HCM City (VNA) - Digital transformation and artificial intelligence (AI) are driving recruitment trends across industries in 2025, according to the Salary Guide 2025 by Adecco Vietnam, a member of The Adecco Group, a leading recruitment, payroll, staffing and outsourcing service provider.

According to the report, Vietnam’s strategic partnership with Nvidia reflects the country’s commitment to advancing technology and attracting investment in the semiconductor sector.

As a result, demand for professionals in technology, AI, and digital skills is no longer limited to the IT sector but is expanding into retail, finance, and manufacturing. In these industries, automation and data-driven decision-making are becoming essential for business growth.

At the same time, companies are placing greater emphasis on data security, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I). This shift is pushing businesses to invest more in these areas while encouraging employees to upskill to meet evolving job demands.

A recent Adecco Vietnam survey, which included professionals with at least two years of experience, highlighted three key workplace trends, namely digital transformation, flexible work models, and generative AI tools.

In particular, digital transformation continues to be a game-changer, improving efficiency, streamlining processes, and enabling smart solutions. Flexible work models remain popular after COVID-19, though adoption varies by sector, and hybrid and remote work are more common in technology and service industries. Generative AI (GenAI) tools, such as ChatGPT, Copilot, and Bard, are increasingly integrated into daily work, especially in content creation, data analysis, and customer service, it added.

Adecco Vietnam's experts held that in a fluctuating economy, 65% of surveyed employees received salary increases of under 10% in 2024, while 15% saw raises exceeding 20%. Looking ahead, expectations are even higher – 37% of workers anticipate salary hikes of over 20% in 2025.

Job mobility is also on the rise. The survey found that 72% of employees are open to new opportunities in 2025, up from 69% in 2024 and just 37% in 2023. This growing trend suggests an increasingly competitive job market, creating both challenges and opportunities for employers.

Most professionals find jobs through recruitment agencies, LinkedIn, and personal referrals.

When considering a job change, employees prioritise salary and benefits, career growth, workplace environment, and work-life balance. However, salary remains the deciding factor in job transitions.

AI adoption in Vietnam remains largely focused on basic automation, including simple programming, customer service, data analysis, and content creation. Among those surveyed, 65% believe AI boosts productivity, 54% see its value in strategic thinking, and 35% stress the need for upskilling to harness AI’s full potential.

Meanwhile, DE&I is gaining traction, particularly in multinational corporations and industries with global connections. While still an emerging concept i𝓀n Vietnam, local businesses – especially private enterprises – are increasingly adopting DE&I strategies to meet employees’ growing expectations for fairness and diversity in the workplace./.