PETALING JAYA: The rising rate of unemployment seems to be of little concern to young Malaysians. Many are prepared to quit their current positions before the year is out.
However, experts are not surprised. Fahad Naeem, who heads operations at Randstad Malaysia, said Millennial and Gen Z workers are largely self-taught “digital natives” who are comfortable working their way around new technology, making them easily excited about trying something new.
“As businesses move forward with their digital transformation, Millennials and Gen Zers also see it as the time to look for new career opportunities,” Naeem told theSun.
A recent survey conducted by Randstad, a human resource solutions provider, showed that one in four in the Gen Z (aged 18 to 24) and Millennial (aged 25 to 34) generations plan to switch jobs this year.
Between the two groups, a higher proportion of Millennials (28%) have expressed a desire to look for something new compared with 24% of Gen Zers.
On the other hand, only 22% of Gen Xers (aged 35 to 54) will risk trying out something new. Last are Baby Boomers, with only 8% of having a desire to move.
Overall, 72% of those interviewed cite attractive salaries and benefits as a good reason to change jobs, just ahead of work-life balance at 69%.
A total of 2,523 persons, 53% of whom women, were interviewed in the survey. Of the total, 10% were from Gen Z, 32% were Millennials, 52% were Gen Xers, with Baby Boomers making up the remaining 6%.
Gen Xers and Millennials are also harder to please.
Srithren Krishnan, head of human resource for Asia at Arena Group, said companies are now expected to offer some form of digital incentives such as paid internet service and to underwrite the cost of setting up a workstation at the employee’s home.
These workers also expect flexible hours and options to work from home on certain days of the week, and they expect these benefits to be written into their contract.
While this job-hopping culture has brought some benefits, such as flexible work hours and perhaps higher remuneration, it has also given young workers a bad reputation.
Employers see them as disloyal and in some cases, things have not worked out as planned, leading to loss of employment and eventual bankruptcy. Many who change jobs are also likely to end up disappointed.
In a developing nation like Malaysia, Srithren said, work-life balance is impossible, at least for the next 10 years.
Higher remuneration may just be another elusive dream. Srithren pointed out that at RM1,200, the minimum salary in Malaysia is still among the lowest in the region.
“In the end, people are expected to produce more for less money,” he said.
But apart from more money and work-life balance, other factors also determine how much a person is prepared to change jobs.
According to Manoharan Ramachandran, director of Business Services at JobXcel, an organisation’s reputation influences a person’s decision in joining the company.
“There is no point having a high salary if you cannot get job satisfaction and you have to work in a disorganised environment or where the work culture is toxic,” he told theSun.
