The 2027 Expectations Gap: What Vietnamese Candidates Want vs What Employers Offer

Ask employers in Vietnam why candidates turn down offers, and the most common answer is pay. Ask professionals what matters most when they choose a new role, and pay also comes first, but for fewer than one in four of them. Other respondents prioritised work-life balance, stability, learning, career growth, culture or leadership.

That difference sits at the centre of the expectations gap. Reeracoen Vietnam's 2026 research suggests employers and candidates largely agree on the importance of pay, but differ on what happens around it. Employers tend to focus on salary, experience and commitment. Candidates also weigh balance, stability, development and recognition. This article compares the two sides and sets out five gaps worth closing before 2027 hiring begins.

How we compared the data Candidate view: Vietnam Worker Sentiment Study 2026, 254 respondents from Reeracoen Vietnam's candidate database and professional network, surveyed in 1H 2026. Employer view: Reeracoen Vietnam Hiring Market 2026 (57 employers, May to June 2026) and Employer Hiring Study 2026 (51 employers, March 2026; 61% Japanese-affiliated). The surveys used different respondents and question formats. We therefore compare the direction and ranking of answers, not percentage points across surveys.

The expectations gap at a glance

Theme	What candidates say	What employers say or do	Gap to review
Pay	Base salary is the most common first choice when picking a new role (23%)	Salary mismatch is the leading reason offers are declined; 50% set pay by internal structures only	Execution: pricing roles to the market
Work-life balance	Second most common first choice (18%); 65% prefer hybrid work	Only 14% see work-life balance as the biggest retention risk	Employers may be underestimating it
Stability	26% feel their current job is unstable; job stability is the third most common first choice (13%)	71% rank long-term commitment as a top selection factor	Both want stability; employers may not show it clearly
Learning	83% say employer-provided training is at least fairly important	82% prioritise hands-on experience when selecting candidates	"Hire ready" versus "help me grow"
Recognition and career paths	Recognition (24%) and a clear career path (24%) would encourage people to stay	Career path development and recognition programmes rank lowest among retention initiatives in use	Under-used, often low-cost levers

The pay gap: agreed in principle, not always priced correctly

Both sides agree pay matters. In the Vietnam Worker Sentiment Study 2026, base salary was the single most common first choice when respondents named what they value most in a new role (23%), and a significant salary increase was the factor most often cited as a reason to stay (43%). In the Hiring Market 2026 survey, employers ranked salary mismatch as the leading reason candidates declined their offers.

The gap is in execution. Half of employers in that survey (50%) set pay using internal salary structures alone, and 39% actively benchmark against market rates. Based on Reeracoen's observations, this is where many offers fail before the other parts of the package are even discussed. Market-aligned pay will not win every candidate on its own, but an offer that is visibly below market may struggle to attract serious consideration. Our 5 November article on 2027 salary budgets explains how to plan for this.

The balance gap: work-life balance matters more than many employers assume

For candidates, work-life balance is close behind pay. It was the second most common first choice for a new role (18%) and, alongside better bonuses or benefits, the joint second most cited reason to stay (34%). Two-thirds of respondents (65%) said they prefer hybrid working.

Employers appear to weigh it less. In the Employer Hiring Study 2026, only 14% chose work-life balance demands as their single biggest retention risk, well behind salary competition (33%), young workforce job-hopping (24%) and career progression expectations (20%). Different questions were asked of each group, so the numbers are not directly comparable. The direction, however, suggests that many employers may be underestimating how much balance shapes candidate decisions.

What to review: whether your hybrid or shift policy is written down, how clearly it is explained during interviews, and whether managers apply it consistently. For factory and site-based roles where hybrid work is not possible, predictable schedules and fair overtime practices can serve a similar purpose.

The stability gap: both sides want it, but only one side asks for it

Employers want people who will stay. In the Employer Hiring Study 2026, 71% named long-term commitment and retention potential as one of their most important candidate selection factors, second only to hands-on experience (82%).

Candidates want security too. In the Worker Sentiment Study 2026, 26% said their current job feels unstable or very unstable. Job stability was the third most common first choice for a new role (13%).

This may be a communication gap as much as a difference in priorities. Employers may ask candidates to demonstrate commitment without giving equally clear information about the role's stability and long-term direction. Sharing information about business direction, investment plans, the purpose of the role and how performance is assessed can help candidates commit with confidence.

The learning gap: employers want ready-made talent, candidates want to grow

Employers mainly hire for what candidates can already do. In the Employer Hiring Study 2026, 82% named hands-on experience as a top selection factor, while only 22% pointed to technical certifications and 18% to leadership potential.

Candidates, meanwhile, are looking for employers who will develop them. In the Worker Sentiment Study 2026, 83% said employer-provided training and upskilling is at least fairly important over the next one to two years, and training and career advancement together accounted for 23% of first choices for a new role.

Both positions are reasonable, but they can clash in interviews. A candidate asking about training may be read as lacking experience, while an employer focused only on current skills may appear to offer no future. A short, concrete development plan for the first year of the role can bridge the two.

