M’sian Employers Prefer Full-Time Workers Over Freelancers

According to a survey, Malaysian businesses prioritise skills and prefer full-time workers over freelance or gig workers.

Among other findings, the first 2022 BrioHR SME Employer Sentiment Survey discovered a favourable employment outlook, with more than half of survey respondents actively recruiting extra workers in the last two years versus pre-pandemic levels.

According to the report, companies are having difficulty hiring people with excellent interpersonal, problem-solving, creative, and innovative skills.

BrioHR said the survey results show talent scarcity in IT, marketing, and sales. It added that hiring talent in these areas will continue to be a key concern for companies in 2022.

Despite a considerable skills shortage in IT, marketing, and sales, 54.3% of respondents are unwilling to hire freelancers or 'gig workers,' preferring full-time staff.

Employers continue to choose online recruitment tools

According to the report, the top three platforms for hiring employees that respondents favoured were:

1. Job listings, 

2. LinkedIn, and 

3. Referrals from current staff.

The 2022 BrioHR SME Employer Sentiment Survey was conducted from June to July 2022, with over 1,000 Malaysian industry leaders from various SME sectors participating.

Benjamin Croc, co-founder and CEO of BrioHR, stated that the poll produced fascinating results.

"It is encouraging to see the SME sector actively recruiting, as it demonstrates that they have recovered from the effects of the pandemic over the last two years. The findings also show that it is becoming more difficult for the SME sector to find talent within the roles and skill sets required. In addition to the skills gap, they must deal with wage inflation and labour competition as many employees migrate to industries that meet their lifestyle needs," he said.

Against the norm

Despite the scarcity of talent, Croc noted that more than half of poll respondents did not want to work with gig workers or freelancers, although this is the norm around the world.

According to him, this could be due to various variables, including company confidentiality, as these workers typically work for many organisations, often in the same field.

He added that businesses must invest in their people's growth and development. He stated that employees are less likely to look for work elsewhere if they are allowed to contribute their expertise to the organisation's important projects. 

As a result, businesses may choose to take actual actions to compete for talent, including:

• Improving the job design; 

• Resetting the organisation's compensation plan and work culture; and

• Providing staff with a more robust career experience.

While most poll respondents still favour online recruitment tools, Croc believes that referrals from within the organisation will result in speedier hiring.

"This is because employee referrals provide immediate access to talent as they are sourced through personal connections. Aside from this, referrals allow your new hires to learn about your company from the perspective of an employee. The new recruits will also have friends who can assist them in settling in quickly, reducing attrition and increasing retention. In some ways, your referral programme can also serve as an indicator of employee satisfaction."

Source: NST