Optimism in data centres continues into 2025, with 68 percent of senior management and C-Suite professionals in the sector expressing confidence. Business is growing, and new markets are emerging, driving confidence in the sector to an all-time high. However, rapid expansion brings challenges in hiring and retention.
Macdonald & Company’s latest Salary, Rewards & Attitudes survey highlights the industry’s buoyant outlook, despite hiring managers facing fierce competition and persistent retention issues for skilled professionals.
The survey includes responses from 651 data centre professionals across Southeast Asia, with most respondents based in Singapore, Hong Kong, and Malaysia.
Macdonald & Company Singapore. Far left: William Blaney – Head of Data Centres APAC. Far right: William Buck, Managing Director, APAC.
Confidence in Data Centres Soars
The data centre sector stands out in the real estate and built environment industry, with 68 percent of senior professionals confident about its prospects for 2025. This confidence level is significantly higher compared to the 49 percent of professionals in other real estate asset classes who are less optimistic about their fields.
In line with the positive outlook, 71 percent of senior professionals and HR departments in data centres plan to increase their headcount this year, significantly higher than the 46 percent across other real estate and infrastructure asset classes.
Talent Shortages in a Competitive Sector
As data centres expand rapidly, they face significant talent shortages. Six in ten data centre professionals are likely to change jobs this year, with many being at the management-to-director level. This trend exacerbates skill gaps, posing a serious challenge in an already competitive hiring landscape.
Hiring managers will face difficulties attracting new talent efficiently amid keen business growth. Four in ten are struggling to find candidates with the necessary skills and hiring quickly and efficiently.
As a result, many organisations are looking to other industries for valuable transferable skills from experienced professionals.
Addressing Retention Challenges
High turnover causes delays in project timelines, making it crucial for companies to improve staff retention. Currently, 52 percent of data centre professionals feel valued in their roles, citing good relationships with managers, positive company culture, and promotion opportunities as key reasons.
However, 15 percent feel undervalued, primarily due to salary concerns. This gap highlights the need to address compensation, employee satisfaction, and development opportunities to retain talent.
William Blaney, Head of Data Centres APAC, states:
To stay competitive, companies need to focus on offering strong compensation and growth opportunities for their teams. Additionally, organisations should look outside the usual skill set for talent from transferable sectors. These professionals can help address salary concerns and bring unique insights to the industry.
Competitive Compensation and Salaries
Data centres offer competitive compensation, with 64 percent of professionals receiving a pay rise and an average bonus payout of US$33,000 this year, which is 40 percent higher than the industry average across real estate and the built environment.
Additionally, 43 percent saw a salary increase through annual performance reviews, averaging a 5 percent uplift.
However, professionals changing jobs experienced higher salary growth, with a quarter securing an average increase of 14.8 percent, contributing to high turnover rates. Meanwhile, 15 percent of professionals received a 15.6 percent salary increase after a promotion, though changing jobs remains the more common route to higher pay.
To improve retention, employers must stay competitive by offering performance-based bonuses, career growth opportunities, and competitive salary adjustments.
Macdonald & Company’s industry expertise and global network help companies attract and retain talent in the competitive data centre sector.
To stay ahead in the talent race, the data centre recruitment and job overview explores the latest insights, trends and new opportunities: Data Centre Jobs and Recruitment.
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