招聘新思維：在香港市場發掘「隱藏人才」　打造高機動力團隊

在一張完美的履歷表與一個鮮活的靈魂之間，往往隔著一道名為「刻板印象」的牆。在後疫情時代的香港科技界，打破這道牆的，或許不是更高深的演算法，而是一份久違的人情味。

數學與物理雙博士，單看紙上履歷，他無懈可擊。然而，若將場景切換至傳統的面試室，這份「完美」卻可能因為他內向、寡言甚至有些令人難以捉摸的特質，被貼上「文化不適配」的標籤。

如果按照既定的篩選標準，這樣的人才，很可能會在第一輪就被無聲淘汰。

但在 Nicoll Curtin 的業務總監——Philip Quinn 眼中，他看到的不是標籤，而是一個立體的人。Philip 知道這位數學家在數據世界之外，私底下更是一位沉醉於節奏的爵士樂團低音結他手。

「那時，一位特地從歐洲飛來的 HR Director 與他面試，Philip 就在中間穿針引線。當話題從演算法流動到爵士樂，兩人的眼睛都亮了。」Philip 笑著回憶這段經歷，「後來，這位候選人甚至邀請 HR Director 親臨現場，看他在台上演出。那一刻建立的連結，是任何技術測試題都無法量化的。」

這段關於「低音結他手」的軼事，是 Nicoll Curtin 亞太區總經理 Jon Loh 最常掛在嘴邊的故事。這並非為了展示音樂品味，而是它精準地道出了當下香港科技市場的一場靜默革命：頂尖人才，早已不只是一張技能清單，而是一個個有待被理解的「人」。

在最近一次對談中，Jon 與團隊核心成員 CK 及 Philip，一同嘗試拆解後疫情時代下，香港科技招聘市場正在發生的真實變化。

▲ 左起：Jon, Philip 及 CK
⁠在數據主導的獵頭市場中，Jon、Philip 和 CK 始終深信，「人情味 (Human Element)」才是未來的關鍵。Nicoll Curtin 致力於為戰略夥伴尋找那些獨特的利基人才，協助企業在後疫情時代的變局中，找到屬於自己的節奏。

閱讀那些「不擅長說話」的人

「真正擅長工作的人，未必擅長寫履歷。」專門發掘利基（Niche）人才的資深顧問 Chun Kit SZE (CK)，語氣平實卻一針見血。

在他眼中，那些撐起龐大金融科技系統的「技術宅」，在自我包裝的舞台上常常顯得笨拙。「對他們而言，駕馭複雜的代碼與系統，就像每天早上喝一杯咖啡一樣自然，是種日常。正因為是『日常』，他們意識不到這種能力在市場上是何等稀缺與昂貴。」

這種認知的落差，成了招聘市場上最大的盲點，也成了機遇。

CK 分享了一個案例：曾有客戶急需一名擁有極冷門「賭場博彩技術」背景的專才。「在那樣的利基市場，擁有這種經驗的人，全香港可能不超過五個，無異於大海撈針。」

但因為 CK 深入那個圈子，他沒有依賴關鍵字搜尋，而是依賴對「人」的認識。從記憶庫中提取了那位合適的人選，加上客戶果斷的決策，這場看似不可能的配對迅速完成。

這給了所有招聘者一個啟示：如果你想尋找「獨角獸」，請別只盯著履歷上的條項。你需要的人才，可能正躲在那些寫得平淡無奇的文字背後，等待一位懂他的人。

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擁抱「高機動」合約

雖然長工依然是許多人的安全港，但 Jon 敏銳地觀察到，香港的職場結構正在鬆動，一種更靈活的形態正在成形。

Jon 指出：「以前人們會給合約工貼上不穩定的標籤，但現在，風向變了。」

在全球局勢不明朗、科技迭代加速的當下，企業已難以預寫三五年的劇本。他們需要的，是一支能像爵士樂隊般即興調整、隨時轉向的「彈性隊伍」。Jon 解釋，這不單是為了省下福利行政的成本，更是為了風險管理——當項目方向改變，合約制讓企業能優雅轉身，而不必承受裁員的陣痛。

有趣的是，年輕一代的科技專才也開始擁抱這種「流動性」。他們不再執著於在大機構裡「坐定十年」，而是將合約工作視為職涯加速器。「從銀行 A ，跳到 金融科技B，一直精進，五年內累積的實戰視野，絕對比在同一個崗位安穩十年的人，來得更廣闊、更全面。」

