ReleaseWire

YesAsia has collaborated with Geek+ to create a new smart warehouse that will not only be one of the tallest warehouse facilities in the world but also one of the most tech-enabled. The new facility will be located in Tsing Yi, Hong Kong, and will have the highest number of Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) deployed in any one warehouse in Hong Kong. E-commerce businesses like YesAsia have faced many challenges since the start of the pandemic and logistics and supply chain management has been up there as one of the biggest. The new warehouse is designed to help the online retailer improve this area of operations and allow for greater efficiency by working with a leading AMR specialist like Geek+. The step is just one example of the ambitious strategy that YesAsia has deployed, integrating greater digitisation and automation across the enterprise to help ensure that the business continues to thrive.

New research has identified that vacancies for fintech talent are on the rise since the pandemic began to wind down, with a wealth of opportunities for those in fintech jobs. In fact, there has been a spike in vacancies of 182%, which means that the fintech talent market is outperforming the broader market by three times. One of the key challenges for many organisations is going to be finding the right talent to fill these positions, as there are major shortages across the tech sector today. Experts predict that the rate of expansion of the fintech market going forward will depend, to a certain extent, on how able enterprises are to find the right people to help their organisation to grow. Adoption of fintech products continues to expand exponentially, while the tech labor market remains tight, so there are major challenges ahead for the firms that are involved in this market.

In the wake of COVID-19 we have seen expectations rise when it comes to global supply chains. There are many factors that are bringing more uncertainty to this space, from political unrest to changing economic landscapes and the US-China trade war. As a result, safe and resilient supply chains are now the goal for organizations and governments alike. Hong Kong is already investing heavily in the infrastructure and people that deliver on expectations for sustainable and efficient supply chains. The city is the regional base for some of the world's biggest logistics firms, which makes it a natural go-to as a supply chain leader - and it has a number of key location-based advantages too. These include the fact that the airport here is the world's busiest cargo handler and the port is ranked within the international Top 10. Investing in innovation, partnerships and infrastructure that make the most of the geographic advantages that the city has are all key to optimising on the potential of Hong Kong as a fast mover in global supply chains.

Sector coverage is broad and includes a wide range of areas, from private equity, hedge funds, investment banking and retail financial services to healthcare and pharma, professional services, telecoms and technology. As we move into the second quarter of 2022, there are a number of key trends to watch. Proactively engaging candidates early is key among these hiring trends - this is often where headhunting recruitment research can be incredibly useful. Proactive engagement strategies mean first contact comes from the business, which is seeking to start building a relationship with a potential employee as early as possible. Advanced screening tools also represent another recruitment trend for 2022. These are skills tests and behavioural assessments that add so much more insight than simple CV screening and interviews. Offering remote work as a tactic to attract candidates is another powerful hiring trend this year, as is more data-centric recruiting that prioritises data analysis and insights when it comes to candidate selection. Finally, one of the biggest recruitment and hiring trends for 2022 is the increased emphasis on diversity and inclusion, not just as a way to improve the effectiveness of a workforce but as a beacon to attract new candidates too.

From the impact of the pandemic to the ripple effects of changing consumer behaviours, enterprises have had a lot to deal with over the past two years. But what about the focus for HR leaders in 2022 - where do their specific challenges lie this year?

The fintech industry has expanded exponentially in recent years, accelerated by the need for greater digitisation as a result of the pandemic - as well as a general thirst for innovation in fields like payments. In 2022, progress looks set to be positive once again, with growth at an all-time high and rapid expansion across the sector. In terms of investment, fintech deals and dollars hit record levels in 2021 and the market for fintech jobs has exploded. This is driving some key trends in terms of demand for specific skill sets. Top among these is software engineering, thanks to the significant tech needs of the fintech sector.

2022 already presents some key challenges for executives, which is why C-Suite recruitment research is so vital - the right people at leadership level will make all the difference to business outcomes this year. Talent acquisition and retention challenges were identified as some of the most significant areas of focus by almost half of C-Suite executive respondents to one recent survey.

