Tech-savvy and bilingual talent still in high demand as businesses continue to expand in 2019

Positive economic conditions in Indonesia drove active hiring activity in 2018. The demand for bilingual talent is expected to grow as businesses continue to expand in 2019.

The government’s continued push for foreign direct investment will see more new entrants in Indonesia, as more local companies push ahead with expansion plans to acquire more market share nationally and internationally. Developments in transportation infrastructure will drive continued demand for engineering expertise. Similarly, skilled IT talent is highly sought after due to heavy investment in e-commerce and digitalisation. However, the demand far outweighs the supply given the shortage of skilled talent in the domestic market.

In 2019, a similar upward trend in recruitment is foreseen. As the e-commerce start-up ecosystem continues its rapid growth and companies continue their investment in digitalisation, tech-savvy and bilingual talent with niche skill sets and international experience have opportunities to command higher salaries when changing jobs.

Overall, 68% of professionals surveyed expect salary increments of more than 10% in 2019. Job movers with digital and tech skills are likely to achieve this, with an average of 20-25% increments expected in 2019. Salary rises of 20% are expected for roles in Human Resources, Information Technology, and Sales & Marketing.

At the media launch event for Robert Walters’ Salary Survey 2019 – Greater China & South East Asia, Eric Mary, Country Manager, Robert Walters Indonesia commented, “We have observed instances where companies spent considerable amounts of time and held multiple rounds of interviews to fill newly-created positions, leading to the loss of good talent. Hiring managers will need to be more decisive to sustain the interest of strong candidates, especially when recruiting for niche roles. Quality employees are always on the lookout for opportunities to broaden their experience through overseas exposure, secondments, professional business courses or job swapping." 

View some of the articles featuring the Salary Survey launch via these links below:

• Kompas
• Bisnis Indonesia 
• Kontan Online
• Kompas Online

For a more in-depth look at our expectations for the recruitment market in the Indonesia, request your free copy of the 2019 Salary Survey today. 

If you are keen to know more about Robert Walters Indonesia, please email us at jakarta@robertwalters.com or call +62 2965 1500.