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:

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

2. Business Analysts Who Understand Regulation & Risk

The challenge:

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

Impact:

• Misaligned project requirements.
• Rework and extended delivery timelines.

Solution:

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

3. Application Support Talent for Front & Middle Office

The challenge:

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

Impact:

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

Solution:

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

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.
• 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

1. 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:
2. Clarify the exact role requirements before engaging HR.
3. Partner with recruiters who understand capital markets, not just technology.
4. Act fast when you find the right talent — competition is fierce.

Final Thoughts

The hiring market in 2025 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.