MALAYSIA scores marginally higher than the global average in terms of employee engagement, according to a study by experience management solutions provider Qualtrics.
The “2020 Employee Experience Trends: Malaysia” study found the average employee engagement in Malaysia stood at 54% versus the global average of 53%.
India (79%), Thailand (72%) and Hong Kong (63%) returned the highest scores, Qualtrics said in a statement today (Feb 3).
The company said employee engagement rises significantly to 79% when employee feedback is well-received and acted on. It falls to 47% when feedback is not acted on.
Qualtrics said two-thirds, or 67%, of workers in Malaysia believe that it is very important that employers listen to their feedback.
“Businesses providing a feedback programme achieve an engagement score of 58% compared to 42% for those who do not,” it said.
Among the top drivers of employee engagement in the country are recognition for good work, a clear link between the work and the company’s strategic objectives, opportunities for learning and development, managers who help employees with career development, and confidence in senior leadership to make the right decisions.
In addition, the study revealed that 16% of workers in Malaysia intend to stay with their current employer for less than a year, with the number of employees looking to change jobs almost doubling at 30% when the period is extended to two years.
This is better than the global average, where 18% of workers intend to remain with their current employer for less than a year.
The regions with the highest attrition levels are Australia and New Zealand (23%) and the United Kingdom (23%).
Other regions above the average include the United States (21%), Eastern Europe (21%), and Canada (19%), while countries that enjoy the lowest attrition risk are Germany (13%), Japan (11%), and Thailand (6%).
“Employee engagement tends to increase the longer an employee remains at the company in Malaysia, peaking around four years.
“However, engagement drivers change over time, reflecting the need to continually understand and act on important issues,” Qualtrics’ employee experience senior solutions strategist (Asia Pacific and Japan) Stephen Choo said.
He said the key engagement driver for employees with less than two years’ tenure is training, while engagement for employees with four years and more of tenure is driven mostly by a clear link between the work and the company’s strategic objectives.
“As Malaysia steers towards building a digital economy, it’s important for companies to create an agile workforce.
“Leaders and managers must invest in their employees’ career development, quickly resolve workplace issues and understand what matters most to teams at different stages of the employee lifecycle,” Choo said.
He added that this helps companies to retain exceptional talent and reduce employee churn, making it a win-win situation for everyone. – Feb 3, 2020, Bernama