AI 的爆發時刻

談及 2025 年的趨勢，AI 自然是話題的重心。Jon 打了一個極具時代感的比喻：

「還記得 2011 年嗎？在智能手機全面接管生活之前，我們可能還在 Nokia 上玩著貪食蛇。然後一夜之間，連長輩們都會天天上網購物、看新聞了。而現在的 AI，正處於那個即將爆發的轉捩點。」

這對職場人提出了全新的叩問：僅僅懂得「使用」AI，已經不夠了。

市場正由「導入期」走向 Jon 所定義的「預測與決策型」應用。企業渴求的，是能駕馭 AI 來預判趨勢、制定戰略的指揮官，而非單純的內容生成者。「如果你只是用 AI 來取代手作，那你終將被取代；真正具競爭力的，是用 AI 創造新策略。」

這也催生了像「Chief AI Officer」這樣的新角色，Philip 補充道，這不僅是技術職，更是風險控管的防線。「當 Web3 與 AI 匯流，一個錯誤的算法決策可能帶來巨額的法律風險。懂得法規邊界，將是未來的核心競爭力。」

▲ 作為亞太區總經理，Jon 見證了香港科技人才市場的結構性轉變。他指出，業界已意識到「敏捷性」比僵化的技能更重要。構建一支既具備合約靈活性，又擁抱 AI 創新的韌性團隊，是 Nicoll Curtin 協助企業的未來方向。

別只仰望天堂　先專注搭建階梯

訪談的尾聲，沒有激昂的口號，只有務實的建議。

CK 強調了「對話」的重要：很多時候，HR 想找的人，與 CTO 真正需要的人，存在著巨大的鴻溝，唯有打破部門的高牆，才能對準頻率。

Jon 則給出了一個更宏觀、也更具生活哲學的總結：

「要主動去攪動你的環境。別只向內看，多參與交流，去感受市場真實的脈搏。如果只聽身邊一兩位朋友的說法，你看到的未必是真實的世界。」

他用一個意味深長的比喻，作為總結：

「人人都想成功，但不要只想著怎樣一步登天。先專注把通往天堂的樓梯，一級一級建好。」

在這個被人才短缺、AI 變革與經濟波動所定義的時代，或許我們都不該再被動等待那個「完美的團隊」或「理想的工作」。真正的出路，在於一步一腳印地建立能力、優化流程，以及最重要的——重新找回人與人之間，那份真實而溫暖的連結。

The New Hiring Playbook: Strategies for Unlocking Hidden Talent and Building Agile Teams in Hong Kong

The CV looked perfect on paper: a high-level quantitative strategist with a PhD in mathematics and physics. Technically, he was a genius. Socially? He was introverted, quiet, perhaps even a little hard to read. In the traditional, box-ticking world of recruitment, he might have been flagged as a "culture fit risk."

But Philip Quinn, Practice Lead at Nicoll Curtin, knew something the CV didn’t showing. He knew that this math genius was also a bass player in a jazz band.

"When the HR Director flew in from Europe to meet him, they discovered they shared a mutual love for jazz," Philip recalls with a smile. "It turned out the candidate wasn’t just a fan; he took the HR Director to a gig where he was actually performing on stage. That shared moment solidified the relationship in a way a technical interview never could."

It’s a story that Jon Loh, Nicoll Curtin’s Managing Director for APAC, loves to tell. Not because it’s about music, but because it illustrates the single biggest shift in Hong Kong’s technology market today: The best talent is no longer just a checklist of skills. It’s a human story waiting to be translated.

In a recent conversation, Jon, along with his key team members CK and Philip, sat down to unpack what is really happening on the ground in Hong Kong’s post-pandemic tech scene.

▲ (From left: Jon, Philip, and CK): Jon, Philip, and CK believe that the 'human element' is the main trend moving forward. Nicoll Curtin is proud to connect niche talent with strategic employers and will continue to share innovative hiring solutions with business partners to navigate the post-pandemic landscape.

The "Hidden" Talent Market

"Candidates who are good at doing their job are not always good at writing their CVs," says Chun Kit SZE (CK), Principal Consultant, who specializes in digging up niche talent.