A report published in April of this year by the U.S.-China Business Council indicates that all 50 US states exported goods to China last year - and that these exports supported 858,000 US jobs. In fact, exports from America to China spiked last year, increasing by 21% which meant they reached a record high of $149 billion. Many of the rural states in the US were the ones that benefitted the most, especially in terms of commodities. Here, Chinese companies bought a wide range of goods, from soybeans to corn and pork. Many other sectors also benefited from the strong exports performance, including technology and pharmaceuticals. Strong goods exports were responsible for a significant level of job creation and were welcomed by many industries. However, ongoing issues with the travel and service industries meant that the export of services was not as successful. While the future of the relationship between the USA and China may not be clear, the export numbers for the past year have obviously had a big impact in the present in terms of supporting profitability and competitiveness among US businesses.

Sustainable investment is a key growth area in the financial services world and this is leading to a huge drive to secure business-critical talent. Competition for those who have the skills and experience to help build sustainable investment businesses is hot, with bidding contests becoming a reality and salaries spiraling. In fact, for top talent, financial rewards are increasing by around 50%. ESG talent are being identified as 'the stars of asset management' right now and this is making it challenging for even some of the biggest institutions to recruit the best people. Aligning investment with social benefits and climate goals is not new - it has had a momentum that has been building for some time - but the widespread commitment to it is. Assets in sustainable funds grew 53% year-on-year to $2.74tn in 2021. While demand for talented people to manage these assets is spiking, the talent pool remains relatively modest, which is why there are such significant opportunities for the right candidates today.

NFTs are constantly generating headlines and today have become an increasingly important priority for many companies. Now, the crypto sales and trading platform eToro has announced the launch of a $20 million NFT fund that will enable it to buy more NFTs and do more for creators. Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) are digital assets that represent real world objects. That could be anything, from property to art. Focusing on NFTs in this way represents the beginning of a new strategy for eToro. Once this has become fully matured it will allow the sales and trading platform to provide a broad spectrum of services to those who are looking to invest in NFTs. From pop stars to artists, many more high-profile figures have begun to use NFTs in recent times, particularly as a way to offer a stake in their brand. Companies like eToro will play a vital role in the way that this economy expands and the opportunities that exist to participate in it.

Gardasil has proven to be in great demand - a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine made by Merck & Co that has been a game-changer in terms of prevention. However, there have been issues with supply over the past few years, especially in 2018 and 2019. As a result, Merck has now revealed that it invested $1 billion to tackle the issues of supply when they arose - and the business is now reaping the rewards of that investment in terms of increasing market dominance. The company now plans to push its Gardasil capacity even further with a 225,000-square-foot API plant at its site in Durham, North Carolina, as well as expansion earmarked for the packaging facilities in Wilson nearby. Over the past few years Merck & Co has been steadily increasing the capability it has for producing Gardasil and expects to be able to double HPV vaccine supply by 2023.

R&D pipelines and new product launches reached record levels last year with sustained growth throughout the pandemic creating very positive figures for 2021. This is according to a new report that showed 5,500 planned new clinical trials began in 2021, a 14% increase on the year before. Not only that but the total volume of products that were actively being developed last year peaked at more than 6,000. This is a huge increase on previous years - for example, it's 68% more than in 2016. The report also revealed that emerging pharma companies are increasingly having an influence over new pipelines and projects. In 2021, new companies were responsible for 65% of the molecules in the R&D pipeline. In 2016 this figure was below 50%. In fact, almost all the indicators are up when it comes to pharma R&D, which shows just how much the life sciences have expanded over the past couple of years.

Global Tech is the fastest growing team at the retail giant Walmart, and expanding even further in 2022 thanks to a recruitment drive across the whole company. Walmart is currently hiring 5,000 new team members, with much of this human firepower to be directed at enterprise solutions expansion. Walmart has a history of working with innovative tech and has now firmly established itself as a world-class enterprise service organization providing solutions to more than 2.3 million Walmart and Sam's Club associates. The recruitment drive taking place throughout 2022 is focused on this key area of expansion at Walmart. In particular, the retailer is looking to fill positions such as data scientists, software engineers, technical program managers and project managers, as well as cyber security professionals. Walmart is expanding geographically too, and planning to make Atlanta and Toronto the new locations for its increasingly vital tech hubs, with thousands of new jobs created in each.

