SALARY SURVEY 2013 - Robert Walters Singapore

LONDONLONDONSECRETARIAL&SUPPORTLONDONSECRETARIAL&SUPPORTTheRobertWalterssecretarialandsupportdivisionrecruitsfortemporary,contractandpermanentvacancies.Ourteamsfocusonawiderangeofpositions,including:• Administrativeassistants• Bilingualsecretaries• Dataentryclerks• Equityresearchassistants• Executiveassistants• Facilitiesassistants• IBDsecretaries• Legalsecretaries• Personalassistants• Projectadministrators/coordinators• Receptionists• Seniorsecretaries• Teamsecretaries• TradingfloorassistantsThedivisionrecruitsforavarietyoforganisations.Thefinancialservicesteamplacessecretarialandsupportstaffintoinvestmentbanking,insuranceandawiderangeofsmalltomedium-sizedfinancialservicesfirms.Thecommerceandindustryteamservicesawidespectrumofbusinesses,fromFTSE250andblue-chiporganisationstoSMEs.MarketOverviewAlthoughthesecretarialandsupportjobsmarketremainedchallengingin2012,hiringstilloccurredincertainareas.Inparticular,experiencedteamsecretariesandpersonalassistantscontinuedtobehired,whilesomeSME-sizedcommercialemployerswererecruitingsupportstaffastheirbusinessesgrew.Followinganincreaseinjoblevelswithinthebankingandfinancialservicessectorinquarterone,vacancylevelsremainedlow.Firmswerehesitanttocommittolong-termnewhiresgivenmarketconditionsand,wheretheyrecruited,weremoredemandingfromontheskillsetandexperiencetheyrequiredeachapplicant.Forexample,clientscontinuedtorequestEuropeanlanguage-speakingcandidateswhenhiringcontractors,withGerman,FrenchandItalianparticularlyindemand.Despitethismaintrend,therewasanotableincreaseinsupportjoblevelswithinIBDandriskandcompliancedivisions.Intermsofthetypesofrolesbeingrecruited,firmswereconsistentlyseekingtradingfloorsecretariesonatemporarybasis.Inaddition,mid-levelteamsecretariesandpersonalassistants(inthe£16-18perhourraterange)withthreetofiveyears’experiencewereinsignificantdemandforcontractroles.Teamsecretariesinthe£30-38ksalarybracketwerealsoindemandonapermanentbasis.However,candidatesatthislevelwerehesitanttomoverolesandcouldonlybetemptedtodosoifofferedanotableincreaseinsalary.Joblevelsalsoremainedlowacrossthemajorityofcommerceandindustrysectors.However,SMEsacrossavarietyofsectors,includingproperty,technology,retailandlegal,werenotablyactiveintherecruitmentmarket.Whilethemajorityofthisrecruitmentwasonareplacementbasis,wesawsomenewhiresinthelegalsector.Overalltrendswithincommerceandindustryvariedacrossthecontractandpermanentjobmarkets.Themajorityoftemporarydemandwasforeitherteamsecretaries(with3-5years’experience),personalassistants(with5-10years’experience)and,tocoverholidays,receptionists.Bycontrast,graduateswith2-3years’workexperiencewerethemostsought-afterforpermanentvacanciesasbusinessessoughttodevelopandtraintheseindividuals.Whetherhiringonacontractorpermanentbasis,firmstypicallysoughtcandidateswithstrongMSOfficeskillsand,insomecases,Europeanlanguageskills.ThecandidatemarketwasparticularlyactiveattheseniorlevelwithexecutiveassistantstoCEOandCOOsexpressinganinterestinnewopportunities.Whiletherewassomedemandfortheseprofessionalsonatemporarybasis,therewerefewpermanentvacanciesinthisarea.Themajorityofbothtemporaryandpermanentsalariesremainedconsistentduring2012and,asaresult,wedonotexpectthesetochangefurtherduring2013.Despiteemployerstryingtoforcepaydown,mosthaverealisedthattheyneedtotakeintoaccountcandidatesalaryexpectationsandmarketratesinordertosecurethebesttalent.However,juniorendroleswereaslightexceptiontothistrendtoillustratethispoint,administratorsandreceptionistsworkinginthefinancialservicessectorwilltypicallyrecievesalariesof£18kandupwardsin2013(comparedto£20kandupwardsin2012).Outlookfor2013Whilethejobsmarketwillremainchallengingin2013,businesseswillcontinuetohireinsimilarareasto2012.Consequently,weexpectdemandwithincommerceandindustryforexperiencedteamsecretariesandpersonalassistantsonatemporarybasistocontinue,whilemorejuniorcandidateswillbesought-afterforpermanentroles.Withredundanciesanticipatedinthebankingandfinancialservicessector,weexpectorganisationstotransferindividualsinternallytoensurethesevacanciesareefficientlycovered.Thiscouldsubsequentlycreategreaterdemandatthejuniorlevel(£25-35k)asfirmsseekacosteffectivewaytocoverworkloads.Outsideofthistrend,tradingfloorsecretarieswillremainsought-afterwhilefirmsarelikelytocontinuetostrengthentheirrisk,complianceandIBDdivisions.SECRETARIAL&SUPPORTRobertWaltersGlobalSalarySurvey2013 42