Over half of Hong Kongers affected by automation

Majority of talents in Hong Kong have experienced an impact of automation—either partially or significantly–on their job responsibilities, according to new research from recruitment experts Hays.

The latest Hays web poll carried out in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, and Singapore asked employees if automation had impacted their job responsibilities, and if so, to which extent.

In Hong Kong, while 49 per cent of respondents said they were, to a certain extent, impacted, having had some of their tasks automated and non-routine duties increased, while eight per cent felt that they had been greatly impacted by automation by way of either a change in their job scopes or total job redundancy.

Hong Kong and Mainland China were at a tie in terms of the absolute number of talents affected by automation, in which 44 per cent of Mainland China respondents were somewhat impacted and 13 per cent were greatly impacted.

Singapore was top on the list as most impacted by automation with 41 per cent of survey participants confirming they were partially subjected to its impact. This figure is coupled by another 20 per cent who said that they have experienced it at a large extent.

Respondents in Malaysia produced similar results, in which 45 per cent and 15 per cent of respondents were impacted partially or significantly respectively.

The least overall affected were respondents in Japan, which although had 45 per cent of talents say they have felt the effects of automation to some degree, only seven per cent of talents experienced a substantial impact.

Commenting on the findings, Dean Stallard, Managing Director at Hays Greater Bay Area, said:

“The prospect of automation in the workplace was once feared as an impending threat to jobs throughout the economy. However, we must acknowledge that automation is here and now.”

“Contrary to prior sentiments, countless studies have subsequently found that while automation will indeed lead to the displacement of jobs, it will, in turn, create even more opportunities. While automation will undoubtedly lead to disruption, it will also lead to a ‘hollowing out’ of jobs distribution. Middle-skilled jobs will likely become obsolete while opportunities will grow for lower- and higher-skilled workers.”

“To reap the fruits of automation, employers must be quick to equip their workforce to face the disruption already taking place by giving a fresh look to their training and development strategies. Employees, in the meantime, must take an agile and adaptable approach to their careers. Talents across all sectors and industries can also stand to benefit from embracing technology and updating themselves with the technical knowledge and know-how needed to work alongside automation.”

Hays Hong Kong Limited

A specialist recruitment company in Hong Kong in recruiting qualified, professional and skilled people across a wide range of industries and professions. Hays has been in Hong Kong for over a decade.