Every year the FinTech Innovation Lab New York provides emerging companies with the opportunity to collaborate with top financial services and venture capital executives. The 12-week program was established by Accenture and the Partnership Fund for New York City and is designed specifically for early and growth-stage enterprises that would benefit from support with respect to product and business development. This year's participants come from more than 200 global applications and represent emerging tech companies focused on some of the industry's most pressing issues today. From transparency around cryptocurrencies to meeting ESG outcomes and security and compliance challenges, these up-and-coming enterprises are pioneering where some of the biggest unknowns exist. Evercity, for example, is a blockchain-based sustainability measurement and investment platform while Mark Labs helps asset managers define impact metrics. Many of the tech companies taking part in NY Innovation Lab are data-driven, including Draivn, which collects device data from fleets and converts it into real time analytics for insurers and brokers.

The demand for expert façade engineering advice and support is on the rise, as expectations around building envelopes become higher, whether that relates to complexity or efficiency. Eckersley O'Callaghan, a firm with a global reputation for engineering innovative glass structures, is responding to the call from clients by launching a new façade engineering group. The new group will expand on the existing reputation that the firm has built by providing support across a broad spectrum of fields, including thermal and solar analysis of façade systems and a strategic approach to maintenance and access. Structural design, as well as replacement and refurbishment and providing detailed understanding of the available materials will also be part of what the new Eckersley O'Callaghan group does. Eckersley O'Callaghan is a consultancy with extensive experience on many different large and medium-sized projects and will be able to meet specific growing needs among clients with the launch of this new team.

A recent report has identified that quality assurance engineer is now one of the top 5 in-demand jobs, alongside others such as product designer and software engineer. This comes as the market for quality assurance jobs - like many others - opens up in the wake of the pandemic to integrate much more remote work and hiring. Geographic limits have been lifted and organisations seeking to fill positions, such as quality assurance engineer, are now taking a much broader view of where staff need to be in terms of location. There are many advantages to opting for such a global perspective on hiring, including that it tends to distribute innovation faster and ensures that there are opportunities for those who don't come from markets such as the US or Europe. Thanks to the internet, labour markets are being created today without the restrictions of geography, which is positive news for both candidates and companies where quality assurance jobs are concerned.

Stuttgart is going to be the new home of a technology and software development centre where Torc Robotics is currently developing Level 4 self-driving vehicle software for heavy-duty vehicles. Torc Robotics is a subsidiary of Daimler Truck and aims to be the first organisation able to launch a scalable and profitable self-driving product. Torc has access to a wealth of trucking technical and product expertise and it's this that will provide the foundation on which the new software development and engineering centre will build when it comes to creating the new product. Stuttgart is already renowned as an area of automotive expertise and there is a growing autonomous vehicle market here. Torc Robotics' investment in the new facility will help to increase the prominence of the area in this market, as well as creating a wealth of new development engineering jobs and opportunities.

Recovery is starting to evolve for major organisations across Europe, moving from survival mode into a thriving state. The latest enterprise to make this shift is the TUI Group, which is looking to recruit 1,500 new staff across Europe this year. The company has invested heavily in digitisation of its operations in recent years and this is going to be the focus of many of the new roles, which fall in areas such as technology and e-commerce. TUI said that it expects bookings to return to normal in the summer of 2022 and the recruitment drive is part of the business' plan to ensure that it can optimise on this. Some of the roles that TUI is particularly looking to fill include data engineer, software engineer and technical analysts. Flexible and hybrid working have now become commonplace, not just at TUI but on a global level, and this means that the opportunities are open to a much broader market than was previously possible.

The banking and financial services world is going through plenty of change, not least when it comes to expanding existing operations. Earlier this year, German investment house, Feri, announced that it was continuing to focus on operations in Zurich after making an acquisition there in 2021. Feri bought Zurich-based asset manager Limmat Wealth at the beginning of last year and is now looking at expanding, and reorganising, its team in Zurich in order to be able to optimise all the potential that this acquisition has created. The current workforce in Zurich consists of around 25 employees but Feri is clearly planning to increase the number of people in its local operations in the months to come. In particular, Feri is keen to expand its capabilities for portfolio management in the city. The team in Zurich already serves 200+ private and institutional clients and this, too, is a figure likely to increase through 2022-2023.

