For Vietnam employers, planning the 2027 talent budget means looking beyond annual salary increases. Businesses also need to account for bonuses, benefits, new hires, retention and the cost of finding the right people.

The need for careful planning is becoming more apparent. Vietnam’s National Wage Council has proposed an average 7.8% increase in regional minimum wages for 2027, subject to government approval. This follows a 7.2% increase implemented in 2026.

At the same time, Vietnam’s labour market continues to strengthen. The National Statistics Office reported that the country had 52.6 million employed people in the first half of 2026, up 672,500 from the same period a year earlier. Average monthly employee income also reached nearly VND 9 million, an increase of VND 717,000 year-on-year.

For employers preparing their 2027 talent budget, these trends point to one thing: workforce costs need to be planned with both business growth and the labour market in mind.

Start with a clear picture of your current talent costs

Before deciding how much to allocate for 2027, establish what your workforce costs today.

Consider the following:

• Salaries by role, level and department
• Bonuses and performance incentives
• Statutory contributions and employee benefits
• Recruitment and onboarding costs
• Training and development expenses
• Overtime and other variable labour costs

It is also important to separate statutory wage changes from broader salary movements. A proposed increase in the minimum wage does not mean every employee should receive the same percentage increase. Market demand, performance, seniority, and the difficulty of replacing certain employees should also influence salary decisions.

Recruitment consultants in Ho Chi Minh or in other central business districts can provide in-depth market insight to help you review planned salary ranges.

Build your salary budget around business priorities

A common approach is to apply one salary increase percentage across the workforce. However, this may not be the best use of your budget. Instead, review each role and ask:

• Is the position difficult to replace?
• Is the current salary competitive with the market?
• Has the employee taken on additional responsibilities?
• Is this role critical to our 2027 business plan?
• Would losing this person create a significant operational risk?

Your salary budget for 2027 should reflect more than annual pay adjustments. It should support the people and capabilities that are most important to your company’s growth.

Plan your bonus and retention budget early

Look at previous bonus payments and consider what may change in 2027. Will performance targets increase? Are certain teams expected to take on larger workloads? Do you need additional retention incentives for employees in high-demand roles?

Think about the cost of losing key employees, too. If replacing an experienced employee could take several months, the cost may extend well beyond recruitment fees. Productivity can be affected, other employees may need to take on additional work, and the new hire may require significant onboarding time. A targeted retention or bonus budget may help reduce these risks.

Identify your key hires before setting your headcount budget

Your 2027 hiring plan should start with business priorities, not simply a target number of new employees. Identify the positions that will have the greatest impact on:

• Revenue growth
• New markets or locations
• Technology and digital transformation
• Operational efficiency
• Customer growth
• Leadership and succession planning

Treat these positions as priority hires and give them a dedicated budget and realistic recruitment timeline.

This is particularly important when planning senior appointments. Businesses expecting to expand their leadership team may need specialist support through C-suite recruitment in Ho Chi Minh City, where competition for experienced executives can be high.

Allow more budget for hard-to-fill roles

Specialist, managerial and executive positions can take longer to fill and may require more targeted sourcing. The right candidate may already be employed and not actively looking for a new position.

Working with an experienced headhunter agency in Vietnam can help employers reach passive candidates who may not appear through traditional job advertising.

The key is to recognise these costs when setting the budget rather than discovering them after a critical vacancy has remained open for months.

Consider how you will manage recruitment capacity

If your business expects a significant increase in hiring activity, consider whether your internal recruitment team has the capacity to manage it. Additional sourcing support, external recruitment partners or recruitment process outsourcing in Vietnam may provide greater flexibility during periods of high hiring demand.

The right approach depends on your hiring volume, internal capabilities and growth plans. For employers managing multiple vacancies, talent acquisition sourcing in Ho Chi Minh can also strengthen access to candidates in one of Vietnam’s major talent markets.

Keep a contingency for unexpected hiring needs

A key employee may resign. A new client may require additional headcount. An expansion could happen sooner than expected, or a specialist role may prove harder to fill than anticipated.

Set aside a contingency within your 2027 talent budget so you have room to respond without disrupting other planned spending. This is particularly useful when hiring for roles where candidate availability is limited or salary expectations can change quickly.

How ASW Consulting Can Help

Building a 2027 talent budget is easier when you have a clear understanding of the talent market and access to the right candidates.

ASW Consulting, our recruitment agency in Vietnam and Thailand, supports businesses in the Southeast Asian region with extensive talent acquisition services, including mid-to-executive level recruitment across various sectors such as HR, IT, marketing, legal, finance and supply chain, among others.

Whether you are planning a critical executive hire, expanding your team or need additional headhunting support, our recruitment consultants in Ho Chi Minh and Bangkok can help you turn your hiring plans into practical strategies.

Planning your 2027 talent budget? Contact us today to discuss your recruitment and workforce needs.

 

Related blogs:

Is This Job Offer Right for You? A Guide for Job Seekers in Vietnam

Hiring Mid-Senior Talent in Vietnam: Strategies for Employers

Upskilling the Workforce: A Key to Closing Vietnam’s Talent Gap