Malaysian workers can expect a pay rise

More than half (55%) of Malaysian employers plan to increase salaries by three to six per cent this year.

According to the 2013 Hays Asia Salary Guide, this figure is higher than in 2012, where 43% of bosses increased salaries by the same percentage.

However, fewer bosses intend to give pay rises any higher than that amount, with 27% intending to boost salaries by six to 10%, and 7% by more than 10%. In 2012, 29% of employers gave pay rises of six to 10%, and 14% bumped up salaries by more than 10%.

"Malaysia has really shown that it's weathering the storm compared to other regions of the world that have been affected by a challenging economic climate," Chris Mead, regional director of Hays in Malaysia and Singapore, said.

Across Asia, around three quarters of employers (72%) believe the economy is likely to remain stable or strengthen in 2013, with 65% of employers saying their business activity increased in the past 12 months and 66% believe it will increase in the next year.

Mead said this is expected to put more pressure on companies to source the right talent with the right skills to manage increased business, as well as the packages on offer to prospective employers.

"Ninety-three per cent of employers believe skills shortages will hamper their business operations," he said, adding 52% of employers said they have used a flexible approach to staffing over the past year.

Additionally, 24% have used temporary or contract staff on an ongoing basis.

Other Malaysian trends identified in the survey included a buoyant accountancy and finance arena in 2013, as employers increase headcount and improve the overall skills sets of their finance departments.

There will be a steady demand for IT talent, and Malaysia's HR industry is also expected to remain stable as increased headcount and new hiring continues - particularly at the middle management level and around shared service projects.

In sales and marketing last year, recruitment activity remained high with salaries increasing by 10%. Many companies are also adopting commission-based packages to help drive sales and give employees extra incentives.