Flexible working options have remained a consistent top priority for job seekers in Malaysia amid the pandemic, according to a report from Hays.

The report found that on the subject of flexibility, 85% of respondents in Malaysia said that remote working options had become more important to them after the pandemic, with a further 81% saying flexible hours had become more important and 60% said structured hours had become less important to them.

But while more employers have ramped up their remote working offerings from pre-pandemic (31%) to post-pandemic (54%), Hays’ results show a moderate increase in the number of employers who offered flexible hours pre-pandemic (47%) and post (51%).

Tom Osborne, Managing Director for Hays Malaysia, said, “Malaysia’s workforce has long made a case for remote and flexible working, with many owing this sentiment to the long and often tedious commute to workplaces over large distances. That this opinion has only been exacerbated by the pandemic shows little doubt over what the workforce wants from a workplace of the future.”

“With the acceleration of digital adoption, it may be difficult for respondents in Malaysia to imagine a workplace that does not offer flexible working hours, if not remote working entirely. The rising sentiment in favour of employee wellbeing is tied to flexibility, an important aspect of work life balance, and is unlikely to dissipate in an increasingly volatile world,” Osborne said.

Additionally, the report found 75% said employee wellbeing had become more important to them, but 31% of organisations currently offered this, indicating a large gap.

“A workplace of the future will recognise that employee wellbeing not only inspires purpose, but also protects its most important resources for progress and change – its people,” Osborne said.

The majority deem work-life balance as important/very important (96%), while 92% say flexible working options and remote working options (81%) contributed to better work life balance.

The majority, or 67%, of respondents in Malaysia were willing to compromise on work-life balance for increased salary or benefits, indicating that the value they sought was more tangible than learning (42%), job security (41%) or feeling purpose and connection to their role (46%).

Meanwhile, 94% of respondents in Malaysia said that purpose or meaning played an important/very important role in motivating an employee. When asked what constituted meaningful work, the majority of respondents said ‘being part of an organisation that values employee wellbeing’ (78%) followed by ‘opportunities to use specialised skills that are unique to you’ (72%) and ‘being recognised and rewarded for your contributions’ (66%).

However, 41% of respondents said they currently experienced being part of an organisation that values employee wellbeing and 42% say they are recognised and rewarded.

Nearly half, or 40% of organisations in Malaysia offered opportunities for workers to use specialised skillsets that are unique to them.