Vietnamese IT outsourcing firm rules out bringing workers to Hong Kong
HONG KONG, CHINA — NTQ Apac, a Vietnamese IT outsourcing firm with a regional base in Hong Kong, has decided against importing its Vietnamese staff to the city.
CEO Johnny Chong cited high living costs and language barriers as the primary reasons for this decision.
Despite the shortage of tech talent in Hong Kong, the firm believes that cultural differences and the lack of understanding of Hong Kong’s business environment make it impractical to bring in Vietnamese workers.
“The bigger problem is that our cultures are different,” Chong said. “The Vietnamese workers speak Vietnamese and English, and it might not be cost-effective for them to work here on local projects due to their [lack of] understanding of Hong Kong culture.”
Expansion plans and market strategy
NTQ Apac recently renamed its joint venture in Hong Kong as part of its expansion strategy targeting Southeast Asian markets, Australia, and mainland China. Chong emphasized that Hong Kong’s favorable business environment makes it an ideal hub for regional operations.
“There are remittance and investment restrictions in Vietnam, while Hong Kong is a great hub that allows capital to be invested in different countries because of the very different business environment,” he explained.
The firm added that they are adopting a “premium” approach in the Hong Kong market to compete with larger rivals and leverage this branding advantage as it expands into other Southeast Asian markets.
Remote collaboration as a solution
Winnie Wong Wing-yee, general secretary of the Hong Kong Business Association Vietnam, supported the decision, stating that importing tech workers from Vietnam would add little value. She suggested that remote collaboration would be a more effective solution.
“Vietnam has been evolving as a business process outsourcing tech hub because of the relatively lower cost for talent. If you move them to Hong Kong, then you lose the biggest competitive advantage,” Wong said.
Addressing Hong Kong’s talent shortage
The shortage of tech workers in Hong Kong has been a double-edged sword for NTQ Apac. While it has helped the firm secure corporate clients as competitors struggle with staffing, it has also made local recruitment challenging.
“When [companies] can’t find talent in Hong Kong, they have to resort to outsourcing, and that is good for us,” Chong noted.
“But we also need people to deal with our clients and oversee project management. Recruitment has become harder as we must hire local talent for these roles.”
Government and industry perspectives
IT sector legislator Duncan Chiu, part of Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s delegation to Vietnam, acknowledged the growing trend of outsourcing to Vietnam as a solution to Hong Kong’s skilled worker shortage.
“The soul, design and user interface of your product still has to be decided by some middle- and high-level people [in Hong Kong],” he said. “We are just outsourcing the simpler tasks to others.”
Lawmaker Johnny Ng Kit-chong added that Hong Kong’s high cost of living should not deter its ambitions to become a tech hub.
“The more competitive a place is, the more expensive it is, and this is how the world works,” he stated. “We don’t have to lower our prices to accommodate others. We should attract people who are more capable.”
NTQ Apac’s decision highlights the complexities of balancing cost, culture, and talent in the tech industry.
While importing Vietnamese workers to Hong Kong is not seen as a viable option, the firm remains committed to leveraging its strengths and expanding its footprint in the region through strategic remote collaboration and premium market positioning.
