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Month: September 2022

Categories
Human Resource

MEET GEN Z: THE NEXT GENERATION OF WORKERS

According to Forbes, Gen Z will make up 27% of the workforce in OECD countries and a third of the world’s population by 2025. Now is the time for us to take affirmative steps to endear ourselves to this generation.

The working philosophy of this generation differs from that of previous generations. A recent article in The Star by UCSI Poll Research Centre chief executive officer Assoc Prof Dr Eugene Pek Chuen Kee emphasises the importance of meaningful work, work-life balance, career development, perks, benefits, coaching, and empowerment for this latest generation of workers

Considering that Gen Z is the first generation of “digital natives”, they were born into a world of peak technological innovation and instant access to information. Furthermore, compared to previous generations, they are more pragmatic and socially aware.

To retain and attract Gen Z employees, what can employers do to appeal to them?
While Boomers seek career advancement and financial rewards, Gen X strives for work-life balance, and while Millennials prioritise training, mentoring, and feedback, Gen Z appears to want all of those and more.

This generation needs to work for companies with values that align with their own. Furthermore, diversity, equality, and inclusion will allow them to demand greater personalisation in their career development.

As a result, employers must be ready to adapt and evolve to attract the best and brightest of the generation. In most cases, this means developing a great employee profile that embodies the values loved by Gen Z.

The key to attracting them is also to offer robust internal apprenticeship programmes, latticed career paths, and flexibility in the workplace. In addition, companies should leverage the expertise of Gen X, Gen Y, and Boomers to help mentor Gen Z.

 In terms of work, Gen Z will have quite different expectations than previous generations. Organisations must also acknowledge Gen Z’s expectation that their work matters. It will be important for these young workers to devote their time to worthwhile endeavours and feel as though their efforts have a positive impact.

Do you have what it takes to win over Generation Z?

Categories
Human Resource

EMPLOYEE STRESS IS AT AN ALL-TIME HIGH: WHAT CAN WE DO?

Employee in Tension

Globally, almost everyone is experiencing more stress these days. People are experiencing increased anxiety despite the worst of the pandemic has passed, as well as rising inflation, economic turmoil, and political instability.

Gallup State of the Global Workplace Report indicates that stress levels in 2021 were even higher than in 2020, when they had already reached a record high, with 44% admitting to having “a lot of daily stress” the day before.

Employee engagement statistics are just as dismal. Study results show that only 21% of workers worldwide report feeling engaged at work.

More recently, UOB conducted an ASEAN Consumer Sentiment Study that polled 3,500 people from Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam. The survey, which covered societal progress; individual financial behaviour, and career prospects; consumer digital evolution; sustainability; and future financial trends, found that one in two Malaysians (49%) is the most stressed about work, followed by Singapore (46%), Thailand (32%), Vietnam (29%), and Indonesia (28%).

Yoga Women
Gossips with Colleagues

Stress: The Silent Killer of Productivity

When employees are faced with so many external and internal stressors, their performance and health are bound to suffer. It is also possible for low morale to spread. It has been suggested that self-care is one of the most effective ways to cope with stress, but sometimes employees do not realise this until it is too late. 

It is therefore extremely helpful for businesses and employers if they can spot the first signs of stress and burnout and assist their employees. 

Experts recommend the following strategies for businesses and employers to help staff cope with stress:

  1. Encouraging employees to benefit from wellness advice or programmes, yoga or meditation courses, and webinars on stress management;
  2. Making sure employees take regular breaks;
  3. Encouraging employees to go for a daily walk, spend time with friends or a significant other after work, engage in hobbies, enjoy music, and take vacations;
  4. Redesigning the work environment so it is more conducive and comfortable and allows for increased productivity; and
  5. Providing added health benefits for employees, such as cognitive behavioural therapy training for workers and routine health surveillance screening for high blood pressure and stress symptoms

    Stress, undoubtedly, is a silent and frequently overlooked factor. To reach their full potential, employees can feel supported at work by creating a healthier, safer, and more productive work environment. 
Categories
Human Resource

AUTOMATING HR PROCESSES IS ONE OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE METHODS FOR INCREASING QUALIFIED CANDIDATES

HR Processes

Recruiting is never an easy task, and it’s becoming more difficult in the new normal. It has also become clear to candidates that they are no longer restricted to local job opportunities because of flexible working hours and remote working opportunities. Talent wars are not coming to an end anytime soon, and attracting good talent is time-consuming and challenging at the same time. 

While many organisations and businesses are undergoing technological transformation, there are still a lot of tech-driven areas that are underutilised. Even though online meetings and online interviews are becoming more and more common, not as many people are using data and automation to streamline HR processes as they could be.

As it pertains, it is relatively easier to find candidates who fit the culture of the organisation, but it is more difficult to find candidates who are qualified for the jobs. It is helpful in these situations to re-evaluate our expectations.

HR Practices

The automation of hiring can help you save time, particularly if you are hiring at scale.

Automated pre-screening processes can assist organisations in the detection of unqualified candidates as early as possible by weeding them out as soon as possible.

