Financial Services

(FS) Hiring Challenges in Singapore & Hong Kong Capital Markets

What Line Managers Need to Know

The financial services industry in Singapore and Hong Kong remains a global hub for capital markets. From trading desks to risk management teams, banks and fintechs are investing heavily in digital transformation, regulatory compliance, and system upgrades.

But for line managers tasked with building teams, hiring the right talent has never been more challenging. At Unity Partners, we work daily with hiring managers in project management, IT, compliance, and operations. Here are the key challenges they face — and how to overcome them.

1. Scarcity of Developers with Trading Systems Expertise

The Challenge:

Line managers often need developers who understand low-latency trading platforms, order management systems, and risk applications.
Yet, developers with both technical expertise (C++, Java, Python) and capital markets knowledge are in short supply.

Impact:

Delayed projects and heavy reliance on contractors or offshore teams.

Solution:

Expand searches beyond HK/SG to attract regional and expat talent.
Build long-term partnerships with recruiters who specialize in capital markets technology, rather than generalist IT recruitment.

2. Business Analysts Who Understand Regulation & Risk

The Challenge:

Business Analysts with hands-on knowledge of APAC regulatory frameworks and the ability to translate business needs into technical solutions are rare.
Regulatory reporting, client management (KYC), and risk management are priority functions for banks.

Impact:

Misaligned project requirements and extended delivery timelines.

Solution:

Use case-based interviews to test domain expertise in reg reporting, client lifecycle, and risk transformation.
Focus on candidates with proven capital markets BA experience, not just generic banking BA profiles.

3. Application Support Talent for Front & Middle Office

The Challenge:

Line managers struggle to find candidates who can balance technical troubleshooting with business stakeholder communication.
Application Support is a mission-critical role, but often undervalued until something goes wrong.

Impact:

Increased downtime for trading platforms and stress on traders and risk managers due to delayed resolutions.

Solution:

Highlight the career development path for support staff to attract stronger candidates.
Partner with recruitment firms that have a pipeline of specialist support engineers.

4. Project Managers for Regulatory & Digital Transformation

The Challenge:

Large-scale transformation projects require project managers with both banking knowledge and change delivery skills.
Many PMs come from generic IT backgrounds, lacking exposure to the complexity of capital markets systems.

Impact:

Projects overrun on budget and timeline, and weak stakeholder engagement at senior levels.

Solution:

Seek PMs with proven end-to-end delivery in regulatory or trading system projects.
Emphasize experience in vendor management and regional rollouts across APAC.

How Line Managers Can Stay Ahead

Hiring in capital markets is no longer just about filling vacancies — it's about building specialized teams that can deliver under pressure. For line managers in Singapore and Hong Kong, the key is to:

1Clarify the exact role requirements before engaging HR.

2Partner with recruiters who understand capital markets, not just technology.

3Act fast when you find the right talent — competition is fierce.

Final Thoughts

The hiring market is defined by scarcity of specialized talent and intensifying competition among banks and fintechs. Developers, Business Analysts, Application Support specialists, and Project Managers remain the hardest roles to fill.

At Unity Partners, we work closely with line managers to solve these hiring challenges quickly and effectively. If you're facing delays in building your team, reach out today to discuss how we can help.