• Companies should upskill talent to help them grow into value-add roles
• The majority regard training, development as key to their career progression

An overwhelming majority of Malaysians have shown interest in learning and development opportunities but employers have not provided enough opportunities for them to do so, according to the new survey by Randstad.

In a statement, the human resource solutions agency said 97% of respondents had shown interest in learning and development opportunities but only 36% said their employers offered them training.

The results were culled from its latest H2 2022 Workmonitor survey in Malaysia, a bi-annual survey that highlights the workforce’s latest sentiments and perceptions of the local job market.

Randstad also said more than four in five respondents regarded training and development as an integral part of their career progress and recognized that it was an important step towards higher job satisfaction.

Fahad Naeem, country director at Randstad Malaysia, said employees in Malaysia are aware of the importance of having regular upskilling training programs as part of their career development journey.

“These programs are critical in empowering them to work more effectively and think critically so that they can have more job promotion opportunities within the organization.

“Despite the enthusiasm, there is still a hesitation to upskill because of the overwhelming workload as well as a lack of mental capacity to attend training courses,” said Naeem.

He said that it is to note that workforce upskilling is a combined effort of both the employer and employee.

“Companies that want to have a high-productivity workforce and be better at attracting and retaining talent will need to offer upskilling opportunities to help their employees grow into value-add roles,” he said.

When asked what they would want to receive training for, 61% of respondents said technical skills; 60% want to develop their soft skills; and 54% are interested in developing in their current role.Naeem said that in the era of digital transformation, companies need to invest in developing a future-ready and agile workforce to gain a competitive advantage.

“When employees have the opportunity to learn and apply new frameworks and methodologies into practice at work, they will become more efficient at their jobs and communicate with one another more effectively,” he said.

Besides wanting to become better in their jobs, the survey indicated that 96% of respondents were interested in reaching out to career coaches for helpful advice and guidance.

When asked what they would like to receive coaching for, 65% of respondents said they were interested in finding a better balance between work and personal life.

This is followed by 64% who hope to earn higher income and 43% of them want to advance their careers with their current employer, the study noted.

“Career coaching can be very meaningful to employees who are looking for answers to their unique challenges as it provides them an opportunity to seek guidance on how they should deal with an overwhelming workload or a difficult work situation with a colleague,” said Naeem.

He added that by offering career coaching to your employees, organizations are creating a more holistic work environment for them to grow and develop in, which would help you attract more talent who are seeking the same type of support for their growth.

The latest 2022 Randstad Workmointor study was conducted between Feb 21 and March 13 with 750 locally based respondents who were employed and aged between 18 and 67 years-old in Malaysia.