​CONTACT: Mohammad-Ali Kashif [email protected]​THE NEW AGE OF TECH TALENTEXPERIS RELEASES NEW REPORT SHOWING ‘SOFT SKILLS ARE THE NEW POWER SKILLS’​Research demonstrates employers need to be more creative and innovative in their talent strategy approachKUALA LUMPUR, June 15, 2022-- While IT skills needs are evolving faster than ever, and specialized technology talent is at a premium, soft critical skills, aka ‘power skills’ are being neglected in the recruitment and resourcing process. Despite continued talk of the crucial nature of upskilling and reskilling, the latent potential remains untapped among workers in the middle of the tech talent pyramid.‘The New Age of Tech Talent,’ a report from Experis, a global leader in IT professional resourcing and managed services and part of ManpowerGroup (NYSE: MAN), finds that employers need to be more creative and agile in their talent strategy – both inside and outside their organizations. The research suggests that HR leaders should be guided by workforce data, a clear talent philosophy, and a willingness to experiment.​“The IT sector is growing quickly," said Jonas Prising, Chairman and CEO of ManpowerGroup. “While there is an acute demand for highly technical candidates, great potential lies within adaptable generalists' candidates that is frequently untapped. This can be detrimental as the soft skills these individuals possess are often the most challenging to find. Companies can look within to fully explore workforce potential and reskill employees to fill gaps and meet their talent needs.”​When asked why they were having difficulty filling tech roles, 34% of hiring managers said candidates did not have the right technical skills, 32% said they didn’t have the right relevant experience, and 27% said they didn’t have the right soft skills. The research also cites that 22% of hiring managers have the greatest difficulty finding IT project managers, followed by cybersecurity analysts, software developers, and AI/machine learning specialists (all 20%). The top soft skills employers report are in demand for tech roles include Critical Thinking & Analysis, Creativity & Originality, Reasoning & Problem-Solving, Reliability & Self Discipline, and Resilience & Adaptability.*​Ger Doyle, Head of Experis, Digital & Business Innovation adds, “Regardless of sector, the conversation about the technology skills gap often focuses on the most senior and junior roles and ignores existing talent who have strong technical skills and an intuitive sense of the business but may lack exposure to emerging technologies and a roadmap for their future career development.”With so many organizations competing to recruit IT, workers, from the same talent pool, there is a golden opportunity for employers to look further afield. Often, candidates are overlooked because they lack traditional qualifications. Further, recruiting strategies that embrace greater gender and ethnic diversity are also significant in the search for the right IT talent.Findings published in ‘The New Age of Tech Talent’ are based on a survey of 40,000 employers in 40 countries and reveal organizations are accelerating investment in technology and prioritizing Cyber Security (46%), Internet of Things (IoT), (44%) E-Commerce platforms (43%) and Cloud Computing (41%).*The report underscores four ways organizations can bring new thinking to life:​Open the Middle: One in five organizations globally is having trouble finding skilled tech talent, and IT/data skills are the most difficult to find for 30% of organizations. Companies need to increasingly look inward to fill the roles they need, taping workforce potential and reskilling employees to fill gaps and meet the challenges ahead.​Find the Hidden Talent: The reality of the technology sector is that employers need to be more adaptable, unlock new sources of talent, and recruit based on potential, not necessarily past experience. Traditional approaches focused on filtering candidates according to qualifications. and experiences may not identify those recruits who have the raw qualities that employers require.Trust the Data Strategy: To get better results from recruitment, retention, and HR strategies companies can leverage data-analytics tools to make better decisions and reduce attrition. As one in three organizations globally plans to invest more in AI technology including machine learning, over the next year, aptitude and personality assessment tools will enable more effective hiring decisions.Lead with Confidence: Companies guided by culture and values will be those that best adapt to the new workforce reality and win the war on talent. Significantly, 7 in 10 workers say having leaders that they can trust, and follow is essential to them, and 2 in 3 want to work for organizations that share their values. ​As part of ManpowerGroup’s commitment to be a creator of talent at scale and improving employability and prosperity for all, Experis Academy helps companies to preskill, upskill, and reskill in-demand tech workers and many others at speed and scale – matching them to meaningful, sustainable jobs while helping them grow their skillsets for the future.​​ABOUT MANPOWERGROUP  ManpowerGroup® (NYSE: MAN), the leading global workforce solutions company, helps organizations transform in a fast-changing world of work by sourcing, assessing, developing, and managing the talent that enables them to win. We develop innovative solutions for hundreds of thousands of organizations every year, providing them with skilled talent while finding meaningful, sustainable employment for millions of people across a wide range of industries and skills. Our expert family of brands – Manpower, Experis, and Talent Solutions – creates substantially more value for candidates and clients across more than 75 countries and territories and has done so for over 70 years. We are recognized consistently for our diversity – as the best place to work for Women, Inclusion, Equality, and Disability, and in 2022 ManpowerGroup was named one of the World's Most Ethical Companies for the 13th year – all confirming our position as the brand of choice for in-demand talent.

