How to hire in Hong Kong?

Key Takeaways

• Hire under the limited company (not personally) for liability protection. Put the company’s registered address (even if virtual) in the employment contract.
• Employers must take out employees’ compensation insurance (labour insurance) before employing anyone. Failure is an offence under the Employees’ Compensation Ordinance (penalties can include fine and imprisonment).
• MPF contributions are mandatory (generally 5% employer + 5% employee of relevant income, with current minimum relevant income HK$7,100 and maximum HK$30,000 for the cap of HK$1,500 each side). Enrolment and timely contributions are required.
• For professional roles (accountants, company secretaries), prioritise relevant qualifications and experience; cheap or unqualified bookkeepers often create problems at audit time.
• Hiring platforms require your Business Registration Certificate. Indeed tends to yield stronger English-speaking candidates in our experience; JobsDB often delivers higher volume for admin roles.

After completing Hong Kong company formation and registration, many entrepreneurs face the next practical question: how do you hire staff legally and effectively? Whether your Hong Kong company is operating locally or mainly overseas with a virtual setup, the rules still apply. This guide covers employer obligations under the Employment Ordinance, Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF), employees’ compensation insurance, contracts, and practical hiring channels. It also breaks hiring into professional vs non-professional roles, with specific advice on accountants and company secretaries, roles that directly support ongoing compliance for your newly registered company.

Get Started HK has supported thousands of company formations and, over decades of operations (with experience hiring more than 1,000 employees and maintaining around 200 active staff), shares practical insights without offering recruitment services ourselves. We focus on company registration, accounting, audit support, and connecting clients when full-time needs arise.

Latest Legislation Changes that affect Hiring between 2025 – 2027

Navigating local statutory requirements after registering a Hong Kong company can feel daunting for foreign investors and new founders, particularly as labor regulations continue to evolve. Staying compliant requires keeping up with major legal updates alongside standard incorporation routines:

• Abolition of the MPF Offsetting Mechanism (Effective May 1, 2025): Employers can no longer use the accrued benefits from their mandatory MPF contributions to offset Long Service Payments (LSP) or Severance Payments (SP) for employment periods after May 1, 2025. This non-retrospective change directly affects end-of-service calculations and cash-flow planning.
  
• Shift to the “468” Continuous Contract Rule (Effective January 18, 2026): Replacing the traditional “418 rule” (18 hours/week for 4 consecutive weeks), the updated framework grants continuous contract benefits, such as paid annual leave, sick leave, and statutory holiday pay, to any employee who logs an aggregate of 68 hours or more across a 4-week period. This change brings significantly more casual, part-time, and shift workers under statutory protections.

Deciding who to consult depends on the complexity of the legal question:

• Company Secretary: Handles standard statutory compliance (annual returns, director/shareholder changes, registered office maintenance) and can outline baseline employment duties under the Employment Ordinance. This is a natural extension of the company secretarial services many founders arrange during Hong Kong company registration.
• Qualified Accountant / CPA: Advises on payroll processing, employer tax filings (BIR56A/IR56B), and MPF contribution logistics. Working with an accounting firm experienced in Hong Kong entities helps ensure your books remain audit-ready from day one.
• Employment Lawyer: Provides specific counsel on tailored executive contracts, non-compete clauses, complex termination settlements post-MPF offsetting abolition, or dispute resolution.

Professional vs Non-Professional Hiring

Hiring in Hong Kong falls into two broad categories.

Non-professional / administrative roles (general admin, junior support, operational staff) often prioritise volume of candidates and basic reliability. JobsDB frequently attracts large numbers of applicants for these positions.

Professional roles (accountants, company secretaries, qualified finance or compliance staff) require careful screening of qualifications, practical Hong Kong experience, and reputation. These roles directly affect your company’s ongoing compliance after formation, books that are audit-ready, proper annual returns, share transfers, director changes, and offshore claim structuring.

How to Hire an Accountant or Professional in Hong Kong

Many companies reach a stage with growing transaction volume where they prefer an in-house resource for day-to-day bookkeeping while keeping an external CPA firm (such as Get Started) for audit preparation and submission only.

Bookkeeper vs qualified accountant

For consolidated reporting, multi-entity work, or preparation that must be audit-ready and suitable for offshore claims, hire someone with proper professional qualifications who understands Hong Kong practice. Unqualified or poorly structured books frequently require expensive rework during audit.

CPA qualifications (HKICPA)

Membership of the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants (HKICPA) leads to the designation CPA. A practising certificate (issued by the Accounting and Financial Reporting Council / AFRC) is required to sign statutory audit reports. Key distinction:

• CPA (non-practising) — qualified member who may work in industry, commerce, or non-audit roles.
• CPA (practising) — holds a practising certificate and can act as auditor / sign statutory reports.

Verify membership status and, where relevant, the practising certificate. Qualified professionals structure reports correctly from the start, reducing later remediation risk.

Company secretary

A good company secretary understands the Companies Ordinance and handles critical documents: annual returns, share transfers, director/shareholder changes, and compliance checks. Prefer members of The Hong Kong Chartered Governance Institute (HKCGI, formerly HKICS) — holders of Chartered Secretary / Chartered Governance qualifications — or individuals with proven experience. Beyond the qualification number, review work history and industry reputation. Fresh graduates may lack the practical depth needed for reliable compliance support after company registration.

Hiring professionals as a foreign investor

• Use a reputable employment agency that screens qualifications.
• Share requirements with the GetStarted.HK founder community or your incorporation advisor. We nurture professionals and can connect clients (no charge) when full-time needs arise, this complements rather than competes with our accounting/audit services for SMEs that need monthly or annual support. Daily in-house support for growing companies is a natural next step we are happy to facilitate.
• Always check professional membership numbers and references.

