KUALA LUMPUR – Individuals with digital skills and expertise are expected to be in much higher demand in the coming month,s as companies turn to digitalisation due to Covid-19 movement restrictions imposed since last year.
Employment portal JobStreet said there is an urgent need for jobseekers to upskill themselves with knowledge and literacy of digital technology, as well as transferable skills.
Its country manager, Simran Kaur, told The Vibes that the progressive shift in employment roles began even before the coronavirus crisis, especially with automation threatening existing jobs.
The pandemic has only compounded matters, she said, accelerating the need for employers to move towards a “digital first” workforce.
JobStreet has observed a growing trend of employers seeking information technology (IT) experts, such as data analysts, and artificial intelligence (AI) and machine-learning specialists, she said.
“Covid-19 and the movement restrictions have changed the way companies operate. As part of the new normal, companies are adopting various digital and online measures, resulting in high demand for skills related to digital and IT.
“Hence, it comes as no surprise that the top three industries looking for talent are led by IT, followed by manufacturing and banking/financial services.
“JobStreet foresees that the percentages for ‘digital first’ skills and expertise could increase even more due to the rising demand for digital tools and processes.”
Simran was commenting on the current state of the job market, and how the pandemic and various iterations of the movement control order have affected employment.
A JobStreet study last year found that between March and August, one in three employees had their livelihoods disrupted, 18% were permanently retrenched, 48% reported a negative impact on remuneration, and 35% had their salaries cut by more than 30%, she said.
However, beginning August, the site saw signs of a job market recovery as movement restrictions were progressively lifted, with 74% of employers expected to take on new hires in the next six months.
“While the number of jobs is still down compared with pre-pandemic times, we have seen a better-than-expected recovery,” said Simran.
Under its #WorkNow campaign, which informs employers that displaced employees are ready to start work immediately, JobStreet has helped connect more than 20,000 Malaysians affected by the pandemic, she said.
JobStreet has close to 19,000 active vacancies, she said, with about 50% more jobseekers visiting the portal at the turn of the year compared with last April, at the height of the health crisis.
“Our records also show that graduate roles have increased by 300%, bringing total fresh-graduate jobs to more than 2,200 available positions.”
She encouraged jobseekers to frequently update their JobStreet profiles, so as to boost their competitive edge and chances of being discovered by the right employer.
This includes those who may not be actively looking for a new role, as interested employers are more likely to “headhunt” individuals with updated profiles, even if the job opportunity has yet to be advertised on the site, she added. – The Vibes, February 22, 2021
