MORE than 70% of young employees are considering leaving the country for better employment opportunities.

An Employment Hero research showed that 72% of the 1,004 staff surveyed are considering leaving Malaysia, citing better pay and improved career prospects. This total is significantly higher than that of neighbouring Singapore (55%).

Co-founder and chief executive officer Ben Thompson said the coronavirus pandemic has given talent many reasons to change career paths or venture overseas as the world opens up.

“The biggest indication that something needs to change is that 24% of Malaysians say they ‘love’ their job and 45% say they ‘like’ it, but most have already planned to leave it.

“This is a problem for local employers and should prompt many to reassess their policies, working culture and retention strategies.”

The report revealed that 61% of respondents are planning to look for a new role in the next 12 months – the highest rate out of all countries surveyed (Singapore 59%, Australia 48%, New Zealand 50%, the United Kingdom 55%).

“Of those who want to leave their organisation, the top reason is a lack of career development (36%), followed by a lack of appreciation or recognition (27%) and training opportunities (26%).

“Other reasons are no pay rise, management matters, feeling overworked and a lack of flexibility.” – Bernama, November 16, 2021.