- +852 3998 1080
- info@thinker-tool.com
- Hong Kong
We run talent search for Hong Kong SMEs, start-ups and overseas companies with a presence in Hong Kong. When a job ad brings no applicants, when a stack of CVs contains nobody suitable, or when you need to replace someone without advertising under your own company name, we start with the role requirements and your team structure, then approach and screen candidates personally — handling interviews, tests, reference checks and a written recommendation report from start to finish.
We believe the most suitable candidate does not mean the one who can fulfill all job requirements, it also depends on different aspects. We take a more personal approach to recruitment than most other companies, to ensure our clients are only partnered with the very best candidates for the job. Our team has deep knowledge and skills to locate the right candidates so our clients will find it much easier to grow the business with perfect fit employees.
Our talent search services cover:
These are the eight hiring situations we see most often in Hong Kong SMEs. If two or more of them sound familiar, the recruitment approach usually needs redesigning rather than another job ad.
The job ad gets no applicants
You have posted on job boards, in newspapers and on recruitment sites, spent the budget, and still nobody suitable applies — especially for niche or trade roles.
A pile of CVs, none of them suitable
Applicants may match the listed requirements but not the team, the attitude or the working style the role actually needs.
Nobody screens them first
Your hiring manager reads every CV and runs every first interview on top of the day job, and months later the desk is still empty.
Replacing someone quietly
You need to replace an existing employee without advertising under your company name, without unsettling the team or your clients.
Contract headcount creates admin
Salary, statutory pay, annual leave, MPF, tax returns and adjustments — contract staff bring paperwork that a small team simply has no time for.
The job description is too vague
A vague JD means every candidate is measured against different expectations, and the mismatch only shows up in the first interview.
Nobody has time for reference checks
Candidates interview well, but verifying what they claim takes time and know-how that a small HR team does not have.
Cross-border hires are hard to place
Hiring from the mainland or overseas brings visa, tax and cultural questions that a local recruitment ad cannot answer.
Depending on the role, we search for permanent, contract or outsourced talent and coordinate the interviews and onboarding:
We will work hand-in-hand with our clients to handle all recruitment-related aspects. Our clients will also have chance to evaluate our candidates on the field to make sure they have what they require, as far as skills, character and attitude are concerned, before offering them a full time job. Refer to HK Labour Department for more detail about permanent employee definition .
We help businesses by recruiting employees with both short- and long-term contracts while taking care of their salary, statutory payments, annual leave, MPF contributions, tax returns and any extras such as travel or medical insurance as well as any additional bonuses as per our clients’ instructions.
Talent search is run personally: after understanding the role, candidates are met in person or via ZOOM, then reference-checked and recommended.
To help clients find the right talent, we take a personal approach when approaching and screening candidates:
Search time for each role depends on the industry, how rare the skill set is and the current supply in the market. Before the assignment starts, we agree the expected timeline and recommendation schedule with you.
Talent search is not only for large corporations. In Hong Kong it is usually small and mid-sized teams that benefit most, because one wrong hire costs a disproportionate amount of time.
If you recognise two or more of these, a structured search is usually faster and cheaper than repeating the job ad.
We do not publish a fixed price list, because two roles with the same title can take very different amounts of work. These are the factors that move the fee:
The initial briefing and the quotation are free. We confirm the scope, the expected timeline and the fee in writing before any search begins, so there are no surprises later.
A traditional Hong Kong company had only four people in total — the owner and three staff, all of whom had been with the company for more than ten years. When two of them reached retirement age, the company advertised with the Labour Department and in newspapers. The money was spent, but suitable applicants never came. We stepped in to help with the recruitment. Depending on the type of role, we placed different online advertisements for them. They were not confident at first, so we patiently explained how the process and the online advertising worked, and set up a brand-new recruitment email address for them. We ran the preliminary interviews, shortlisted and recommended — and within one month they had hired the right staff.
ORIGINAL CASE STUDY (CHINESE)香港有一家較傳統的公司，老闆與職員人數合共只有四人。所有職員都在這家公司工作了十年以上，最近因有二位職員都已到了退休年齡，他們便刊登勞工處及報紙，錢是花了，但一直苦無求職者。我公司便在招聘上給予幫助。根據職業的種類，我們為他們用刊登不同的網上廣告。他們開始時也不太有信心，我們耐心地的向他們解釋操作流程及網上廣告的好處，並為他們設定了一個全新的招聘電郵。我們為他們作初步面試，挑選及推薦，一個月內成功聘請了合適的職員。
A company wanted to replace an existing employee but did not want to advertise the vacancy under its own name. We took on the search for the role. After talking through the requirement with the hiring manager and understanding the department structure, we began approaching candidates actively. We met applicants for a first-round interview over Zoom and asked them to complete a relevant online test. Only suitable candidates were recommended to the client — and after meeting just two of them, the client found the right person.
ORIGINAL CASE STUDY (CHINESE)有一家公司，因為想換替現有的員工，但又不想以公司名義刊登招聘廣告。我公司就幫他們招聘這職位。我們跟有關招聘經理溝通了需求及了解該部門的架構後，就開始為他們積極招人。我們用Zoom約見求職者作首輪面試，又請求職者進行相關Online測試，合適的才推薦給客戶，客戶只見了二位求職者後便找到合適的職員。
→ For recruitment and HR outsourcing experience across other industries, see our company profile.
A job ad waits for applications. Talent search goes out and approaches people who are not looking — through our network, direct contact and market mapping — then screens them before you ever see a CV. You get a shortlist, not an inbox.
Every candidate goes through a first-round interview by ZOOM or in person, relevant online tests where the role needs them, and a reference check against their CV and interview answers. You receive a written analysis of each candidate's strengths and weaknesses.
Yes. For contract and outsourced employees we take care of salary, statutory payments, annual leave, MPF contributions, tax returns, and any extras such as travel or medical insurance and additional bonuses as instructed.
It depends on the industry, how rare the skill set is and the current supply in the market. We agree an expected timeline and a recommendation schedule with you before the search starts, so there is no guessing.
Yes — this is one of the most common reasons clients come to us. We approach the market without disclosing the hiring company, and only introduce you to candidates who fit the brief.
Yes. Writing the job description is part of the preparation stage. We meet the hiring manager to capture requirements beyond the written JD, and can draft or tighten the document before the search begins.
It depends on the seniority and salary level of the role, how rare the skill set is, the number of positions, the engagement type (permanent, contract or outsourced) and the scope of work such as JD writing or reference checks. We quote after the initial briefing — the consultation and quotation are free.
Yes. Many clients start with one role and then keep us on retainer for recurring hiring, contract headcount and outsourced staff. Long-term arrangements are priced differently from one-off searches — ask us during the briefing.
A clear job description is the first step of a talent search. When it is written clearly, the hiring manager and every candidate are measured against the same requirements, and the first interview reveals whether the fit is real. Our Job-Description guide (PDF) sets out what a complete description should contain.
Tell us the role, the type of staff you need (permanent, contract or outsourced) and your expected timeline. We will come back with a search approach, the channels we would use and a recommendation schedule. The initial consultation and quotation are free.
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