​The Growing Tech Talent Shortage ​In 2021, ManpowerGroup for the fifth consecutive year has been the HR partner of Viva Technologyto support companies as they digitally transform to reflect the changes in their market and to develop people's employability from using innovative solutions.​​Many employers continue to experience persistent talent shortfalls-even in recessionary periods-—reflecting a general market imbalance between the supply and availability of certain in-demand skills, especially the tech skills.​Software development, cloud, cyber security, automation and DevOps skills are now in even greater demand than they were pre-Covid. At the same time, the basic level of digital skills required for roles across every business is increasing.​​This is because, the Covid-19 pandemic caused an unprecedented wave of tech adoption for businesses across all industries – as companies learned to work remotely and connect with customers virtually, they essentially crammed a decade’s worth of tech adoption and digital transformation into a single whirlwind year.​​How can companies cultivate tech talent?​For organizations, creating a culture of learnability so that people are equipped and open to adapt—-to move within the company or elsewhere-—is not just an operational imperative it must be a strategic priority.​Upskilling ​​One of the best ways to ensure this agility is to embrace upskilling. Encourage remote learning and support workers to reclaim their commute with curated learning opportunities aligned to the skills your business needs. ​But, to win in the digital age an effective talent strategy should have four parts: build, buy, borrow and bridge. ​Build an ongoing learning strategy​​At the core, both upskilling and reskilling rely on a desire to continuously learn, or Learnability. Developing new skills as a one-time investment may meet a short-term gap, but that gap will reappear in the future, given the pace of today’s development. ​Instead, companies must enable and encourage a habit of “lifelong learning,” and offer training that can be intertwined with daily responsibilities.​Buy skills where necessary ​​With strong market competition for skilled talent, employers which have and consistently communicate strong value proposition, attractive culture and clear purpose, have the upper hand in the battle for talent.​​Borrow from external talent sources ​​Traditionally companies relied on permanent employees to get the work done. However, in today’s digital world, new work models have emerged. ​When you need to complement existing skills, fill gaps for short term projects, or quickly find expertise you do not have, it’s time to tap Next Gen talent outside the company, including part-time, contingent, contract, or freelance.​Bridge people with adjacent skills from one role to another to complement existing skills ​​Transformation, digitization and automation has created a Skills Revolution where new skills emerge as fast as others become obsolete. ​As a leader, you have the responsibility to find pathways for those individuals to bridge them into new roles inside or outside of your organization.​​As an IT solutions company, Experis is the global leader in professional IT resourcing and solutions, operating in more than 50 countries worldwide. ​Thanks to our expert industry knowledge, history of success and strong relationships with organizations large and small, we’re perfectly placed to match specialist IT professionals into permanent and contract assignments.​To learn how we can help you attract the right talent in this competitive market, please fill in the form below and our consultants will reach out to you with a free consultation within 24 hours.​​​​Posted by:Yoga Kumari Sankar- Marketing & Commercial Executive​​​

​Soft Skills are Hotter than Technical Skills ​For the fifth consecutive year in 2021, ManpowerGroup is the official Gold HR Partner at Viva Techto support start-ups and accelerate tech adoption. ​As part of this unmissable event, we acknowledged that technology has transformed the way organizations operate, so qualifications and technical skills alone no longer had guarantee continued career success for IT professionals.​You can learn all of the technical expertise you need, but without the necessary soft skills, you may not be able to succeed in tech. ​This is because technology skills are no longer highly centered in IT; they need to be “marbled” across organizational functions and businesses and coupled with soft skills to achieve transformation success.​​From in-demand roles at NASA to cyber experts and developers –soft skills and the ability to learn is more important now than ever before. ​Curiosity, a desire to learn and fast decision making is key as people augment machines and can achieve more than they ever thought possible.​​You might be thinking that there are too many soft skills out there and how can you know which ones are the most important for a tech talent to have?​​Our recent research Skills Revolution 2.0finds that soft skills, like communication, time management, adaptability, analytical thinking, initiative-taking and empathy, are highly valued and sought after by employers than ever before and are the backbone of success.​​You must have communication skills​​In the IT world, this is particularly important as it will help you to better communicate the business value of technical projects to key non-technical stakeholders, making it easier to get buy-in and support from them.​Time Management​The IT department is simultaneously dealing with business development, product development, maintenance, customer service, and solving problems company wide. ​To succeed, one must be able to balance regular day-to-day responsibilities with being ready for the unforeseen, whether it be a system crash, an error, or hardware failure.