Professionals in Asia-Pacific keen to make career moves
Written by The Edge Wednesday, 22 June 2011 11:17
A global study conducted by global recruitment consultancy Robert Walters targeted at mid to senior level professionals with at least three to five years’ experience across all industries found that more than half of such professionals polled in Malaysia hope to make their next career move in the next three months.
Out of the total 2,835 respondents, 156 were Malaysians, of whom 88, or 56%, aim to make their next career move in the next three months. In the Asia-Pacific, Singapore professionals led the pack with 409 out of 667 respondents (61%) vowing to make their next career shift in the next three months while in Hong Kong, 81 out of 143 (57%) professionals desired to do the same.
Andrea Ross, managing director of Robert Walters Singapore and Malaysia, said in an email interview on May 30 that this keenness to move is reflective of the optimism professionals feel about the job market.
“In Asia, people are more opportunistic and willing to move jobs a lot sooner than what we would see in the Western world. Asia is a very competitive environment and candidates are very keen to hear about opportunities even if they have just moved recently. There tends to be a larger percentage of candidates in Singapore who are open to moving.
“Should a new company or industry be thriving in Singapore, we would most likely be inundated with calls from professionals for us to reach out to them, which compared to overseas, isn’t so prevalent. A high proportion of individuals are keen to see how they stack up against their peers with regard to salary, title, and if they’re taking a regional exposure, thus re-enforcing the competitive nature of Asia,” he added.
According to Sally Raj, country manager of Robert Walters Malaysia, there will be a higher number of professionals wanting to move this time of the year. She said professionals view the next three months as the last opportunity to switch before reaching the last quarter and qualifying for year-end bonuses.
Ross said that with such a large number of professionals looking to move, the challenge for recruiters will be to ensure there are appropriate roles available. According to Ross, professionals also need to reflect upon their own track record and may need to stay longer at companies to build their experience and reputations.
For employers, there will be an increase in turnover and pressure in retaining top talent.
“Retention strategies need to be in place all year through. While talent retention tends to intensify during the first quarter (after bonuses, regional postings, promotional opportunities), it is crucial for organisations to constantly share retention plans with their employees all year round by telling people what’s in store for them, with the right perimeters in place, for example. Employers should maintain a good approach, be good listeners to employees, maintain an open mind and be fair,” said Raj.
