A human resources expert on Wednesday said the latest government move to expand Hong Kong's Talent List is the right one, and will help plug holes in the SAR's workforce.

On Tuesday, officials announced that aircraft maintenance engineers, accountants and financial professionals with Islamic market experience will be among nine professions added to the list from March 1.

"Obviously, Hong Kong has a very serious shortage of these talents," Roy Ying, the co-chair of the advocacy and policy research committee at the Hong Kong Institute of Human Resource Management, told RTHK.

He noted that aircraft engineering and maintenance firms such as Haeco has had to go overseas to recruit engineers all the time.

Ying also said the government has been proactive in addressing the needs of employers.

"I also think that the government is actively listening to the industries because these new jobs, they don't just land on the Talent List. It's a collaboration between the government and the industries.

"Obviously the government sees a serious shortage and that's why these [jobs] are added to the Talent List."

On bringing in more Islamic finance professionals to the SAR, he said Hong Kong firms not only have to offer attractive pay in order to compete with market leaders Malaysia and Saudi Arabia, but the territory also has to be become more Muslim friendly.

"In terms of halal restaurants, we only have about 132 in Hong Kong... and most organisations don't have prayer rooms, so we have to make our city a little more embracing to attract these people," he said.

"We don't just want them to come, we want them to also bring their families... we have to get people who want to call Hong Kong home."