PRESS RELEASES

The Elliott Scott HR 2016 Retail Survey Results

HONG KONG, CHINA, January 25, 2017 — A big thank you to those who helped to complete our 2016 retail survey. This is the first survey from Elliott Scott focusing on the retail HR function, so please send me your feedback or recommendations to help us improve the survey in the future.

The retail sector is experiencing major transformation. With consumers getting more digitally savvy and the popularity of off-price retail on the rise (from companies such as Amazon and Taobao), shopping behavior is changing and it’s interesting to see the effect on retailers which in turn impacts retail HR functions. Retailers are analyzing and re-organizing themselves in response to market changes and this was apparent in 2016.

Last year, compared to 2015, we saw a reduction in HR roles as requested by our clients. This is in line with our survey results as many retail clients experienced restructuring in 2016 and continue to anticipate the same for 2017. From client conversations, they indicated that most corporate hires were for non-HR, while at the same time they are pushing for stronger efforts on internal talent acquisition. This was also partly reflected by industry stability and positivity, where almost 60% of respondents felt positive about their roles in 2017.

What I found most interesting from the survey results were the main changes to the HR function in 2016 and the upcoming HR plans for 2017. We do predict that retailers will continue to adapt to market changes such as shopping patterns, political influences and fluctuating exchange rates, leading to a geographical shift of where people shop. Resources re-allocation will then finalize and there will be a come-back of HR hiring needs in the areas of: talent acquisition, learning & development, employer branding and diversity.

View the accompanying infographic

About Elliott Scott HR

Elliott Scott HR is an award-winning HR recruitment firm that focuses solely on HR recruitment. Building long-term relationships is paramount to us and, on top of hiring the best people, we strive to work alongside HR to gain the best knowledge and insight into the market. What makes us unique is our ‘glocalised’ approach–with local expertise and global reach, we offer a truly consultative approach to candidates and clients. With the head-office in Hong Kong and regional offices in Dubai, London, New York, Sao Paulo, Singapore and Tokyo, our specialised HR recruiters are highly-connected to the HR market globally.

Contact:
Doris Lam
Associate Director
dl@elliottscotthr.com