KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 25): Malaysia's hiring outlook continues to see some mismatch in benefits expectations between organisations and professionals going into 2025, which forms roadblocks for organisations looking for the right talent, a survey showed.
According to the latest Robert Walters Salary Survey, while 89% of professionals are "eager to explore new roles", 47% of organisations said that they had difficulties with the candidate pipeline, while 45% of organisations said they struggled with a lack of industry experience among candidates.
This is as some 71% of employers said they would boost wages between 1% and 5%. While a huge portion of existing employees are largely expecting a similar wage increase next year (61% of employees), the wage boost is far behind the at least 25% salary bump expected by one-third of talents who are seeking better offers.
On the other hand, 63% of employers find it challenging to meet candidates’ expectations of higher salaries and benefits, and 68% of organisations also identified the high competition for talent as a key challenge in retaining professionals.
Some 41% of employers said they had difficulty offering competitive pay and benefits to retain talent, indicating a mismatch in perspectives between organisations and professionals.
“As economic growth brings several shifts in the employment landscape, attracting and retaining talent have become more complex amid rising competition and changing workplace preferences," said Robert Walters country head for Malaysia Ai Rene Tan.
"With Malaysia entering a transformative 2025, organisations can look forward to various growth possibilities. Yet this also means having to navigate fluid job market dynamics and shifting motivations as the world of work continues to change,” Tan said.
Organisations are responding by focusing on skill-based hiring and upskilling their existing workforce to meet evolving demands, with as much as 77% of employers offering training and development courses as part of a competitive employee benefit package.
There is also reason for optimism. The survey, which covered over 500 professionals and organisations in Malaysia, found that 55% of organisations will ramp up recruitment plans in the next six to 12 months, while 64% of mid- to senior-level professionals expressed confidence about job prospects in their field.