The global integration of the country and its growing economy are factors driving the growth of media and advertising, leading to high demand for personnel in these industries, according to human resource providers.

On websites like Linkedln and Facebook, many companies publish their needs for personnel such as social media managers, creative directors, web digital marketing leaders, senior digital executives, and others.

According to VietnamWorks, online media ranked eighth in the list of top 10 industries with recruitment needs within the 2017-2018 period.

Vietnam Advertising Association statistics show there are nearly 7,000 companies in the industry needing at least 70,000 people.

Gaku Echizenya, CEO of Navigos Group Vietnam, said: “The rapid growth of the industries not only brings opportunities but also challenges to HR.”

"Flexibility, creativity and the ability to offer experience have attracted a young workforce, but the heavy workload and the fast-moving jobs provide challenges in recruiting and retaining talent," he said.

According to a Navigos report titled “Agency personnel: Opportunities and Challenges in employment in the digital era”, employers said their staff worked for them from one to four years before quitting.

Echizenya said in their strategy to attract talent, companies need to use multiple channels to achieve optimal recruitment efficiency.

“In terms of the employee engagement strategy, companies should focus on recognising efforts and rewards and developing policies that support work-life balance for employees to work more effectively.”

But the report said not many follow this.

Employees surveyed for the study said the most effective solution that employers could apply to retain talent is paying a "quarterly performance bonus" and allow them to "work flexibly in terms of time and space.”

Several employers provide training and development solutions to retain talent, the report said.

Echizenya said training is the key for agencies to develop towards providing digital services, and so they need to understand the nature and target of the training.

Candidates need to actively study through external or e-learning courses and practise on digital platforms to improve their skills and digital mindset, he added.