Recruitment demand is increasing in sales and marketing as Việt Nam sees an influx of multinationals. VNS/Photo.Ngọc Diệp

HCM CITY— Several multinationals came to Việt Nam in the first quarter, especially in the fields of food and beverages, liquor and cosmetics, leading to a sharp increase in demand for sales and marketing personnel from senior management to staff levels, according to a report by recruitment company Navigos Group.

The report, released on April 23, said the increased demand is related to those foreign companies seeking to improve their brand image and carry out promotion programmes.

Skills related to digital marketing and e-commerce are especially valued.

Large number of positions in HR, administration, finance, and accounting also need to be filled.

In the first quarter, Navigos also noted a trend of franchising by international and domestic companies, especially in sectors like cosmetics, fashion and food and beverages.

This led to a spike in demand for mid-level to senior managers.

Faced with this increasing competition, local retail companies want to enhance their own brands and are willing to invest in people and systems to be able to develop and compete with the foreign brands.

Besides, small and medium-sized enterprises are constantly growing and increasing their number of stores, leading to an increase in demand for employees for operating them.

A report by the HCM City Centre for Forecasting Manpower Needs and Labour Market Information on the human resource demand in the city in the first quarter also showed that sales and marketing vacancies topped the list, accounting for more than 22 per cent of the 42,390 openings at 8,581 companies.

Dr Hoàng Gia Thư, head of Hà Nội University’s tourism- business administration faculty, told Giáo Dục & Thời Đại (Education & Era) online newspaper that many enterprises recognise the importance of comprehensive and effective marketing strategies and so seek to employ skilled people.

"The need is so large that 21 educational institutions provide training in marketing but still fail to meet demand," he said.

Wood furniture industry

The number of companies shifting production from China to Việt Nam continues to increase strongly, especially in the supporting and wood furniture industries.

New factories coming up in Việt Nam are expected to recruit large numbers of workers during the year, especially in sectors like electronics and high-end component manufacturing.

The spurt in demand is also due to enterprises seeking to expand production or restructure, posing a challenge to employers in attracting and retaining talent and causing workers to keep switching jobs within the industry.

The vacancies are mainly in supervisory and management positions, and the demand is likely to increase steadily until the companies’ operations stabilise.

Chinese businesses also require candidates who speak Chinese.

In HCM City, manufacturing reportedly pays the highest salaries for mid- and high-level positions.

An experienced engineer can get a salary of US$4,000 a month while a manager can get up to $8,000.

Agricultural sector

The increasing use of technology in the agricultural sector has led to changes in employers’ requirements.

This year many companies have been implementing the 3F (feed – farm – food) agricultural model.

Besides, companies are investing large amounts of money in modern production lines and adopting European technologies.

There is huge demand for workers in the farming and veterinary segments.

Most businesses are looking to recruit people for many different positions and require candidates with in-depth technical knowledge.VNS