There are several ways in which this can be accomplished, such as adding more pre-qualification questions, such as self-assessment questions or quizzes, as part of the recruitment process. There will be a significant reduction in the number of candidates as a result. As such, consistent hiring decisions will be achieved since a large number of variables that influence the qualities and performance of specific workplaces will be eliminated.

An automated hiring process will also provide candidates with many benefits. Since automation allows recruiters and hiring managers to invest more time in building relationships with their applicants, the candidates’ experience is improved; as a result of quicker responses from hiring managers and recruiters.

 In the end, automation can be a great tool for organisations and staffing agencies to improve their hiring and recruitment processes and make them more efficient and pleasant for everyone, thereby improving the candidate experience in general.

There is no reason to think that automation is going to replace recruiters or hiring managers, but rather it will give them the chance to redirect their attention to other aspects of their responsibilities, such as building relationships and finding more creative ways to attract top talent.

Amid the world moving to a new frontier at a breakneck pace, we must move along with it or risk being left behind.

Categories
Blog

THE QUIET QUITTING PHENOMENON: WHAT IS IT AND WHAT CAN HR DO TO ADDRESS IT?

Working in Recruitment agency

“Quiet quitting” is the latest buzz phrase that has been gaining traction among workers, especially Millennials and Gen Zs in the United States following the Great Resignation.

In essence, this phenomenon can be described as workers refusing to go beyond what is expected of them in their jobs. 

Employees who belong to this group are focused on retaking control of their time and setting boundaries; in turn, they reject the idea that work should be the central focus of their life.

The term “Quiet Quitting” itself might be new but the phenomenon of “Quiet Quitting” has been around for quite some time, under different names, for generations, and it is not restricted to just the United States. It also might not affect a whole group of people at the same time. The older generations might have called it “slacking off” or “coasting”, and the phenomenon has been studied under various labels for decades, i.e. disengagement, neglect, and withdrawal.

Recruitment discussion

There are some factors contributing to “Quiet Quitting”, such as a shift in attitude to work brought about by the pandemic, which is at the core of many workplace trends today. As a result of the lack of sense of connection to their work and the desire to focus on family and personal life, some employees are not as willing to engage in a ‘hustle culture’ as they used to be.

Several experts argue that the phenomenon suggests that employees are committing to healthier work boundaries and aren’t just slacking off or not making an effort. Having said that, “Quiet Quitting” can be troubling because it has the potential to go beyond simply striking a better work-life balance. When employees are disengaged, they can easily become complacent and not want to work hard enough to advance in their careers or develop skills and knowledge that will help grow them and the companies they serve.

There is also a possibility that their lack of motivation and flexibility can affect their ability to work in a team setting, and this situation might not be ideal for HR to manage.

 What can HR do to address Quiet Quitting?
  1. As a starting point, managers and leaders should strive, as much as possible, to prevent this phenomenon from happening before its time. As an employer, you can use this as an opportunity to reengage your employees by asking them what interests them in their work and letting them determine their priorities.
  2. Keeping the lines of communication open is another way to ensure that employees feel heard and appreciated when a job is done well, and this also applies to tasks that are completed during normal working hours, rather than just those that require long hours of dedication. 

  3. Also, HR should recognise and respond to the different concepts of work and work-from-home environments that exist today and identify ways to make these inviting and comfortable for employees across generational divides.

Categories
Professional Development

Taking Action To Address Talent Shortage

Work Progress

In the third quarter of 2022, many companies will have a better understanding of how to refine and fine-tune their business strategies to gain a competitive advantage. Despite this, businesses continue to seek solutions to talent shortage.

In an article published in The Edge, Datuk William Ng, Chairman of the Small and Medium Enterprise Association of Malaysia (Samenta), stated that Penang alone does not have enough engineers to support the semiconductor boom and that manufacturers in neighbouring countries are poaching local skilled workers.

Additionally, Samenta estimates that SMEs lack between one million and 1.5 million workers, translating into lost production of between RM90 billion and RM135 billion.

Work in Recruitment agency

The development of internal talent is a common solution offered by businesses, and for a good reason as well. The majority of existing employees already have a vested interest in the company, are familiar with the culture, and have an understanding of the people, processes, and procedures of the organisation. As a result, they can ramp up quickly into their new positions.

Employee Retention

Learning, guidance, and mentoring programs, as well as reskilling and upskilling opportunities, can also contribute to employee retention and long-term success.

Considering the current talent shortage, organisations must re-evaluate their traditional criteria and benchmarks when searching for talent. Although university degrees and years of relevant experience remain important, recruiters should also consider the candidates’ ability to learn and adapt to changing conditions.

Providing flexibility in terms of working hours or even location can also be a draw factor, especially for those who may have been out of the workforce during the pandemic due to changing responsibilities.

It is also important to emphasise employee retention, as high employee turnover is costly for businesses and can harm the workforce and the culture of the organization. Business leaders can achieve all of these objectives if they are willing to adopt an innovative approach to addressing the talent shortage.