumar sits
on the board of the HR Outsourcing Association (HROA) in Asia Pacific and has
participated in several thought leadership forums on outsourcing.
PETER HAMILTON is Director, Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) for Australia
and New Zealand at Kelly Services. He has over 12 years experience in the delivery
and development of talent supply chain solutions for clients across a host of sectors
including Engineering, Infrastructure, Healthcare, IT &T, Banking & Finance and
Government. In addition Peter is leading Kelly’s Managed Service Provider (MSP)
practice in Asia Pacific. He has a Bachelors of Science, a Post Graduate Certificate
in Human Resources Management and has graduated with a Executive MBA.
About KellyOCG
KellyOCG is the Outsourcing and Consulting Group of Fortune 500 workforce solutions provider,
Kelly Services, Inc. KellyOCG is a global leader in innovative talent management solutions in the
areas of Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO), Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), Contingent
Workforce Outsourcing (CWO), including Independent Contractor Solutions, Human Resources
Consulting, Career Transition and Organizational Effectiveness, and Executive Search.
Further information about KellyOCG may be found at kellyocg.com.
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