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Malaysia – Returning nationals to ease talent crunch in 2015

29 January 2015

The Malaysian employment market is likely to remain largely candidate-driven in 2015, with top performing professionals commanding multiple job opportunities, as well as counter offers, according to the latest annual Global Salary Survey from recruitment firm Robert Walters.

Local companies have also shown greater interest in hiring Malaysians with experience in overseas markets due to their global exposure and knowledge of the domestic business culture.

The drive to recruit Malaysians currently working abroad was largely a result of strong initiatives from Malaysian government agency TalentCorp, which actively engaged with local talent working overseas under its Returning Expert Program. In 2014, these skilled candidates were particularly in demand within the IT, finance and banking sectors.

The survey suggests that, on average, professionals who secure new positions will expect a 10% to 20% salary increment in 2015. However, if demand continues to exceed supply, candidates are likely to receive counter offers, which will drive salaries up further.

Sally Raj, Country Manager of Robert Walters Malaysia, commented: "Malaysia enjoyed healthy growth due to expansion within the shared services industry and the entrance of multinational hubs. This was largely attributed to the government's policies, which allow ease in setting up business operations.”

“As a result, we also saw more intense competition between organisations for top talent. To address the demand for quality Malaysian professionals in a limited candidate pool, companies have turned their attention to attracting local overseas talent to strengthen the domestic workforce."