Giles Daubeney confident about hiring in Asia

Hong Kong

Robert Walters' chief operating officer Giles Daubeney remains confident about hiring trends in Asia. He spoke to South China Morning Post while visiting Matthew Bennett, Managing Director of Robert Walters Hong Kong.

Mr Daubeney shared his views on recruitment and commented that he remains largely optimistic about the company's prospects in Asia.

Have your expansion plans been hampered by the economic gloom?
Sitting here today, it hasn't hampered anything. Having said that, this could soon change.The way things stand, we're certainly looking at opening another office in Germany next year. We're also looking to open at least one more office in mainland China, possibly two.

Sitting here today, it hasn't hampered anything. Having said that, this could soon change.The way things stand, we're certainly looking at opening another office in Germany next year. We're also looking to open at least one more office in mainland China, possibly two.

How will the economic gloom affect hiring intentions in the region?
It may well affect them and create a slowdown in hiring. But in Asia Pacific, we haven’t really seen that so far. The thing that’s important to remember about our industry is that it’s not actually about the number of jobs.

It may well affect them and create a slowdown in hiring. But in Asia Pacific, we haven’t really seen that so far. The thing that’s important to remember about our industry is that it’s not actually about the number of jobs.

What creates movement is business confidence. It’s when candidates out there are feeling confident about what’s going on in the economy, are ready for a career move and are looking for a new opportunity. If they are concerned about the economy, they won’t move.

Ultimately, what you want is movement, as that generates business. So it’s not necessarily about companies making new hires or creating new jobs, it’s about the movement of people.

How do you position yourself here in the region?
It’s very much about DNA. We have a particular culture at Robert Walters and a particular way of operating. Marketing and branding are very important. We always have quality office space, because the way we present ourselves is very important.

Are there any notable recruitment trends in Asia?
A lot of what has been going on with regards to demand for people relates to cultural shifts. If you look at Japan, for instance, that whole thing about joining a company for life has changed. And the pace of change has been extremely fast. These cultural shifts will continue to play a big role in the industry. As more and more economies change – such as Indonesia, where we’re seeing a big shift from agriculture to professional services – demand for people will continue to rise.

Source: South China Morning Post. Click here to read the full interview.