A MAJORITY of Malaysians, especially young workers, have been struggling to acquire new skills in their current roles in attempts to adapt to the aftermath of the pandemic.
Based on a recent Randstad Malaysia survey entitled 2020 Workmonitor (2nd Edition) showed that three in five respondents (61%) are facing challenges to adapt, while 69% of those aged 18 to 24 are having difficulties to develop new skills compared to those aged 55 to 67 years old.
Highlighting some of the greatest concerns and challenges that working candidates are facing in the employment market, the survey involved 34 markets around the world.
According to Randstad Malaysia head of operations Fahad Naeem, the rapid digital transformation caused by the pandemic has driven the demand for professionals that are equipped with transferable technical knowledge and soft skills.
“The opportunity to learn stakeholder management skills, new systems as well as resource planning is critical to the career development of younger workers. As these learning opportunities diminish during remote working, the onus is on the employer to create new learning opportunities and drive employee engagement initiatives,” he explained.
To enhance their own employability in an increasingly competitive labour market, nine in 10 respondents regularly refresh their skills and competencies.
However, considering that the job and skills requirement have significantly changed due to the rapid pace of digital transformation caused by the pandemic, seven in 10 respondents believe that employers will have trouble finding the right talent in the future.
In light of this, Naeem advised for employees to proactively keep pace with industry trends and upskill themselves to meet new skills requirements.
“Employers have high expectations of their candidate as they want to invest in someone who is digitally-adept, agile, innovative, independent yet collaborative. But the employers should also prioritise their investments in their own human capital, as companies with good training culture and programmes tend to be more attractive to candidates and enjoy higher employee retention,” he said.
Naeem also pointed out that the development of human capital requires a collective effort between education institutions, governments, organisations and employees themselves.
Additionally, the survey also showed that while 55% of the respondents prefer to work in an open environment where they can safely share and receive constructive feedback, 41% would be more inclined to choose employers that provide employee training programmes.
“People learn better when they have the opportunity to resolve real business issues and challenges. Through guidance from mentors, constructive feedback from clients and colleagues, employees are able to acquire new skills and gain valuable experiences.
“Hence, it is critical for companies to have a learning culture that is focused on skills development so that they can have an agile workforce that is always ready to respond regardless of the crisis that they face,” Naeem concluded. – Feb 13, 2021
