HR professionals whose expertise lie in learning and development, talent management, change management and transformation are an extremely sought-after breed, especially so if such talent possess digital adoption or digital project management experience to boot, according to recruitment experts Hays.

The top skills/experience in Malaysia’s HR industry in demand are:

• Learning & Development
• Talent Management
• Change Management & Transformation.
• Shared service setup experience

“We are noticing that the digitalisation of many HR processes, businesses in the country are embracing technologies to enhance the work of HR professionals, rather than take it completely away from them. Robots and digital disruption are far from causing doom as they are a bloom of the HR function,” says Tom Osborne, Managing Director at Hays Malaysia.

“As businesses undergo transformation –– from mergers and acquisitions to digital adoption –– there are exciting times ahead for the entire company. The HR function will always play a crucial role in building a solid workforce with capable talent to support the business needs. To survive and thrive under such conditions, HR talent should seize every opportunity to develop their skillsets and broaden their horizons.”

The global recruitment firm also notes that organisations in Malaysia are turning to both foreign talent and HR professionals in consultancy firms, while also upskilling their existing workforce.

“For over two years, the dearth in candidates with the digital transformation experience has resulted in a challenge for companies to secure the right talent to see HR digitalisation projects to fruition. To overcome the talent shortage, many firms have been turning to consulting firms to provide digitalisation solutions. Others turn to neighbouring countries such as Singapore and Hong Kong for adept talent, although the market is highly competitive and requires premium offer packages to entice foreign candidates,” adds Tom.

“To have a competitive edge, HR professionals are urged to not only upskill or reskill if needed but to also work cohesively with business leaders and display their commercial acumen. It would also be in the best interest of aspiring HR business partners to understand the market in which their company operates and be in the know of industry news and best practices through attending events and being active in networking groups.”

For the full Inside Story report of HR in Malaysia, please click here.

Last updated on July 15th, 2019