He points to the "tech geeks", the brilliant minds who build the backbones of our systems but struggle with interpersonal communication. "To them, using a complex platform is just like drinking a morning coffee, it’s routine. They don't realize that this 'routine' skill is actually a rare, expensive commodity in the market."

This disconnect creates a massive opportunity for employers who are willing to look deeper. CK shares a recent win: a client needed a candidate with a specific, ultra-niche background in Casino Gaming technology. It was a needle in a haystack.

"We believe there were maybe less than five people in the whole market with this specific experience," Jon adds. "But because CK knew the network, we found one. The client moved fast, immediate feedback, robust process, and they secured him."

The lesson for hirers? If you are looking for a "unicorn," stop reading the CV and start reading the person. The candidate you need might be hiding behind a poorly written bullet point.

The Agility Gap: Why Hong Kong is Catching Up

While the hunt for permanent talent remains fierce, especially with 67% of employers planning to increase headcount next year, Jon notices a structural shift in how companies are hiring.

"Hong Kong is traditionally about five or six years behind Singapore when it comes to adopting 'Contract Hiring'," Jon observes. "In the past, there was a stigma. But that is changing fast."

The uncertainty of the global market like US policies, fluctuating trends means companies can’t always forecast three to five years ahead. They need agility. They need a "contingent workforce" that can pivot instantly.

"It’s not just a cost-saving measure, though you do save on benefits and pension administration," Jon explains. "It’s about risk management. If a project roadmap changes in 12 months, a contract workforce allows you to maneuver without the bad PR of layoffs."

For candidates, too, the mindset is shifting. Younger tech professionals see contracting not as "unstable," but as an accelerator. "They jump from a project in Bank A to a project in FinTech B," says Jon. "In five years, they have more varied, robust experience than someone who sat in the same permanent seat for a decade."

The "Nokia Snake" Moment for AI

Of course, no conversation about 2025 is complete without mentioning the elephant in the server room: AI.

Jon offers a grounded analogy. "Remember 2011? The year of the Smartphone. Before that, we were playing Snake on our Nokias. Then suddenly, everyone even our grandparents had the internet in their pockets. That is where we are with AI now."

For hiring managers, this shift creates a new, urgent mandate. It is no longer enough to hire someone who can simply "use" AI tools. The market is moving past simple adoption into what Jon calls the "Prescriptive and Predictive" phases. Employers need to hunt for talent that doesn't just generate content, but uses AI to predict trends and prescribe business solutions.

"If you use AI just to replace work, you become replaceable," Jon notes. "The talent we are seeing now uses AI to invent new strategies. That is the new baseline for employability."

This evolution has birthed entirely new job functions. Philip adds a critical layer: Risk and Compliance. "As Web3 and AI converge, the demand isn't just for developers. It’s for people who understand the regulatory boundaries. One wrong move with AI could cost a company millions in lawsuits. The 'Chief AI Officer' isn't a vanity title anymore; it’s a shield."

▲ As the Managing Director for APAC, Jon witnessed the structural shift in Hong Kong’s tech talent market. He stated that the industry has realized the importance of agility over rigid skillsets, therefore building a resilient workforce that embraces both contract flexibility and AI innovation has been the continuous mission for Nicoll Curtin.

Conclusion: Building the Stairway

As the conversation wraps up, the team reflects on what advice they would give to CTOs and HR Directors trying to build resilient teams in this chaotic environment.

CK emphasizes the internal bridge: "Too often, HR looks for one thing, and the CTO looks for another. They need to talk."

Jon takes it a step further. "Agitate your environment," he advises leaders. "Don't just look internal. Go to networking events, talk to external partners, feel the market. If you rely only on what you hear from one or two friends, you aren't seeing the reality."

His final message to both employers and candidates is a powerful metaphor for the year ahead.

"Everyone wants to succeed," Jon says. "But do not focus on how to get to heaven. Focus on building the stairway to heaven."

In a market defined by talent shortages, AI disruption, and economic shifts, we can’t just wish for the perfect team or the perfect job. We have to build the skills, the processes, and the human connections, one step at a time to get there.

（資料由客戶提供）

此文章由原作者及Jobsdb HK撰寫／編輯。如欲刊登於其他網站或刊物，請電郵至[email protected]與我們聯絡。如有發現侵犯版權，原作者及Jobsdb保留採取法律行動的權利。