Nowadays, my wife and I frequently play a game called Spot the Desperate Employer. Whenever we go out, we keep track of the number of 'We're Hiring' signs displayed at stores, eateries and offices. And there are plenty. After a while, we stop counting and one of us will wonder aloud: 'Where are all these people?'
We are being rhetorical, of course; there is no mystery to the missing workers. The answers to that question have been widely discussed and are well-documented.
Migrant migration
Many other countries are facing labour shortages, too. The Great Resignation has led to the Great Recruitment. It is yet another reset triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic. As the virus pushed healthcare systems close to breaking point, paralysed economies and upended lives, it also shook up the job market.
The migrant workers, whom many businesses in Malaysia rely on, went home and few have returned. Employees in hard-hit industries have moved on to other sectors and places, and they are often reluctant to take up their old positions, especially if they now enjoy better pay and working conditions. Others have discovered ways to earn a living that afford more freedom and flexibility, thanks largely to the internet and social media.
The pandemic has reshuffled our priorities and has made us rethink our place in society and the economy
A different prism
Overall, the pandemic has compelled people to look at work through a different prism.
It has been proven that working from home and virtual meetings and events are viable options. Who says doing our jobs must always entail being physically present at specific locations during certain hours? With that long-held notion bruised and battered, we are awake to other opportunities that may help us maintain work-life balance.
The pandemic has also reshuffled our priorities and has made us rethink our place in society and the economy, thus impacting our roles as workers.
Some people call this shift in attitudes and expectations a reimagining of work, and that fits just fine.
Wishful thinking?
While employees are thinking a lot about how things should or can change in the workplace and in how they do their jobs, are business leaders spending enough time and effort on shaping the future of work?
It appears that they are not doing so. Some are merely waiting for things to snap back to how they were in the pre-Covid-19 days. That may be wishful thinking. Passiveness amid huge socioeconomic disruptions can kill a business.
Even worse than that is the tone-deaf statements from industry associations as they urge the authorities to do more to facilitate the hiring of workers from abroad. They drag out the script that has been in use for so long – the one that says the locals are very picky, make unreasonable demands and have a poor work ethic. They sometimes lament that that there are still no takers despite offers of 'competitive' salaries to Malaysians.
Recruitment and retention strategies cannot be simplistic or incidental
Beyond dollars and cents
The fact is, the employers can surely do more to attract local workers.
Businesses have to accept that the employment market no longer operates overwhelmingly on the principle of 'If you pay, they will come'. Yes, a high salary remains a potent incentive, but people also prefer to work in purpose-driven organisations offering fulfilling careers that go above dollars and cents. Elements such as sustainability, mental health, DEI (diversity, equality and inclusion), flexibility, pay transparency and employee support are increasingly relevant in the fight for talent.
Recruitment and retention strategies cannot be simplistic or incidental. Businesses prosper by having good products and services that stand out in their markets and by serving their customers well. But that is not all there is to it.
The pandemic has emphatically shown that a winning business formula must incorporate the needs of employees. In our world today, the odds are stacked against uncaring employers.