There are many more opportunities in biotech than there have ever been today. This is, in part, thanks to the many start-ups that have begun to dominate the sector, bringing agile working models as well as innovative products and services. Newly founded companies provide options for different ways of working, and moving away from the stereotypes that might have dominated the industry in the past. For those who are willing to take on the uncertainty that can come with working for such a new company, there are options in biotech that go beyond academia or the big pharmaceutical or biotech giants. Biotech start-ups can offer a lifestyle change, and may be much more likely to hire on the basis of aptitude and enthusiasm, as opposed to a list of credentials that has been set in concrete. The number of start-ups in biotech is also rising by the week so the range of opportunities available is getting increasingly broad.

Global healthcare advisory and technology company Alira Health has taken steps to strengthen its operations with a key acquisition. The company announced in April of this year that it had acquired Sourcia, which is a Contract Research Organization (CRO) that delivers services for Phase I to Phase IV clinical trials. Sourcia was established in 2012 and the business' focus is on medical devices, biotech and digital therapeutics. It is headquartered in Europe - The Netherlands - and has offices in many different European locations, including Munich in Germany. The integrated outsourcing model that Sourcia provides for clients to manage clinical trials with greater efficiency and trust is well established - and it is this that motivated Alira Health to make Sourcia part of its group with the acquisition. The team at Sourcia is also renowned for being innovative and very experienced and, as Sourcia is such a strong player in the European CRO market, it will give Alira Health's clinical operations a considerable boost.

A 3,508-acre piece of land in the Phoenix region is soon to be the home of a new, huge intermodal logistics hub for BNSF Railway Co. In April this year, BNSF made the winning bid for the property, which went for more than $49 million at an Arizona State Land Department auction. As well as being the winning bidder, BNSF was also the sole bidder. The property sits right next to the BNSF railway line and is viewed as a smart long-term investment for BNSF. The company intends to focus on how it can best develop the land to transform it into "an economic engine in the West Valley." Although BNSF itself did not reveal details about what it was proposing to do with the land, public records show that it is planning to create a large logistics hub. The land is currently undeveloped and being used for livestock.

Hybrid working models have taken the world by storm ever since the start of the pandemic forced companies to reassess workforce management. Talent gaps in procurement and supply chain have made it even more important to update the way that opportunities are offered to candidates in order to be able to attract the best people. In fact, according to Gartner, being able to offer hybrid working is now vital for firms to even remain competitive. 61% of industry leaders believe that the pandemic has created permanent hybrid working models in procurement teams. Most employers forecast that the expectations that employees have when it comes to hybrid working will become more demanding and, in order to win the talent war, it will be necessary to take those expectations into account. That's why procurement headhunters today are increasingly focused on the fact that hybrid working is now a priority for enterprises globally.

Two key factors are having a big influence on the nature of procurement jobs going forward: automation in the sector and the increasing prevalence of hybrid working structures. This is changing the way that those who are looking to get ahead in procurement jobs need to approach career development. For example, soft skills are becoming increasingly key in this industry, with the emphasis on being able to demonstrate empathy, an understanding of what customers want and where sector trends are going - as well as being business savvy. Being comfortable with technology is also vital and an area where most young professionals are much more at ease with. Automation is affecting many different areas of procurement jobs, from analytics and distribution to supplier payments and inventory management. It's vital for individuals working in this industry to understand how that will impact an enterprise, and their role within it.

In April this year, FedEx Logistics announced the opening of its new premises in Memphis, which will serve as a global headquarters and a focal point for international operations. FedEx Logistics is a subsidiary of global freight transportation and logistics services provider FedEx and its services include ocean and air cargo, customs brokerage and warehousing and distribution. The premises in Memphis have gone through significant improvement since the site was identified as a potential headquarters location, with $50 million spent on a sustainable renovation. The new building is a 200,000-square-feet former guitar manufacturing facility, which is positioned opposite the FedExForum. It is designed to be a landmark site within the family of FedEx operations and signifies the ambitious plans and vision that the business has for the coming years. The past year has been kind to FedEx - in March the company reported a 10% annual increase in quarterly revenue at $23.6 billion, and a 32% annual gain.