Get Started Client Scenario 1

A European founder registered a Hong Kong limited company with a virtual address through Get Started for regional holding purposes. After 26 months of increasing transaction volume, they needed an in-house bookkeeper who could prepare clean monthly records ready for year-end audit. Instead of hiring a low-cost generalist, they followed our guidance, screened for HKICPA membership (non-practising), and kept Get Started for the statutory audit and IRD filings. Result: zero rework during the first audit and smooth Employer Return filing.

Employer Responsibilities When Hiring in Hong Kong

Employment contracts

Contracts can be oral or written, but written contracts are strongly recommended. Under the Employment Ordinance, employers must clearly inform employees of key conditions before employment begins (wages and calculation method, wage period, notice period for termination, and end-of-year payment details if applicable). A written contract should typically cover:

• Job title and duties
• Salary / wage rate and payment frequency
• Working hours and schedule
• Benefits, leave, and bonuses
• Names of employee (with HKID where applicable) and employer (the limited company)
• Commencement date
• Termination notice terms (statutory minimums apply)

Provide a copy of any written contract to the employee. Terms cannot undercut statutory protections.

Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF)

Employers must enrol eligible employees (generally aged 18–64) and contribute. Current standard rates (subject to periodic review):

• Both employer and employee contribute 5% of relevant income.
• Minimum relevant income: HK$7,100/month (employee contribution waived below this; employer still pays 5%).
• Maximum relevant income: HK$30,000/month (capped contribution HK$1,500 each side).
  Employer contributions start from day one; employees have a short contribution holiday. Remit by the 10th of the following month. Failure to comply can lead to legal recovery action.

Annual Employer’s Return Filing (BIR56A / IR56B)

This is a core compliance obligation after you hire under your Hong Kong company. Every year the Inland Revenue Department requires employers to report the exact amount of salary, allowances, bonuses, commissions, housing benefits, and MPF contributions paid to each employee. The government relies on this data to assess and collect employees’ salaries tax. Even if you have no employees in a given year, you must still file if an employer’s return is issued. Accurate and timely filing protects both the company and the employee. Many founders outsource this to their accounting firm as part of the annual compliance package that follows company registration.

Employees’ compensation insurance (labour insurance)

Under the Employees’ Compensation Ordinance, every employer must take out insurance covering liabilities for work injuries (full-time, part-time, temporary — no exceptions based on contract length). Minimum cover is typically HK$100 million per event for ≤200 employees (higher for larger headcounts). Policies are relatively inexpensive for small teams (often under HK$1,000 per employee per year in basic cases). Failure is a criminal offence (maximum fine HK$100,000 and imprisonment for two years, plus potential personal liability for compensation). Display the certificate and ensure coverage matches the number and roles of staff.

Hire under the company

Always employ through the limited company. This preserves limited liability, disputes or claims are against the company, not you personally. Purchase the required labour insurance in the company’s name.

Work-from-home and virtual address

Work-from-home is legally acceptable. In the employment contract, state the company’s registered address (the one on file with the Companies Registry and Inland Revenue Department), even if it is a virtual address provided during company formation. This is the correct legal record.

Age and other basics

An individual must generally be at least 18 to work without the stricter restrictions that apply to younger persons. Students who are permanent residents can work (full- or part-time) subject to the rules, and MPF still applies where relevant. Collect only personal data necessary for the hiring decision. Avoid asking about nationality, marital status, disability, religion, or sexual orientation unless clearly relevant and justified (see Equal Opportunities Commission guidance).

Platforms to Hire in Hong Kong

You will normally need to submit your Business Registration Certificate; platforms screen for legitimacy.

• Hong Kong Labour Department — Free job-posting system. Suitable for cost-conscious startups/SMEs. Background check required.
• Indeed — Strong for English-speaking candidates. Free postings possible; sponsorship available. In our experience hiring English-capable staff (including for international-facing roles), success rates have been roughly 22% higher than on JobsDB. Volume is lower but quality is often higher.
• JobsDB — Highest volume platform in Hong Kong. Admin roles can attract thousands of applicants in a month. Packages can be relatively expensive with shorter validity.
• CPJobs / Classified Post (South China Morning Post) — Better for experienced professional candidates (e.g., practising accountants, Chartered Secretaries). Expect higher salary expectations.

Real-world comparison: Hiring an Admin Assistant (based on Get Started’s hiring data and client observations)

Metric	JobsDB	Indeed
Typical applicants (1 month)	800 – 1500	25 – 50
English proficiency quality	Mixed / lower average	Significantly higher
Time to shortlist usable CVs	Faster volume, more filtering	Slower volume, less filtering
Cost efficiency for admin	Higher volume, lower per-candidate cost	Better quality-to-effort ratio
Best for	Pure volume admin / Chinese-first roles	Roles needing solid English + reliability

In practice, for a pure admin assistant role that does not require excellent English, JobsDB usually delivers far more candidates. When the role involves communication with overseas directors or English documentation, Indeed has consistently produced a higher percentage of suitable hires in our experience. See screenshot of our Jobsdb account below, indicating a job post can attract 1000+ candidates.

Recommendation based on our sample: try Indeed first when strong English is needed; use JobsDB for volume on admin roles. Always verify qualifications independently for professional hires.

Get Started Client Scenario 2

A Singapore-based founder completed company registration with Get Started HK using a virtual address. Six months later they hired their first remote admin assistant through JobsDB. We advised them to (1) put the registered office address in the employment contract, (2) purchase employees’ compensation insurance immediately, and (3) enrol the staff in MPF and prepare for the annual Employer’s Return. The arrangement has run smoothly for over a year with the staff working fully remotely.

---

Frequently Asked Questions