Qualifications put candidates in a positive light, but today's employers want more
ACADEMIC qualifications may be hot commodities these days, but they are not the only thing that employers look for during recruitment. Many are starting to replace the traditional face-to-face interviews with presentations or project work to assess job applicants' level of competence.
'A good educational background is good, but employers are using various methods these days to see whether a candidate is up for teamwork,' said Lai Kam-tong, president of the Hong Kong Institute of Human Resource Management.
For some senior posts, candidates are asked to give presentations and then comment on each other's performance.
'Through this, an employer is trying to find out about a candidate's communication skills, ability to respond to various situations or whether he has any visionary views,' Mr Lai said.
An ability to adapt to change is more important than ever in today's globalised world. The close economic ties between Hong Kong and the mainland make it necessary for employees to travel to the mainland from time to time and be fluent in Putonghua.