The Centre of Development and Resources for Students (CEDARS) at The University of Hong Kong (HKU) has unveiled Hong Kong's first Career Report from the Employer's Perspective – titled "Industry Report for Early Careers: Bridging Future – Employer Insights on Graduate Career Readiness for Hong Kong" today (24 July). The report offers valuable insights from key industry employers on their expectations of graduates, as well as ways for students to enhance their employability and seize career opportunities in Hong Kong.
Between July 2024 and April 2025, HKU conducted a hybrid research study across major local industries. The Employer Survey 2024 invited responses from more than 1,800 employer organisations that had been recently engaged with HKU. The study successfully gathered over 320 employer responses and hosted 16 focus group discussions, offering a comprehensive understanding of current market trends and employer expectations. Participating sectors included Information Technology, Business Services, Finance and Insurance, Engineering, and Community Services, among others.
The report details employers' core expectations, recruitment priorities, and performance evaluations of graduates. It aims to support students in making a smooth transition into the workforce and to contribute to a more robust talent development ecosystem in Hong Kong. It also supports the preparation of human resource reservoir locally— by effectively bridging the gap from Classroom to Career.
Key highlights from the report include:
- The top skills for workplace success are, in order of priority: work attitude, interpersonal skills, and analytical and problem-solving abilities.
- The priority placed on language proficiency has declined, replaced by an increased emphasis on digital, analytical, and soft skills.
- Key success factors in job search and application include thorough research on employers, tailoring CV to the job description, being screening-ready shortly after submitting applications, strengthening commercial awareness, and understanding of current industry trends relevant to target companies.
The findings reaffirm employers' strong endorsement of HKU graduates: 99.4% of surveyed employers indicated plans to continue hiring HKU graduates. Even among those facing recruitment freezes due to manpower constraints, there is clear intent to resume hiring in the future.
This positive outcome aligns with HKU's recent achievement of rising to 11th place in the QS World University Rankings 2026, with particularly strong recognition in Employer Reputation – once again demonstrating employers' high regard for the capabilities of HKU graduates.
HKU has long been committed to nurturing both local and international talent. In strong support of the HKSAR Government's "Study in Hong Kong" initiative, HKU not only aims to help students achieve academic excellence but also encourages both local and non-local students to stay and contribute to the local community after graduation - realising the vision of "Study in Hong Kong, Rooted for Tomorrow".
Looking ahead, HKU will leverage the insights from this study to further enhance its career development programmes and deepen university-industry collaboration. The University remains committed to equipping students with future-ready skills, advancing graduate success, and cultivating talent that meets local and regional development needs — all while building a robust talent pipeline for Hong Kong's long-term prosperity.
For details about the report, please visit: https://www.cedars.hku.hk/IndustryReport/.
