Relationship managers, customer due diligence officers and data analysts are some of Hong Kong’s hottest jobs in the coming year, according to human resource professionals.
In the current business environment, relationship managers will be one of the “hot jobs” in the financial services sector, according to Betty Lam, the head of human resources at DBS Bank in Hong Kong.
Outside private banking, relationship managers are also supporting small and medium-sized enterprises. The relationship managers are especially helpful in guiding these businesses through the challenges of Hong Kong’s current economic environment, Lam said.
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The Singaporean bank went on a hiring spree this year, adding 106 new staffers – including 50 relationship managers. The rest support its private bankers, according to Lam.
Banks in Hong Kong are looking to hire relationship managers and private bankers. Photo: Harvey Kong alt=Banks in Hong Kong are looking to hire relationship managers and private bankers. Photo: Harvey Kong>
Banks like HSBC Holdings and Standard Chartered have also signalled they would focus on more profitable parts of their business, including private and corporate banking.
Earlier this year, Standard Chartered said it would double the size of its wealth management team, hoping to grab a bigger piece of the growing ultra-rich segment in the region.
UBS Group said it would add staff as it looks to double the assets it manages for its millionaire clients in the region over the next three to five years, while Bank of Singapore boosted staffing levels in Hong Kong by 30 per cent.
“Wealth management is a growing industry, as the ultra-wealth segment matures in China,” said Jerry Chang, a consultant at executive search firm Barons & Co.
“Beyond that, maintaining client relations, having people skills and connections to get business,” he said. “These are really the important parts of a good relationship manager, which banks today are all looking for.”
German lender Deutsche Bank‘s hiring of late has focused on investment banking, private banking and corporate banking. It has emphasised the importance of client coverage.
Key skills for 2025 include language proficiency – especially Mandarin – and data analytics, according to Nishant Mihir, Deutsche Bank’s head of human resources for Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Africa.
The bank also sees growth opportunities in the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
“Language is important, if people have an ability to speak Mandarin, that’s always helpful,” Mihir said. “There are many emerging new corridors and an increasing number of Chinese enterprises that want to go global.”
Artificial intelligence (AI) is also allowing businesses to be more efficient and as they evolve, people will need to learn new skills, said Karen Ng, Asia market lead at human resources platform Deel. Getting certificates in AI learning and ESG are great ways for employees to hone their skills, she said.
“The trilingual component is still very much attractive, when you’re doing business in China, you can still work from north to south China,” she said.
Jobseekers are interested in opportunities for career growth, Ng said, and they want a competitive salary, good benefits and a healthy company culture.
DBS’s Lam said businesses are looking especially for customer due diligence officers and data analysts.
“The role goes beyond the numbers, beyond the data,” she said. “How can it be interpreted?” She added that as AI makes coding faster and easier, the ability to analyse data will be more important.
“Interest, curiosity, innovative thinking and agility will increasingly become relevant,” said Lam.
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