​Adaptability​​The willingness to accept setbacks or unforeseen problems calmly is an important part of being a pivotal member of any organization. ​To keep up with a market that is constantly changing and evolving, working in tech necessitates the ability to accept and respond to changes.​Critical Thinking and Analysis​​Computers can generate big data. Spreadsheets can help analyze numbers. Machines can help automate responses and generate outcomes. ​But at the end of the day, humans are still needed to see the big picture, communicate effectively, incorporate data, feedback and insights to solve problems and make sound decisions. ​When there isn’t always a clear road map, the ability to think holistically and consider long-term implications is essential.​Collaboration​​As collaboration rises to the top of IT employers' must-have skills priority list, "lone-wolf" coders may have a difficult time finding work. ​Previously coding was weighed among the most critical skills. In recent times, however, leaders have discovered that software development projects are best handled in groups.​​Creativity​​Mark Zuckerberg and Steve Jobs would not have come up with their pioneering inventions and revolutionary ideas if they hadn't been creative. ​Even if you don't desire to become the next Bill Gates, your tech career will almost certainly demand you to think of new ways to improve processes or products, as well as assisting co-workers in finding creative solutions to their technological challenges.​​Developing your soft skills has become just as crucial as developing your technical skills. Certainly, IT employers want employees who are experts in their field, but they also want people who can dive right in and blend in with their existing team. ​Soft skills are what empower certain developers to distinguish in a continuously changing market with intense demand.​Visit our Job Portal to kick-start your job journey.​​Posted by:Yoga Kumari Sankar- Marketing & Commercial Executive​​

​Gaming into Work: Adding Gaming Skills to CVs Can Overcome Experience Gaps & Even Help Differentiate Candidates ​This pandemic crisis has accelerated demand too for soft skills like collaboration, communication and the ability to learn and gaming can help fill these skills gaps.​​Then, why can't we put our gaming victories and achievements on our CVs?​​Businesses are waking up to the skills gamers can bring to the workplace. And it isn't just about gaming, software development, or animations as a career path. The scope of game experience is much bigger. ​Employers and candidates who recognize the real-world applications of gaming have an opportunity to bring valuable skills to workplaces that need skilled talent Game on. ​It's all about how you can make it relevant to the job you're applying for, or how you can make yourself more appealing as a candidate.​​Connectivity is such an essential part of gaming. You now enter a buddy's game and discover that they are already midway through. You conduct real-time conversations with them, have team plans, meet new people, and build key social and teamwork skills.​​Multitasking. Almost every game contains numerous conflicting triggers and narratives at the same time, forcing players to learn how to shift from one task to another without losing their place in the game. What might be a greater way to prepare for the multitasking that is necessary in a busy office?​​Patience. Gaming allows players to practice patience in a number of ways, either waiting their turn or striving to rank up. Players may be on the edge of a big victory, but they must first overcome the hurdle in front of them, teaching them the value of hard work. Patience and perseverance in the face of adversity are essential components of professional and personal success. ​​What other soft skills does gaming give you?Improved critical thinkingCreativityEmotional intelligenceComplex problem - solving skillsSkill of continues learningConcentration​​So, the next time you or your kids enjoy a favorite game on the nights or over the weekends, don’t think of it as wasted time. You may just be developing the skills you need to be a future-ready talent!​​So, are you a gamer too? ​​To assist gamers in understanding how their gaming skills are transferable to careers, ManpowerGroup has developed a free Gaming Skills Translator quiz to find out which skills you are building.​​Want to level up your gaming skillset and turn it into a career? To kick-start, your ultimate gamer journey, visit our Job Portal.​​PLAY HARD, WORK SMART!​​Posted by:Yoga Kumari Sankar- Marketing & Commercial Executive​​

​Soft Skills for Software Developers are Game Changers​While staying current with the latest developments in your industry, it's also vital to know that being a developer entails far more than just writing code. In addition to mastering your technical skills, you got to hone soft skills in order to remain competitive.​​Some candidates we talk to raise a valid question; Why do I need those soft skills being a developer?​Soft skills aren't just essential in the IT industry. They are critical to any job that involves dealing with people, whether directly or indirectly. When it comes to IT, soft skills make all the difference. Apart from writing code, developers also gather requirements for the software you are creating. ​Developers also design the overall architecture of the product, gather documentation, and work on other related software development processes. Developers collaborate with others to coordinate different activities that have an impact on the final quality of the product they are developing.