Malaysia's hottest roles in Q3 2016

Great news for Malaysian recruiters and learning and development professionals.

According to the latest Hays Quarterly Report for Q3 2016, in the third quarter of 2016, recruiters and learning and development professionals will be the most in-demand in the HR sector.

The report pointed out that hiring professionals with excellent soft skills - such as language and communication skills - will be highly sought after by Malaysian companies to support business growth.

Tom Osborne, regional director of Hays in Malaysia, said: "In the HR sector, the tremendous growth of small- and mid-sized enterprises in Malaysia has led to demand for talent who understand the local market. Companies are also focused on expanding their HR teams to develop existing pools of talent."

He pointed out that another group of professionals who will see increasing demand in Q3 2016 are learning and development professionals.

These include, specifically, those with "the ability to manage talent and encourage professional development".

"Hiring activity in human resources and information technology will remain strong amid a shortage of talent. We also see significant demand for risk-management professionals including risk and compliance managers in banking and security specialists in IT,” Osborne added.

Commenting on the overall Malaysian labour market, he said: "The perception of the market is that the Malaysian economy will be domestically driven and remain fundamentally healthy despite global economic slowdown. Consequently, companies are now looking for talent with relevant skills to bolster domestic sales."

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Additionally, report listed the most in-demand professionals for Q3 2016 across 10 sectors:

Human resources

• Recruitment partners Companies rely on them to meet their hiring needs.
• Learning and development managers Professionals able to manage talent, encourage professional development and conduct training are in high demand.

Accountancy and finance

• Financial regulatory reporting professionals Hiring managers often require candidates with in-depth Bank Negara Malaysia reporting experience.
• Finance business partners Strategic planning is a critical area for all companies on the lookout for the right candidates to improve business.

Banking and financial services

• Compliance managers The ever-increasing focus on compliance means the demand for talent in this area is always high.
• Anti-money laundering professionals Those with regional exposure and the ability to manage transaction monitoring issues are highly sought after.

Contact centres

• Customer analytics consultants Companies seek to improve the customer experience via data analysis, driving demand for experienced consultants.
• Heads of contact centre Experienced professionals are in high demand as employers look for top talent to lead their centres.

Finance technology

• Data analysts There is an increased interest in consumer decision-making behaviour and movement.
• IT security managers Experienced professionals are required as companies safeguard sensitive data and ensure smooth running of systems.

Information technology

• Software developers There is huge demand from IT consultancies and banks for software developers.
• Enterprise architects Candidates with certifications such as TOGAF are the most sought after.

Insurance

• Risk managers Increasing awareness of risk control creates huge need for risk managers.
• Internal auditors With the growth and expansion of risk and compliance, advisory-inclined internal auditors are in high demand.

Office professionals

• Executive assistants Dynamic executive assistants who can provide holistic business support are desirable.
• Office managers The development of new offices brings a greater demand for office managers.

Sales and marketing

• Sales and marketing managers Those with the skills to drive sales growth in the construction and property development industries are in high demand.
• Digital marketing managers The growing digital and technology sectors create further demand for local and international candidates.

Supply chain

• Demand planners Candidates should be able to expand the range of products and goods offered.
• Head of operations Candidates who can ensure operations run smoothly are being sought after by hiring managers.

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