Hays: Battle for talents to heat up in 2019

Industrial automation is expected to become a key feature in the Chinese mainland's talent market next year amid rising manufacturing costs, according to global professional recruiting group Hays.

"China is relentless in its endeavor to be the leading authority of quality manufacturing, innovation and new technology. This is driving employers to consider the technical expertise of a candidate to be of paramount importance, above other factors such as leadership qualities or salary expectations," said Simon Lance, managing director at Hays China.

"Talents who are able to utilize new technologies that contribute to a company's productivity will enjoy better leverage in the employment market. Companies will also continue to invest in product development, quality control and supply chain management, so talents in these areas will also be highly sought after in the coming year," he said.