There are some serious considerations that are holding them back from sending in that resignation letter, chief of which is the fear of not being able to secure a new job in these uncertain times.
These factors show that professionals in Malaysia and other parts of Southeast Asia still value job security, according to global recruitment firm Robert Walters.
A survey it conducted recently in Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore showed that 59% of those who talked about throwing in the towel never did without a new job offer.
If conditions were right, 81% of those who thought of resigning were willing to change their minds.
These professionals also highly valued good salary packages, strong leadership and a healthy workplace culture, Robert Walters said in a statement issued today, debunking the much-publicised “great resignation” myth in the region.
Malaysia pipped Singapore and Thailand to the position of having the highest proportion of professionals who have considered quitting. It scored 82% compared with 80% each for its northern and southern neighbours.
Of those who have considered quitting their jobs, 39% never left. Of those who stayed on, 58% did so because they could not secure new jobs, 26% were uncertain about the work culture and suitability at the new workplace and 25% had concerns about job security at the new company.
Yet, four out of five of them would reconsider their intention to resign if conditions at their current place of employment were right, the statement said.
Companies are responding to the difficulty in getting new hires in various ways. For instance, 58% of professionals seeking to leave have been offered matching salary increases, 56% have received offers of training and upskilling opportunities and the way has been cleared for career development for 44% of them.
The results of the survey showed that positive employee experiences were important in today’s work environment, Robert Walters Malaysia country manager Ai Rene Tan said.
“Recognising and rewarding strong talent, job security and meeting employees’ desire for better well-being are important to attract and retain talent,” she said.
She pointed out that good leadership and positive workplace culture would also make a critical difference in the hiring of new talents.