1 in 2 Hongkongers struggles to acquire new skills to adapt to the pandemic.

Randstad – the largest global HR solutions company – today released the results of the 2020 2H Workmonitor survey, which highlights the greatest concerns and challenges faced by job seekers and employees. The survey was conducted in October across 34 markets around the world, with a minimum of 400 respondents in each market.

the workforce needs to be prepared for the future

Twelve per cent of local respondents said that they are afraid of losing their jobs. This is 5-point higher than in mainland China. Yet, the survey revealed that Hongkongers are the least likely in the region to upskill to future proof their employability.

In Hong Kong SAR, 25 per cent of respondents do not refresh their skills and competencies regularly. only eightper cent of mainland China respondents do not take the initiative to upskill regularly.

Natellie Sun, Managing Director of Search & Selection, Randstad Greater China said, “Early on during the pandemic, it became clear that workers in some sectors, such as aviation and hospitality, were going to be affected more severely than others. As the pandemic drags on, many companies started to re-skill and deploy their workforce to essential services such as e-commerce and healthcare.”

“Post-COVID will never be the same as pre-COVID times. Digital transformation has significantly changed the

way traditional industries operate. Banks and financial institutions developed more online products and services,manufacturing and logistics firms started looking into automation and robotics, and retail firms and restaurants made their debut on e-commerce platforms. This has a direct impact on the workforce as the fundamental knowledge and skills required for these new solutions are different from what the existing workforce is equipped with. To close the skills gap, employees must proactively upskill and re-skill themselves to ensure they stay relevant and employable, and be more prepared for whatever crisis that may arise in the future,” Sun adds.employers and

employees share equal responsibility to upskill and re-skill

Close to three in four respondents (73 per cent) are confident that they have the transferable soft skills required

Fifty-one per cent of respondents said that the responsibility for keeping their competencies up to date should be shared between the employer and employees. More than one in four respondents (28 per cent) said that the responsibility lies on their employers.