Executive hiring process hamstrung

The pandemic has altered the hiring process of many executive-level positions, for which many candidates travel from overseas. Despite years of high demand for these positions, the executive workforce will likely shrink this year.

Wanchai Priboonbaramee, senior business operations director of Manpower Group Thailand, a US-based recruitment agency, said those seeking top executive positions, usually a high-demand market in Asean, cannot get new jobs with high salaries.

“Thailand’s workforce market has growing demand for top executives, especially specialists in high technology and innovative businesses, but the situation has made it difficult for expats to get those types of jobs,” he said.

Since the coronavirus outbreak started in Wuhan, China, many international companies and several countries have announced international travel restrictions to prevent the virus from spreading.

Manpower Group Thailand said the company has recruited 400-500 top executive positions per year for local and foreign companies in Thailand out of 10,000 positions per year globally.

“In 2020, many companies have delayed employing workers and many companies are planning layoffs,” Mr Wanchai said. “A lot of top executive candidates cannot travel for interviews, and human resources wants them done face-to-face.”

He expects no growth in the number of top executives in Thailand this year.

As the coronavirus continues to spread across the world, businesses are facing weakened financial markets as workplace operations and business pipelines are disrupted by restrictions on the mobility of people and goods.

Mr Wanchai said Manpower is considering a business investment plan to cope with the pandemic in Thailand.

The company expects the outbreak to be resolved by July and sees the domestic economy recovering by the fourth quarter.