Consumer electronics firm Philips is having trouble attracting local recruits in Hong Kong, thanks to the crowded marketplace of the tiny business hub and its “traditional” product offering.

This is according to Steffi Fan, the head of talent acquisition for the company in Greater China, speaking to Recruiter for the Global Spotlight on Hong Kong in the new edition of the magazine, out this week.

“It’s more and more difficult to get local people,” Fan says. This is firstly because Hong Kong is a mature, crowded market, but also because it is “quite a traditional company” when compared to the financial, banking or professional services industries that can be more attractive to locals.

Fan adds that this is not just a problem for Philips in Hong Kong, but across that sector, saying it is “a challenge to say how can we get more talent for our industry”.

But as she explains on p14 of the new edition of Recruiter, Hong Kong is very much open to overseas talent, although attracting and finding these recruits poses challenges too.

• See the full piece in the new edition of Recruiter, or online.