PETALING JAYA: Three in 10 respondents in Malaysia plan to change employers before June, according to a recent survey, marking a seven-point increase from 2021.
Human resources solutions agency Randstad said in its Employer Brand Research in Malaysia annual study that of the employees who are “not afraid of losing their jobs”, one in five (20%) plan to switch jobs, a 5% increase from the previous year (15%).
It also noted that 14% of respondents had changed employers within the six-month period from July to December 2021, with the top three drivers motivating them being attractive salary and benefits (66%), work-life balance (62%) and strong management (62%).
The study surveyed 163,000 respondents across 31 markets in January, including 2,524 based in Malaysia. It was aimed at exploring the top employee value proposition (EVP) factors that influence employees and job seekers in their search for ideal new employers.
“As the labour market recovers from the pandemic and companies hire more headcount to manage increasing business demands, many employees are both tempted and motivated to seek new and better work opportunities,” said Randstad Malaysia’s head of operations, Fahad Naeem.
“Many employees have had the chance to hone their skills over the last two years amid a volatile business climate, and they feel like they are ready for more challenging jobs with employers who not only care about their professional development but their well-being.”
Naeem noted that the salaries of many Malaysian workers may have stagnated for the past two years as companies tried to cut operating expenses to cope with business losses brought about by the pandemic.
However, he warned that if companies did not reward their employees fairly for their work contributions now that the economy was recovering, some employees may not feel like there was a good reason for them to stay, especially with the multitude of job opportunities in the market.
Stating that about 37,000 entrepreneurs and small and medium businesses were forced to close their businesses as a result of nationwide lockdowns, Naeem said this may have led to a “highly stressed” workforce.
Even with the economic rebound, he said, many workers were concerned that their employer’s financial health was still not out of the woods.
Calling on business leaders who wanted to retain their staff to regularly communicate their financial performance and talent development strategies to employees, Naeem said this would instill a sense of confidence and create a sense of togetherness in them.
Source: https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/highlight/2022/05/12/30-of-workers-plan-to-change-jobs-by-june-survey-shows/