HR hiring trends in Malaysia for 2018

A recent Robert Walters Salary survey has found that hiring of human resources roles remained steady throughout 2017; with a slight spike in the first half of the year due to standard bonus cycles.

In fact, activity was focused predominantly on replacement roles across all seniority levels. The report stated: “Organisations optimising their costs in 2018 will look at their internal pool of employees before filling positions with external candidates.”

Meanwhile, the study revealed that new companies and start-ups entering the market - particularly in the areas of e-commerce and fintech - will require HR professionals with general skills who can cover the full spectrum of recruitment, payroll, administration and operations functions.

“HR professionals with experience in organisational development and cultural transformation will be sought after in 2018 as companies undergoing cultural and structural change will require candidates with skills in change management strategies and proven track records in mergers and cultural harmonisation,” said the study.

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As larger organisations establish more centres of excellence, candidates with specific skill sets in rewards and performance management, talent management, industrial and employee relations and talent acquisition will be in demand.

Other skills that will be sought after in HR include regional experience, multilingualism and strong stakeholder management. Employers will also be looking for candidates experienced in compensation and benefits and employer branding to attract and retain key talent. We expect a slight shift in hiring expectations, as several organisations have started to hire non-HR professionals with backgrounds in actuarial science or mathematics to fill gaps in human capital analytics.

Professionals who can apply data mining and business analytics to human resources data will be increasingly sought after, but limited in the job market.

The release said: “To attract the right talent, hiring managers will need to be mindful of the scarcity of niche skills and be flexible in their remuneration offers. Salary limits may need to be stretched to attract top talent, as counter-offers by other prospective and current employers will be common.”

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