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Is the Great Resignation sweeping away Malaysian and Indonesian marketers?

Is the Great Resignation sweeping away Malaysian and Indonesian marketers?

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The Great Resignation has taken the world by storm over the past two years and the marketing and sales industry isn't spared from it either. The majority of marketing and sales talent from Malaysia (84%) have thought of resigning in the past year compared to the country's average of 82%. On the other hand, 39.37% of these professionals are aligned with the national average (39%) when it comes to professionals thinking of resigning but not actually leaving their jobs. 

According to Robert Walters, most didn't follow through on the intention to resign (58%) because they haven't found the most suitable job. The uncertainty about the new workplace's culture (26%) and concern about job security at a new company (25%) were the next two reasons. Employees in Malaysia value flexible work arrangements (44%), colleagues and culture that inspire employees to do their best (43%), and excellent compensation and benefits (41%).

Meanwhile, the majority of them (66.4%) are looking to change jobs within the next year, similar to the national average of 66%. More marketing and sales talents have also reevaluated their relationships to work in the past year (89%), 3% higher than the national average. That said, 61.97% are uncomfortable leaving their jobs without another one lined up, slightly lower than the national average of 62%. 

On the employer front, the majority of companies in Malaysia (81.8%) think employee turnover for the marketing and sales function has increased over the past year, slightly lower than the national average of 87%, statistics from Robert Walters found. Although most companies find it difficult to hire new talent (81%), this was still 2% lower than the national average in Malaysia. 

High expectations for salary and benefits were cited as the main challenge faced by 66% of employers when sourcing staff, followed by high competition for candidates (55%) and lacking industry experience (44%). That said, 58% have said they have matched or increased salaries while 56% said they have provided opportunities for training and upskilling (56%). Meanwhile, 44% said they have provided a clear pathway for career development.

Meanwhile in Indonesia, compared to the national average of 65%, more talent in the marketing and sales sector are looking to change jobs within the next year (69%). More than also relooked at their relationship to work in the past year (89%), making it 4% higher than Indonesia's average of 85%. Like their Malaysian counterparts, 68% of them are uncomfortable leaving their jobs without another one lined up. Interestingly, the national average is lower, standing at 62%. 

Like their Malaysian counterparts, 59% of employers in Indonesia have matched or increased employees' salaries while 48% have offered opportunities for training and upskilling. Meanwhile, 46% have provided a clear pathway for career development. Most Indonesian employees have yet to resign as they haven't found the most suitable job (56%). They also face the challenge of not having many opportunities in a similar field (23%) and are concerned about job security at the new company (21%).

Interestingly, in Indonesia, Robert Walters found that the Great Resignation wave had a lesser impact on marketing and sales talent. Only 45% of companies think that employee turnover has increased in the past year compared to the national average of 50%. This was also significantly lower than their counterparts in Malaysia. While high salary and benefit expectations (53%) were among the top three challenges faced by Indonesian employers when hiring, most cited the lack of technical qualifications (59%) as the main challenge. Meanwhile, the lack of experience (46%) was also another challenge.

At the same time, 73% of marketing and sales talents in Indonesia have thought of resigning in the past year, 4% lower than the national average and 11% lower than those in Malaysia. Around 45.83% of them are thinking of resigning but are not actually leaving their jobs. 

Robert Walters surveyed 2,638 professionals and 1,131 companies across six Southeast Asia countries (Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam) for a period of two weeks in June 2022.

Find out how to manage your internal comms strategy in this era of Great Resignation. Meet Asia’s top PR and communication leaders in-person. PR Asia sets the stage for the future of purpose-driven contemporary PR. Join us on 9 November as we gather Asia’s top PR and communication practitioners in-person in Malaysia. Deep dive into the next necessary steps for PR as we head towards 2023. Only at #PRAsia.

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