Strategy and management are essential to leading a company through crisis; but at the heart of any organisation is its people, and organisations around the world have been celebrating the pivotal role that employees have played in tiding their company through unprecedented challenges.

While jobs in some sectors in Malaysia continue to be impacted by fallout from COVID-19, business critical roles like accounting and finance continue to display stability. The steady stream of opportunities in the sector can be attributed to Malaysia’s popularity as a location for Shared Service Centres (SSC) and an influx of business and developments in the financial services space.

The global COVID-19 crisis has already transformed the world of work, with much of its impact still unfolding. As the situation continues to develop and the road to recovery is expected to be a long one, business leaders and professionals must adapt and be agile to the challenges that are presented to them on a daily basis, with valuable lessons to be learned along the way.

Keeping the workforce productive and engaged so an organisation emerges from the current crisis in the best possible position is a key priority for business leaders today. According to Hays CEO Alistair Cox, who recently shared his advice on the topic, there are eight key steps employers can take to guide staff through the current period of uncertainty and establish new, productive ways of working to deliver value to their customers.

As staff who can work from home continue to do so across Malaysia, managers may find it challenging to continue ensuring their team’s wellbeing is cared for and productivity maintained. Tom Osborne, Managing Director at Hays in Malaysia, believes that a few changes in management style are enough to keep a team connected and motivated through this time.

As countries around the world continue in their battle against COVID-19 at varying stages, in China, the worst appears to have been overcome. Today, most of China’s businesses are gradually resuming operations, providing the world with an invaluable frame of reference as they prepare to return to work.

Hays, the leading recruiting expert, has launched a free online training portal designed to help employers and teams in Malaysia grow the skills they need to function effectively and thrive in the current working environment.

More businesses in Malaysia are working remotely than ever before in an effort to combat the Covid-19 crisis. But while employees may now be well acquainted with working from home, this way of working can also present challenges that are difficult to spot at times – such as feelings of isolation and loneliness.

The current world of work in Malaysia is operating more remotely than it ever has before; and while this is crucial to maintaining the health and safety of employees, adjusting to this way of working may result in employers facing certain challenges which need to be managed, says recruiting experts, Hays.

Uncertainty in the current world of work is posing a challenge to established hiring practices, particularly when it comes to interviewing potential candidates for a new role. Virtual recruitment methods like video interviews are invaluable in overcoming the challenges of remote hiring, while having the additional benefits of saving companies time and creating more efficient processes.