Categories
Human Resource

2022: Moving Forward, Full Force Ahead

Last year saw a lot of movements in the job market as the workforce adapted to the changing landscape. The expansion of a lot of companies; despite the pandemic; opened up a lot of job opportunities. This, coupled with the fact that many people are looking for jobs that fit well with their changed lifestyles has led to a lot of shifts in the job market.

Now that the storm has (mostly) calmed down as we move into the endemic phase of COVID-19, what’s next for employers?

Candidate-driven market

In a market that is increasingly becoming candidate-driven, talent retention, for a start, should be given bigger focus and greater importance in 2022. Candidates are likely to be more selective, especially for in-demand jobs in rising industries, tech and e-commerce for example.

We can expect to see more creative recruitment strategies as employers and recruiters try to hire the best talents.

Data-driven recruitment

The last few years have ‘forced’ even the most hesitant of us to adapt and get used to the rise of technology, recruiters and employers included. With many resorting to digital hiring campaigns nowadays, recruiters now are able to have access to the insight into their potential candidates and talent pool.

From age, gender, to their social demographics and the languages they speak, these data can then be used to develop recruitment strategies that can give you an edge over your competitors.

Social media-driven initiatives:

It is free, it allows you to reach out to the passive candidates (those who are not actively looking for a job), and it enables you to reach out to a large talent pool with less effort and less time. Some platforms, like LinkedIn, unsurprisingly makes it easy for the recruiters to “farm” suitable candidates, while Facebook, on the other hand, will be removing its “Jobs” tab beginning 22 February 2022, but more and more companies are stepping up and using platforms such Instagram, Twitter and even TikTok to find candidates and hire talents. Without a doubt, social media recruitment is here to stay.

The bottom line is, recruitment trends are ever-changing. While you don’t always have to use every single one, by recognising which can be successfully applied, you can certainly improve your organisation’s talent acquisition efforts!

Categories
Human Resource

Finding Talent… Easy? Not Really.

As competitions to hire the best talents to become fiercer, employers and recruitment agencies are struggling to fill open jobs. The race towards digitalization and IR 4.0 accelerated at breakneck speed due to the pandemic, and employers want talents who can lead the frontier.

The problem is, it seems like everyone is fishing from the same pool of talents.

Talent shortages are becoming more of a serious problem now than they have been for decades. The Great Resignation as it is in the US might not be happening in Malaysia but there have definitely been a lot of movements within the job market itself, as talents go and look for better opportunities elsewhere. Now, it’s a matter of attracting the best talent, and retaining the talent you already have.

So what can be done to tackle this problem?

Humanise the recruitment process

At Aisling, we recognize that the human element is crucial, and we try to reflect this in every aspect of our recruitment process.

During the pandemic where a lot of hiring has gone online, body language and small social cues might not be picked up as well. It is important to show the candidate that they are talking to a real person with who they can connect and communicate.

This will make it easier for a prospective hire to open up, where you might be able to see more of their personality and assess their suitability more accurately.

Employee experience is key

Focus on employee experience, which is a concept that describes the entire workplace experience, from their first day at the organization, their onboarding process, the day-to-day work experience, down to their last day at work.

Not only will this increase your chance of attracting the best talents, but it will also help in retaining talents, as they will be less likely to seek another opportunity.

Provide opportunities for them to upskill

Some might wonder – an organization might already be providing the best perks, but why do their employees still choose to leave?

Utilize relevant technology and tools such as psychometric assessments and various workshops to upskill your current and future workforce. ​

Often, great company culture and extensive benefits are great but many talents, especially nowadays, yearn for personal development as well. In this regard, organizations that do not provide employees with opportunities to learn and upskill, especially for the fear of them leaving the organization afterward, might stand a chance of losing their best talents.

Categories
Human Resource

Employability of Fresh Graduates Post-Covid

It is a known fact that more people are having a tough time finding a job that suits their skill sets; especially as the nature of the jobs is constantly changing to meet the agile needs of customers. As Heraclitus, the Greek philosopher once said, change is the only constant. But in today’s world, it is happening at a faster rate than say, fifty, or even twenty years ago. The solution? Agility.

Successful agility is best expressed by the acronym ADAPT: Awareness, Desire, Ability, Promote, and Transfer. By keeping customers’ needs in mind and making changes according to their feedback, successful companies not only deliver value to the customer but also ensure that the final product or service is truly according to their customers’ real-time requirements. More importantly, go-to-market time for products or services reaching the customers also gets shortened.

Now, let us discuss the value of agility with fresh graduates and how this trait is highly sought after today by employers.

For fresh graduates who have had to spend the last two years attending online classes, it has become evident that a lot of employers are not getting what they seeking. As a result, quite a large number of fresh graduates are finding it challenging to enter the labor market, especially if they are looking to join sectors that are feeling the worst effects from the pandemic; and this is not a problem specific to Malaysia. 

The discussion is what can fresh graduates do to enhance their employability? Allow me to share several pointers which I hope will be of value to all freshies out there!

1. Brush up on your English!

According to the president of Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF), Syed Hussain Syed Husman in an interview with Free Malaysia Today, those with a good command of the language receive better starting salaries, faster progression, global postings, and assignments. Learning English does not need to be through formal means. Watch movies, listen to songs in English,  practice speaking, and have fun while you perfect your English!

2. Be flexible and adaptable

Adaptability has long become a much sought-after skill, even before COVID. Work has become so fast-paced, with new challenges thrown every now and then that an employee who is able to adapt with ease would be an asset to an organization. There is no straightforward way to enhance your adaptability – ask questions, be willing to learn, make mistakes and own up to it, and you will be able to boss through any situation.

3. Boost your interpersonal skills

Interpersonal skills refer to the ability in facilitating effective interaction and communication with others, in both verbal and nonverbal ways. It enables you to be a valued team player – an integral part of many organizations and requires confidence, empathy, and communication skills, all of which could be built up if you would just step out of your comfort zone.

4. Teamwork makes the dream work

Some people think that they function best as a lone ranger, but when you work in an organization, more often than not, working with a team is necessary. After all, no one person can do everything under the sun! This is where your interpersonal skills come in, being able to work effectively in a team takes more than just agreeing and following orders. It is also about being able to voice out your thoughts and opinions in an effective manner.

5. Be tech-savvy (or savvier!)

Tech savviness is something that seems to come with everyone nowadays, with the rise of smartphones and accessibility to the internet. Do not stop there – try equipping yourselves with skills such as Photoshop or Illustrator (or the trusty old Canva), learn the ins and outs of social media – don’t stop at just being a user, try to understand the psyche of the users, be on top of recent trends, try to understand how the algorithm works and read the analytics (they’re more than just numbers!) – and you won’t regret it.

And there you have it, five areas that you can focus on if you are trying to enhance your employability and be the candidate that employers want. Move forward and seize your aspirations!