NEWS
Malaysian candidates motivated by premium salary for contract roles
Highlights from Robert Walters Employee Insights Survey (Asia)

Oct 2009 | International recruitment consultancy Robert Walters launched its inaugural Employee Insights Survey Asia in September, a biannual report which aims to provide insights on how people work and their thoughts on current issues affecting both their job and the professional decisions they make.

In an email survey, over 3,200 professional candidates across Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, China and Thailand were asked a series of career and work/life-related questions. The market spotlight is on contracting, and the key motivators affecting candidates’ decisions to take on contract roles.

Key findings for Malaysia:
• More than half of Malaysian candidates (50%) chose “a premium salary” as the key motivator for taking on a contract role;

• 18% of Malaysians view contracting as an opportunity to get their foot into an industry/company that they really want to work for

• Only 14% of local professionals will consider contracting if there are a lack of permanent job options.

Ross Mckenzie, Country Manager of Robert Walters Malaysia commented:
“Contracting is increasingly being seen as a viable alternative to permanent roles, both by employees and employers. While the Malaysian economy has not been as badly affected as others, there has still been an increase in demand for contract employees and recognition that contracting can provide lucrative and challenging roles for both short and long term assignments. Contracting in outsourcing and IT is particularly favoured in Malaysia because it is highly advantageous for msc status companies who are able to bring in foreign knowledge workers with specialist skills, and for the quick learning curve that varied contracting roles offer Malaysian IT professionals.”

FAST FACTS

• Almost half of the respondents (49%) in Hong Kong hope to find a new job in three month’s time

• In China, more than one third of the respondents (40%) expect to receive more bonus than the year before

• Hong Kong respondents are the most conservative in their bonus expectations – more than one third (37%) think they will not receive any bonus for 2009

• 35% of Malaysian candidates expect more than a 20% increase in salary when moving to a new job

• Thai employees appear to be most loyal – 30% of the respondents think it is important to change jobs only after five years or more

• 25% of respondents in Singapore will consider taking on contract roles if there is a lack of permanent job options

• More than half of all respondents across Asia (52%) said there was no change in their salaries in 2009, indicating the salaries have been holding steady despite the global economic turmoil.

About the Employee Insights Survey Asia
The Employee Insights Survey Asia surveyed more than 3,200 professionals over five countries across Asia: Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, China and Thailand. The survey results provide a snapshot of how people work and their thoughts on current issues affecting both their job and the professional decisions they make.

The Survey is designed to collect insights on work/life issues facing working professionals across Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong and China. The figures represent the total number of responses across the five markets in Asia.

This Survey indicated :-

In Hong Kong and Singapore
- more than 50% of employees surveyed revealed that they had not been given any salary increase this year.
- Hong Kong employees were the least optimistic, with 37% of the respondents believing that they would not get a bonus for 2009.

In China
- In contrast, respondents from China seemed to be less affected by the current economic climate – about 40% said they expect to receive a higher bonus than in 2008. The various foreign investments flowing through China as well as the upcoming World Expo 2010 in Shanghai which targets to draw more than 70 million visitors and 200 participants from around the world - might have proven to be a timely buffer for the Chinese economy. This in turn led to an increased level of confidence and higher bonus expectations.

Across Asia
- When asked how often they believe it is important to change jobs, close to 55% of respondents across Asia felt that changing jobs every three to five years would be a reasonable timeline. However, the current volatile market and changing economic environment have made candidates more cautious about changing jobs, and appreciative of the importance of stability and long-term career choices.

Source :Robert Walters. Excerpts from the Survey