Professionals who possessed specialised skills will be in demand and can expect salary increases in 2018, according to recruitment consultancy Robert Walters’ recent annual salary survey on Thursday (Nov 23). In its press release, despite minimal salary increments are anticipated next year, Singaporeans with specific expertise in digital marketing and cybersecurity will remain highly sought-after.

The survey pointed out that the information technology (IT) job market in Singapore will remain active in 2018, given that more businesses are improving their digital processes. Owing to this reason, talents with strong skills in user experience and user interface (UX/UI) development as well as cloud infrastructure and virtualisation can expect to see more employment opportunities.

In terms of salary increases, professionals with the right skills can expect increments of 5 to 15 percent. An earlier salary trends survey by ECA international found Singapore employees can expect real pay increase of about 2.7 percent in 2018, after factoring the inflation next year.

Meanwhile, in sales and marketing sector, employers are also looking for hires with strong experience in digital marketing and e-commerce as well as those who can keep up with changing digital trends. Other skills that will be highly on demand are store design expertise and data analytics. Robert Walters said that professionals with those skills could receive salary increments of 10 to 15 percent.

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Singapore is also predicted to see high demand for human resource experts who are business-savvy and have change management experience, due to an expected growth in restructuring activities within organisations. The survey found that unlike 2017 when it was stagnant, HR professionals keen to switch jobs can expect to get salary increments of between 10 to 15 percent in 2018.

Other general skills that will be in demand include the ability to multi-task, resilience to change, as well as proficiency in multiple Southeast Asian languages, Channel News Asia reports.

Additionally, the market for contract work is also anticipated to grow, as companies will hire more mid-level professionals in interim positions for projects that require niche skills. This year, there was a rise in short-term contract legal jobs. The trend is predicted to continue next year, especially for legal professionals in fintech, healthcare, and technology sectors.

Robert Walters’ managing director of Southeast Asia Toby Fowlston said that despite growth in some industries, most of the hiring next year should be for replacement roles. The increased consolidation in the market will also mean high demand for candidates with broad and multiple skills, he added.

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