How Has COVID Changed the Graduate Job Search?

HOW HAS COVID-19 CHANGED THE GRADUATE JOB SEARCH?

The pandemic brought along a wave of change for nearly all employment sectors in Malaysia. Here, we’ll outline what this means for fresh graduates about to embark on their early careers.

It goes without saying that the COVID-19 pandemic has had huge impacts on the local graduate recruitment landscape in Malaysia. Whether in terms of the varying number of vacancies available for different sectors, the recruitment processes used, or whether remote working or in-office work prevails - these are all factors that graduates can expect to encounter in their job search this year and beyond.

If you’re a final-year student, or a fresh graduate in the midst of your job search, here are a few factors for you to take note of as you begin your career journey during these interesting times.

How is the job market and current employment outlook in 2022?

As of June of 2022, the Malaysian job market has recorded a 31 percent increase in job demand, indicating a spree in hiring activity on an annual basis, according to the Monster Employment Index (MEI). As the country is currently recovering in its endemic phase, several industries are innovating on their pre-pandemic business processes and experimenting with more efficient ways of doing business, more so for the tourism, hospitality, and retail sectors. More companies are getting flexible with working hours and the need for the employees to be in the office. Some are offering better employee benefits, while some are even restructuring salary plans and staff incentives to make positions more attractive to future employees. The race for talent is also heating up between employers, especially on online platforms with job postings nationwide increasing by 106.6 percent in May 2022 alone. Employers’ willingness to continue accommodating virtual interviews and hiring assessments have also expedited hiring processes as well. A number of corporations have already begun to migrate the whole hiring process online, as they realised the pros – easier to schedule, flexible in terms of venue, and time savings – are outweighing the cons. In short, it is very much a jobseekers’ market right now, with employers competing aggressively for top talent to rebuild their workforces as they prepare to face a post-COVID-19 world. This is definitely great news for graduates, who may find themselves with much more bargaining power than before during this period of time.

It is very much a jobseekers’ market right now, with employers competing aggressively for top talent as they prepare to face a post-COVID-19 world.

Hybrid and remote working: The future of work

COVID-19 also brought huge changes to the way we do work. Two years of being in and out of lockdowns and public movement restrictions taught most of us that sometimes all you really need to have to work is your laptop and a good internet connection. In a recent global study by Cisco, 60 percent of employees in Malaysia believe that quality of work has improved with the availability of hybrid work arrangements, while 55 percent felt that their productivity increased thanks to such arrangements too. A lot of working adults realised that being in control of their surroundings while they are working has tangible benefits to their lifestyle, which in the end make them more satisfied and improve their well-being, contributing to better productivity and work performance. Not having to drive to and from work gives them more time to work out, eat healthier, or pursue hobbies, leading to a healthier lifestyle. Not to mention they also have more hours to spend with their families and friends. However, employers are still on the fence about whether to go fully remote or adopt hybrid working modes instead. Despite it being easier to have meetings and discussions online, internet connectivity continues to be an issue for remote workers, especially given the inconsistent quality of internet infrastructure in Malaysia. Access to technology is also a concern, as only 1 out of 5 employees are actually convinced that their companies are ready to implement remote or hybrid working with their current technology resources, according to another recent survey. However, despite the ongoing debates concerning these key points, the general consensus among employers is that remote or hybrid working arrangements are likely here to stay in some form or other. The scope of these arrangements and the expectations that come along with them are something graduates should pay attention to as well when evaluating potential job offers.

Entering the Endemic: What are the skills sought after by employers today?

If anything, the pandemic made the importance and relevance of soft skills more prominent than ever. Being forced to socially distance and live almost entirely online for the past two years has made the human touch all the more valuable and in-demand, and graduates can expect to see a greater emphasis on testing for those skills in the hiring process too. With remote/hybrid working being a new norm, new business platforms, and smaller teams to work with, communication skills, interpersonal skills, and teamwork skills are clearly at the top of the “most-wanted” list. A lot of nonverbal communication is lost when you’re working remotely, after all. So graduates need to be a lot more proactive with communication and touching base with their colleagues and superiors in order for things to keep running smoothly at work. Customer service and client-facing skills are also a huge plus for most jobs now. Many businesses are now trying to recover lost revenue and opportunities from the last two years, and that translates to a greater need for all staff members to contribute to top-line growth in some way. Regardless of your role, you can expect to be engaging with both internal and external stakeholders in some form, so knowing how to conduct yourself professionally as a company representative will be a huge differentiating factor for recruiters. It’s important to note that these skills aren’t things you’re “born with” or gain overnight. They have to be learned and refined through consistent practice. So be on the lookout for opportunities to practice and develop these skills before you graduate - whether through student society activities, class projects, volunteer work, or internships.