THE 14th general election has raised hiring prospects in Malaysia, with 63% of employers having an optimistic outlook on hiring and 36% considering increasing salaries by up to 5%, said a study by online job distribution site Jobstore.com.

The positive job prospects is reflected in the fact that 48% of employers are looking to step up hiring, said the GE14 Salary Survey Report released today.

“This is a 12% increase from the period before GE14. Only 15% of employers mentioned they will maintain the same hiring level.”

The survey results are based on the online activities of 1.2 million job-seekers, human resource managers, recruiters and company owners.

Jobstore.com country manager Carmen Chong said the survey showed that the growing confidence of employers correlates with an 11% increase in job postings, of which 5% were for executive-level jobs, after the elections.

She said with the increased hiring activity, employers should look into meeting the needs of employees so as to be competitive in terms of talent attraction and retention.

Apart from higher salaries, employees are also seeking better benefits, with medical insurance, transportation allowance and retirement fund listed as the top three.

“Essentially, it is important for employers to find a balance between employees’ desired benefits and the offered benefits to retain and attract talent,” said Chong.

“Salary increments are just the first step to attract potential talent.”

The report listed six job categories with the highest demand last year and this year – sales and marketing; information technology; customer service; food and beverage, and tourism and hospitality; finance and accounting; and, engineering.

These jobs are described as “high-skilled, strategic and in demand” due to current market and business trends.

Many expecting bigger pay

The site also found that almost all workers in different industries expect their salaries to increase after the May 9 polls.

The IT sector recorded the highest percentage of employees expecting pay increments, at 98%.

From fresh graduates to directors and senior managers, IT employees are seeking salary hikes of between 6% and 20%.

Those in the legal, public and security industries were second-highest in terms of pay rise expectations (87%), while the business, service, public relations, media, communications, sales and marketing sectors came in third (68%).

In the health, beauty and fitness industries, 66% of workers are expecting salary increments, while 60% of those working in education, training and human resources hope for the same.

Medical directors making RM20,000 to RM30,000 a month want a 12% pay increase, while those in management and senior executive positions, like aesthetic doctors and medical specialists, who earn RM12,000 to RM100,000, hope for a 6% to 8% hike.

However, for those working in the education, training and human resources sectors, at the director and senior-management levels, with salaries ranging from RM10,000 to RM50,000, their pay is expected to drop by 2% to 3%.

The report said science and R&D, or research and development, workers at various levels – from senior managers to junior executives – are also expecting negative salary adjustments, from -1% to -7%.

Only entry-level workers earning between RM1,300 and RM3,500 expect a pay hike of 6% to 8%. – July 12, 2018.