61% of respondents said that it has been a struggle to acquire new skills in their current role to adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic. This sentiment is the highest among younger workers (aged 18 to 24 years old), with 69% facing difficulties to acquire new skills in this climate; as opposed to 49% of respondents aged 55 to 67 years old.
Randstad Malaysia today released the second edition of its 2020 Workmonitor survey which highlights the greatest concerns and challenges candidates are facing in the employment market. The survey was conducted in October across 34 markets around the world, with a minimum of 400 respondents in each market.
employees and employers need to keep pace with changing skills requirements
The rapid digital transformation we experienced in 2020 has driven the demand for professionals equipped with transferable technical knowledge, soft skills and are adaptable in new environments. The opportunity to learn stakeholder management and leadership 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.
To enhance their own employability in an increasingly competitive labour market, nine in 10 respondents regularly refresh their skills and competencies.
Job and skills requirements, even for the same job titles, have changed significantly pre-and-post pandemic as a result of digital transformation. In the long term, an unskilled workforce can mean a smaller talent pool for employers to tap on. Already, 70% of respondents believe that employers will have trouble finding the right talent in the future.
“Employers have high expectations of their candidates, as they want to invest in someone who is digitally-adept, agile and innovative, independent yet collaborative. The development of the human capital requires a collective effort between education institutions, governments, organisations and employees themselves.
workers are attracted to working environments that provide learning and development opportunities.
55% of respondents want to work in an open environment where they can safely share and receive constructive feedback. Additionally, 44% of respondents are attracted to 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, as well as an opportunity to be involved, employees are able to acquire new skills and gain valuable experiences.
It is important 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.
want to know more insights about the employment market?
Randstad conducts the Workmonitor survey to explore the changes in candidates’ expectations and challenges twice a year to help employers manage their talent attraction and employee engagement strategies.
Besides Workmonitor surveys, our recruiting consultants at Randstad Malaysia also regularly prepare market maps and surveys to keep ourselves up-to-date with the latest talent movements and workforce trends. Connect with us if you want to know more about what’s happening in your space.