Robert Walters has recently released the 2011 version of the half-yearly market update for the financial services market, anticipating constant bounce-backs from a number of sectors in the industry.

Key highlights from the Financial Services Half-Yearly Market Update

SME & Corporate Banking: Moving into 2011, the hiring levels for relationship managers and credit professionals are likely to sustain. Interest should remain high for more specific skill sets in structured trade finance, factoring, commodities or financial institutions.

Investment Banking: Moving into 2011, we expect banks to continue maintaining their interview pipeline, in anticipation of their hiring needs throughout the year. Candidates with strong academic backgrounds and a proven track record in investment banking within top-tier banks are likely to continue to attract provisional interest from banks.

Transaction Banking: We anticipate a strong business growth in 2011 due to a continued focus on businesses in Asia. Business performance will be robust and sustained, with fairly stable recruitment activity. We will also continue to see a demand for product managers as well as sales professionals in the trade and supply chain sector.

Wealth Management: Moving into 2011, not withstanding the proliferation of other offshore booking centres, we expect sustainable growth in both the private and priority sectors. However, due to a lack of mature bankers in Singapore, we expect more Asian bankers will be hired from overseas markets.

Investment Management: Moving into 2011, we expect to see this sector have moderate headcount requirements in their investment teams. We see potential demand for business development or fund raising roles as employers seek to expand existing regional sales and distribution channels.

Sales & Trading: We expect the first quarter of 2011 to stay relatively cautious, with hiring activity picking up from the second quarter onwards. Whilst the fixed income space continues to be of key interest, we predict there will be a growing appetite for commodities products in Asia – which will most likely increase the demand for talent in this space.

Finance: For the global banks, we expect Singapore to remain their Asian capital centre for controllership, with a premium paid for business-engaging middle office controllers. The organisational structure should see a concentration of senior roles based in Singapore with oversight across finance shared service centres around the region.