KUALA LUMPUR (April 17): Salary packages were no longer the top reason for employees opting to stay with a company, according to a survey conducted by global recruitment firm Hays. 

The 2024 Hays Asia Salary Guide, which gathered responses from 2,014 skilled professionals and 832 employers in Malaysia, revealed that the pursuit of new challenges has overtaken low salary offerings as the main reason to leave. 

Following closely behind is the lack of career progression, ranking as the third most significant factor.

Regarding employees who opted to stay with their current employers, flexible work options emerged as the unanimous top priority, even surpassing salary considerations.

Among committed employees, good work-life balance and experiencing a good fit with managers and colleagues are ranked second and third respectively, according Hays. 

“A healthy working environment, positive values and a sufficiently challenging role will go a long way towards winning the hearts of employees in Malaysia, " said Hays Asia managing director Marc Burrage. 

“Leaders need to have these discussions with their workforce, and employees need to examine how they can enhance their value in this period of disruption. Collaboration is the key to survival, and both parties will need to face these challenges with open minds and a willingness to adapt,” added Burrage. 

The 2024 Hays Asia Salary Guide compiled salary and sector overviews based on real data and a survey of skilled professionals across Malaysia, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, and Thailand.