KUALA LUMPUR (June 14): 72% of Malaysians ranked “ attractive salary and benefits” as the most important employee value proposition (EVP) they seek in an ideal employer, according to research released by Randstad.

Employees and jobseekers ranked “work-life balance” in a close second with 69%, followed by “strong management” with 64%, “a Covid-19 safe work environment” with 63% and “financially healthy” with 62%.

The research also shows that 73% of female respondents value work-life balance in their search for an ideal employer. In comparison, 65% of male respondents see work-life balance as an important EVP factor.

This was according to the annual Randstad Employer Brand Research in Malaysia released today, which explores the top EVP factors that influence employees and jobseekers in their search for a new career.

The research was commissioned by Randstad, a leading human resources solutions agency, and independently conducted by Kantar TNS through a 16-minute online survey with 2,523 respondents.

Randstad Malaysia head of operations Fahad Naeem said that the issue of salary expectations is not new, yet it is the most complex to resolve.

“There are many factors that come into play when it comes to salary calculation, such as salary legacy, the cost of the rising standard of living, mismatch in skills and experience, gender disparity and more. 

“Employers need to conduct regular audits to ensure salary equality and competitiveness, and find out their investment in skills development of their workforce is adequate enough to retain their high-performing talent,” he said.

Naeem added that employees and jobseekers are increasingly looking to their employers to tide them through the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly to protect their income and ensure job stability.

“A strong management has a critical role to play in ensuring good corporate financial performance and a Covid-19 safe work environment to keep their employees safe. 

“This means being able to take actions quickly to protect the business and their workforce even if they have limited information to work with,” he said.

The top five employee value propositions that Malaysia’s respondents seek in an ideal employer in 2021 are: