How to win in the workplace

EMPLOYEES today are more aware of their options and are in a better position to decide on roles that align with their interests, values, and priorities.

Our 2022/23 Malaysia Salary & Employment Outlook notes that younger employees tend to prioritise career progression opportunities and a healthy work-life balance compared to employees from other age groups.

Therefore, in the post-pandemic world of work, it is important for employers to engage with employees to address challenges and shape solutions together. It is a process that needs to be carried out effectively and continuously.

With the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI), among other technological developments, new opportunities and challenges have arisen. One primary example is the high demand across key economic sectors for talents skilled in digital fields.

With the prevalence of all things digital, accelerated further during the movement control order, contactless payments such as e-wallets and mobile banking have seen a spike in consumer adoption. In tandem with this demand, the Malaysian government has introduced multiple initiatives to drive the fintech boom and encourage more Malaysians to hop onto the growing digital economy.

As the industry continues to transform, the roles and requisite skills will evolve in tandem. Taking this into consideration, employers must look beyond hiring simply to fill roles. Instead, they must invest in upskilling programmes to ensure talents are available to take on the evolving responsibilities at every level of the organisation. Individuals with cross-functional skillsets across finance and tech will be in especially high demand.

Specialised roles, such as product development, product management life cycle, and data analysts, are some of the hot jobs to look out for. In the post-pandemic business world, many organisations have since undertaken their own digital transformation, leading to rising demand for skilled IT talents.

On the flip side, this creates a highly competitive job market as organisations are expected to adopt a more aggressive approach in hiring the best talents. This means employers who have an existing IT talent pool would also need to step up their retention strategies to avoid losing their talents.

Fierce competition within the industry also serves as a reminder for the workforce to regularly reskill and upskill themselves to stay relevant. In 2020, with the onset of the pandemic, e-commerce experienced a boom when Malaysians, young and old, became regular online shoppers due to the movement restriction orders.

Today, prospects remain strong for careers in the supply chain field as online shopping habits have become part of the new normal.

As the economy strengthens, businesses will need to re-evaluate their strategy and remain on top of supply chain trends to fulfil customer satisfaction while staying profitable. Therefore, there is a growing demand for both white and blue collar workers who have the skills to meet the physical and technological demands of today’s supply chain and logistics careers.

In the post-pandemic world of work, industries have transformed, roles have evolved, and expectations have changed. With this, organisations that engage employees in shaping solutions and addressing challenges will continue to thrive.

The employment market has shown a strong rebound since the country began its transition into the endemic phase of Covid-19. As our economy recovers against new global challenges, ensuring the resilience of the workforce is the way to go if businesses are to thrive.

To win in the marketplace, employers must first ensure they win in the workplace.

BRIAN SIM

Country head and managing director

PERSOLKELLY Malaysia