In its Fresh Graduate Report 2018, JobStreet said 8% of employers perceived fresh graduates as good, an increase of 4% from 2017.
The survey also showed that 79% of employers perceived fresh graduates as average – a 4% increase from 75% in 2017 – and 13% of employers perceived fresh graduates as bad – a decrease of 8% from 21% last year.
It is not known how many employers took part in the survey, the results of which were released today.
The report also highlighted the long-standing gap between the asking salaries of fresh graduates and the salaries that bosses were willing to offer.
According to the survey, 32% of fresh graduates ask for a starting salary of RM3,000 and above, but only 9% of employers are willing to meet this demand.
However, this is an improvement from a survey conducted by JobStreet last August, which showed that only 2% of employers are willing to pay fresh graduates a starting salary of RM3,000.
The employers surveyed by JobStreet in its 2018 report said their top five reasons for not employing fresh graduates were graduates’ unrealistic expectations for salary/benefits; graduates being choosy about the job or company; poor character, attitude or personality; poor command of English; and poor communication skills.
The findings were shared by JobStreet Malaysia country manager Chook Yuh Yng in conjunction with the launch of the Graduate Employability Programme between JobStreet and Universiti Sains Malaysia.