The job market across the Asia-Pacific region is evolving at lighting speed. About 43 percent of the interviewed employees in China said they would leave their current position in the following year due to bleak prospects for promotion, according to The Randstad World of Work Report 2012/13.

The report also said that about another 19 percent of the interviewees will quit their jobs because their salaries are not competitive enough.

Illustrating the challenges, wage income for urban households rose 13 percent in the first half of 2012, while average monthly income for migrant workers rose 14.9 percent, the National Bureau of Statistics said.

Plans for addressing talent scarcity over the next decade also show employers are ready to embrace more flexible work options, with 24 percent of the interviewed companies willing to hire more people on a temporary or contract basis, and 34 percent planning to hire more people on flexible work arrangements.

"Improving middle management capabilities, strengthening employee engagement and collaboration, and improving the supply of new talent, are the key strategies employers will undertake to tackle one of their biggest challenges - improving productivity - over the next five years," said George Wang, managing director China Randstad.

About 71 percent of the interviewed employers are looking to boost middle management capabilities to improve productivity over the next five years, signaling the time to start thinking about the pipeline for executive recruitment, training and development.

At present, less than 10 percent of organizations engage employees at all levels in workforce planning. But a third of employers interviewed intend to align their workforce plan with business strategy over the next five years, while 41 percent are focused on improving the supply of new talent - reinforcing the need for HR and business leaders to juggle competing priorities.

Involving employees at all levels in workforce planning will help 79 percent of talented middle managers and 70 percent of high-potential employees to rise through the leadership ranks over the next five years. Developing leadership skills for the next phase of growth is already a key productivity challenge for 51 percent of organizations, and many are beginning to join the demographic dots.

China's ageing population, lower birth rates and fewer new workforce entrants will have a significant impact on the management pipeline and 64 percent of employers believe it will impact their organization negatively, according to the report.

shijing@chinadaily.com.cn

2012 in review

Year-ender: human resources

Job market

Search for skilled workers moves inland

Economic slowdown bites China's employment

China fulfills annual employment targets early

Job hunting gets tougher for grads

Eyeing up jobs with Chinese companies

Income gap between the sexes widening

Getting an edge

Over half of young Chinese not fan of promotions

Highlighting the skills you need in a changing China

Experts: Students need help with job placement

Blazing a trail in the workplace

Civil service jobs harder than they look