There's no quick fix for talent shortage in HK adland, but what more can be done?

We’ve all been talking about a talent crunch since the pandemic. However, the post-pandemic talent shortage in Hong Kong is being compounded by accelerated demand for advertising talent, global competition for skilled professionals, and an exodus of talent over the last few years.

Key findings from the digital Salary Survey 2023 by Robert Walters showed that more than 80% of employers in Hong Kong are concerned or very concerned about a skill or talent shortage, while 75% predict the most acute talent shortage will be among mid-to-senior level employees.

With addressing the skills gap and talent shortage top of the agenda, the pressure is mounting on companies to retain employees. In fact, 95% of employers in Hong Kong stated that employee retention will be a concern for their companies in 2023, especially among managerial and senior level positions.

It is safe to assume that various industries in Hong Kong are also facing the same pressure, let alone the advertising industry. In this piece, MARKETING-INTERACTIVE takes a stab at gauging industry sentiment on the talent crisis facing Hong Kong, and understanding possible measures to subvert the issues, by speaking to advertising industry executives.

First up, Terry Tsang, director at Narrow Door, attributes the ongoing talent crunch in Hong Kong to the drastic change in the local political scene as well as the economic recession. “For my agency, we have been actively recruiting a key account director role, but it’s been vacant for three months. There is a great shortage of middle-to-senior level talent in Hong Kong, and I see the problem only escalating in the near future,” he explained.

Agreeing with Tsang was Ivan Leung, general manager of Aloha Group said there has been a lot of talent movements over the past two years. “I have experienced, both personally and professionally, all around me of people immigrating abroad for various personal reasons,” he added.

On the other hand, Desmond So, CEO at Uth Creative Group, shared that apart from the local educational systems that prompted senior adland talents to leave for the sake of their children, he also noticed that the fragile client-agency relationship nowadays fail to give confidence to adland talents who are looking for a long-term career path. “When senior level creative talents do not see any commitment or promising opportunities, they will look elsewhere,” he said.

How is HK adland affected?

The recent movement of marketers leaving Hong Kong has magnified the talent shortage that Hong Kong adland has been facing, and the impact may turn into a vicious cycle, according to Aloha’s Leung.

As there are resource limitations, agencies are having a tougher time handling client demands and turnaround times, he said. “This snowballs to lowered foresight and strategic emphasis as teams are focused on everyday delivery. Over time, this lowers the motivation to innovate and be more creative as staff are worried about timelines and fulfilment,” he added.

While the talent outflow from the advertising market in Hong Kong might not have an immediate impact on the work quality, the industry may not be able to nurture young talents fast enough to keep up with the current trend and standard in the industry in the long run, said Uth Creative’s So.

What more can be done?

While industry players MARKETING-INTERACTIVE spoke to agreed that there is no quick fix for talent shortage in Hong Kong adland, Aloha’s Leung said that the industry needs to build on multiple fronts to create a sustainable talent pool and this starts with universities building the fundamental skills the field requires.

Apart from academia, Leung added that while agencies need to step up their game and focus on providing strategic value instead of simply checking a list, clients are also advised to consider the changes in the industry and re-evaluate the value of agencies. “At the same time, agency players must also evolve to create value instead of using the low-hanging fruit of cost to win pitches. When a balance is found, the value of senior grades will be more prominent,” he said.

Celebrating and respecting the importance of creativity and original ideas is also key, said Uth Creative’s So. “Advertising professionals used to be respected, but it seems that we are now treated more as suppliers than partners. This is not so much an issue in our industry, but rather a cultural issue in Hong Kong.” Hong Kong is losing general respect for intellectual superiority, he added.

Speaking from a wider perspective, Narrow Door’s Tsang said it’s time to run a talent retention model by purposely and intentionally building a fair and just system in an agency or client structure that fosters personal growth rather than merely monetary growth.

When it comes to internal policies, Tsang said agencies should avoid building a comfort zone for their staff. “Agencies, in particular, should behave as the agent of change and should welcome discomfort and chaos like breathing air. Our strategy for the future should not focus on the old but the next generation of talent who doesn’t think of what had been lost or taken, but eager to co-create a grateful and exciting future,” he added.

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