HCM City (VNA/VNS)- The job market in Vietnam is expected to be largely positive next year as thecountry continues to develop its manufacturing base, recruitment companies said.

“In 2018, we expect themanufacturing and industrial sector in Vietnam to keep growing,” said AdrienBizouard, Vietnam country manager at Robert Walters, a specialist professionalrecruitment firm.

A greater number ofmultinationals are expected to expand across the country and build newfactories, and demand for engineers and manufacturing professionals was set torise as a consequence, he said.

The local retail sectorwill also see growth due with an increase in the number of shopping malls andreal estate projects, he added.

“We also expect 2018 willbring a greater demand for professionals with strong business partneringskills,” Bizouard said.

A Robert Waters report saidthe FMCG, tech and pharmaceutical industries will continue to be activerecruiters of in-house legal counsel, while the financial services industry wasset to open up new roles for internal control and auditing functions inresponse to increasingly complex regulatory requirements.

With use of big datasteadily rising across Vietnam’s major sectors, highly proficient softwaredevelopers will remain sought after in 2018.

Hiring managers, however,will find it difficult to source IT experts with strong management skills, fullstack developers and front end UI/UX professionals, because of a lack ofsuitable candidates in the market.

To overcome the talentshortage, firms are likely to look for Vietnamese candidates based overseas,the report said.

Toby Fowlston, managingdirector for Robert Waters Southeast Asia, said many businesses were creatingonline or mobile platforms as companies seek to enhance competitiveness and marketshare, with the digital economy continuing to expand across the region.

As a result of thesetransformations, many companies need professionals with digital expertise, inboth marketing and information technology, especially those who are proficientin running back-office digital infrastructure or with niche technology skills.

“We also foresee highdemand for candidates proficient in handling multiple human resourceresponsibilities, while displaying a commercial mindset,” Fowlston said.

The market remainedcandidate driven in 2017, with hiring managers struggling with talent shortagesacross most sectors, he added.

This had a particularimpact on the hiring of high-potential professionals with internationalbackgrounds and local expertise.

With more large retailfirms planning to expand in the Vietnamese market, it is likely that humanresource professionals with experience of working in the retail industry willbe sought after.

As demand for technical andspecialist skill sets rises, hiring processes across industries would becomemore stringent as more organisations seek to hire culture-fit candidates on along-term basis.

Professionals moving jobsare set to receive salary increments of 20 percent, slightly lower than in2017.

Those remaining within thesame organisation can expect increments of about 10 percent as part of theirannual salary review.

JobStreet.com alsoforecasts growth in the job market in Vietnam next year, especially the firstsix months.

Wholesale, manufacturingand production, construction and engineering are the sectors with the highestdemand for human resources.

Many companies in Vietnamsay they have high demand for managers and directors, but they find itdifficult to recruit candidates meeting their criteria.-VNA/VNS