The recognition gap: career paths and appreciation are under-used levers

When candidates explain what would make them stay, recognition and appreciation (24%) and a clear career advancement path (24%) sit just behind pay, bonuses and work-life balance. Lack of recognition was also cited by 16% as a reason for considering leaving.

Among the retention initiatives employers reported using in the Hiring Market 2026 survey, the most common were improving evaluation systems and regular one-to-one manager meetings. Career path development and team events or recognition programmes ranked lowest of the six initiatives listed.

Based on Reeracoen's observations, this is one of the most practical gaps to close because employers already have the tools. Evaluation systems and one-to-one meetings can carry career and recognition conversations at little extra cost, provided managers are prepared to use them that way.

A five-question expectations audit for 2027

Before your 2027 hiring plans are finalised, ask your leadership and hiring managers:

• Are our salary ranges for critical roles checked against the current market, or only against our own structure?
• Can every hiring manager explain our working arrangements, including hybrid, shift and overtime practices, in one clear sentence?
• What evidence of stability and direction do we share with candidates before we ask them to commit?
• Does each offer for a key role include a clear first-year development plan?
• Do our evaluation and one-to-one processes include regular career and recognition conversations?

If several answers are "no", these are useful areas to investigate before finalising your 2027 hiring and retention plans.

Explore the Benefits & Total Rewards Guide: Looking to strengthen your employee value proposition beyond salary? Reeracoen Vietnam’s Benefits & Total Rewards Guide 2026/2027 explores compensation, employee benefits and workplace considerations to help employers review their rewards strategies.

Vietnam Benefits & Total Rewards Guide 2026/2027

How Reeracoen Vietnam can help

Reeracoen Vietnam works with Japanese-affiliated, other foreign-invested and local employers across manufacturing, IT, finance and other sectors in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and other provinces. Our consultants help employers understand what candidates in their target talent pools expect, shape offers and employer value propositions that reflect it, and secure the right people.

Want offers that match what candidates expect in 2027? Talk to Reeracoen Vietnam about market-aligned offers, employer value proposition and hiring strategy for your critical roles. [Submit a hiring enquiry]

Professionals: looking for an employer that fits what you want? Register with Reeracoen Vietnam and tell us what matters most in your next role, from pay to flexibility and growth.

Frequently asked questions

What do Vietnamese professionals want most from a new job?

In Reeracoen Vietnam's Worker Sentiment Study 2026, base salary was the most common first choice (23%), followed by work-life balance (18%), job stability (13%), training and upskilling (12%), career advancement (11%) and company culture (11%). Most respondents therefore named a non-salary factor as their top priority.

Why do candidates in Vietnam reject job offers?

In Reeracoen Vietnam's Hiring Market 2026 survey, employers ranked salary mismatch with candidate expectations as the leading reason offers were declined, followed by candidates accepting a counteroffer from their current employer, and mismatches in non-salary conditions.

How important is hybrid work to professionals in Vietnam?

In the Worker Sentiment Study 2026, 65% of respondents said they prefer hybrid working, combining office and remote work. Only 2% chose a flexible working policy as their single most important factor. These findings measure different things: preferred working arrangements and the single most important factor when choosing a role.

What do employers in Vietnam look for in candidates?

In Reeracoen Vietnam's Employer Hiring Study 2026, employers most often named hands-on experience (82%), long-term commitment and retention potential (71%), salary alignment with the company budget (61%) and cultural fit (49%).

How can employers close the gap with candidate expectations?

Start by benchmarking pay for critical roles, then make the rest of the offer visible: clear working arrangements, evidence of stability, a first-year development plan, and regular career and recognition conversations through existing evaluation and one-to-one processes.

Related articles

• Vietnam's Workforce in 2026 Is Not Waiting: Six Findings Every Employer Needs to Know
• Hybrid Work Is No Longer a Benefit in Vietnam. It Is a Recruitment Filter
• Vietnam Salary & Hiring Outlook 2027: What Employers Should Budget for Now

About the author

Valerie Ong

Regional Head of Marketing, Reeracoen Group

Valerie leads content and market insights for Reeracoen across Asia. She works closely with Reeracoen's specialist recruitment consultants to translate hiring data, salary benchmarks and labour market trends into practical guidance for Vietnam's employers and professionals. Her work draws on Reeracoen's proprietary research including the annual Salary Guide, Hiring Pulse, and Hiring Manager Survey.

Language note: This article is published in English. Reeracoen Vietnam also publishes selected content in Vietnamese and Japanese for our local professional community.

References

1. Reeracoen Vietnam, Vietnam Worker Sentiment Study 2026 (254 respondents, 1H 2026; published July 2026).
2. Reeracoen Vietnam, Vietnam Hiring Market 2026: Talent Trends, Employer Insights & Action Framework (57 employers, May to June 2026).
3. Reeracoen Vietnam, Vietnam Employer Hiring Study 2026 (51 employers, March 2026).

Disclaimer

This article provides general information only. Reeracoen survey findings are directional and reflect the stated respondent groups, question formats and survey periods; results from different surveys should not be compared as exact percentages. Information is accurate as of the date of publication.