Overall Market Sentiment
 

As we close 2025, the recruitment landscape reflects a "new normal" shaped by economic caution and the rapid integration of AI. Two major shifts defined this year:
 

• The Efficiency Shift: A combination of economic tightening and AI adoption has reduced the volume of permanent roles compared to previous years, as automation absorbs operational tasks.
   

• The Rise of Contracting: Despite fewer permanent headcounts, the workload remains high. Organizations are increasingly using medium-to-long-term contracts to bridge gaps, prioritizing flexibility while ensuring delivery on critical projects.
   

Regional Market Updates
 

• Hong Kong (Sell-Side vs. Buy-Side): The market is bifurcated. The sell-side has seen hiring in Front Office roles, but permanent technology hiring within banks remains quiet. Conversely, the buy-side has been very active in technology throughout the year. However, filling these roles has been like "finding needles in a haystack," with high bars for technical excellence.
   

• Singapore: Activity remains subdued, punctuated only by sporadic IT hires. A significant barrier remains the reluctance of companies to sponsor visas (EPs). This hurdle has made it increasingly difficult for foreign talent to enter the market, stifling broader recruitment momentum.
   

• Kuala Lumpur: KL remains a key offshore hub for shared service centers. However, hiring volume has seen a reduction compared to the aggressive expansion of previous years, though activity remains healthy relative to other regions.
   

Technology Trends & InsurTech
 

• Chinese Cloud & LLM Adoption: There is a noticeable push among Hong Kong companies toward Chinese cloud ecosystems (e.g., Alibaba Cloud / Huawei Cloud) and LLMs like Qwen (Tongyi Qianwen), offering a competitive alternative to AWS and Google.
   

• Wealth Management and Insurance Technology (InsurTech): The vision for Generative AI translated into tangible implementation plans in Q4. This included the deployment of GenAI tools for automating compliance checks and developing personalized customer interaction bots. This shift drove continued talent demand for Data Engineers and AI Experts, with a noticeable rise in appetite for profiles capable of establishing robust AI governance and ethical compliance frameworks.
   

AI Impacting Tech Division
 

• Looking ahead to 2026, we anticipate further organizational restructuring and senior leadership movements driven by the ongoing AI Transformation across both the financial and commerce sectors. Companies are accelerating their adaptation to rapid technological changes, rigorously reviewing existing infrastructures to ensure they are future-proof for the next stages of AI development.
   

• We expect firms to rapidly reassess their IT talent needs, prioritizing quick upskilling and an increased reliance on contracting hires to meet demands that are increasingly urgent and project-based. For senior leaders, the pace of innovation presents a unique challenge: with technology proposals potentially becoming obsolete every 6–9 months, forecasting hiring budgets and permanent headcount remains exceptionally difficult.
   

Outlook for 2026
 

• We anticipate contract-based work will continue to dominate. While hiring activity should improve over 2025 as the economy stabilizes, we do not foresee a return to 2022 levels soon. "Agentic AI" is the new buzzword, and we expect a surge in AI and Data Science roles to support these autonomous systems.
   

Company News & Awards
 

• Pinpoint Asia is proud to announce that we received the Merit Award for Best Data & AI Talent Cultivation at the DALA Awards 2025 (Data & AI Literacy Association). We thank you for your support and wish everyone a splendid 2026!