​As a developer you are usually part of a team. Your ability to work together with others and interact efficiently with all parties involved in the development of a project is critical. Without any level of soft skills, it would be difficult for anyone to effectively become a member of an established team and collaborate with others to complete a project.​​By leveraging on global data and our own research, we see that Soft skills + Tech skills = Human Power!​We are seeing the emergence of a K-shaped, two-speed recovery. Some industries and people are bouncing back faster and better – those in growth sectors and with high demand skills – while others are at risk of falling further behind. But regardless of the industry, soft skills are an important and stable pillar for any career success.​​​​​​So, which soft skills are important?​​Communication skills​Since so many different people are involved in the software development life cycle, they must all work together seamlessly to produce a good product. It makes no difference whether you classify as an introvert or an extrovert. ​Acquire the courage to express yourself in a constructive manner. You must be able to communicate with others, inspire them, and be dependable.​​Empathy​​Empathy may not appear to be an extremely important skill to have when considering software development. Knowing other people, their value systems, and their psychological and personal attributes will help you when you begin thinking about it. ​Software developers must be able to put themselves in their (future) consumers' shoes. Without which, a software program that has been meticulously designed could easily backfire because no one uses it, or at least not in that manner.​​As a whole, once you've figured out what they need, you'll be able to guide them on the best technology and process combination to move their organization forward. You are already demonstrating a solution-oriented type of thinking – an evergreen skill that is and will be valuable beyond 2021!​​​Problem-solving, critical thinking and creativity​​If you take a moment to look at development from a wider perspective – it really is about solving complex problems. From the software applications of your smartphones and all the way to that bookkeeping software your accountant still uses, it’s always about solving the problems.​​The ones who will challenge themselves to solve difficult problems and creatively think about unconventional solutions rise as good developers. To improvise, even. Collect all the relevant information and making sure, you have a thorough understanding of all requirements to ensure what you create serves all clients’ needs.​​​Working collaboratively in a team​​Are you able to work as part of a team? There is no getting away from working in a team as a software developer. Whether it’s frontend, backend, full stack, or DevOps, every single role is a vital piece of the company’s equation, and you have to get along. ​Great team work leads to greater outcomes, even if it comes with its own set of challenges. Establish relationships. Going out for lunch or drinks with your co-workers is a great way to create trust. Bolstering these ties encourages a more positive work climate. Granted, now with COVID lockdowns it is more difficult, but have you tried a casual video call with a colleague?​​​Willingness to learn​​Software development evolves at a rapid pace. This implies that no software developer can pretend to have discovered everything there is to know about their field. To put it simply, any software developer would need to devote a considerable amount of time to staying current with industry innovations. ​Employers often want to recruit candidates who are keen to learn (strong willingness to learn) and who are not afraid to make mistakes. Don't be afraid to try new things. Is there a technology you're interested in that isn't part of your company's tech stack? That's no problem! Try it out and learn more about it on your own time.​​​Admitting your mistakes – accountability​​To grow as a software developer, you must accept and take ownership of your mistakes. You can do so by accepting that things went wrong and find a way to fix the problem, instead of trying shove it under the carpet. Admitting an error and accepting responsibility will assist you in resolving problems in a timely manner.​​​The tech skills of a software developer are required and are absolutely essential, however, soft skills are like the cherry on the cake. This post is an earnest effort to present the most useful soft skills. In this list, there might be skills that you already have within you and hopefully, this article helps uncover and grow other skills too.​​Also, if you want to become a successful developer in a good company with a good package but don’t know where to start from, fill the form below for us to reach out to you.​​​​Posted by:Yogakumari Sankar- Prospect & Content Development Executive​

​Are You Starting A New Career in IT? Here Is What You Need To Do​​So, you've decided to embark on a new IT career path. Do you know what IT role is best for you? The competition for information technology employment remains fierce, with new technologies being invented almost every day. However, there are a few things you should do to get a move or two ahead of the competition of people waiting to interview for these positions.​​What interests you?​Before getting a new job, think about what interests you and whether or not that purpose will be satisfied in the new job. Examine your passions and see if they are compatible with a career in IT. ​If computer gaming is your passion, you may be interested in a career in game testing, game programming, video game design, or game development engineering.​​Isn’t it a good fit for you?​Finding a right fit requires more than just matching your desires to the job description. A new career is a life-changing event, so it's important to evaluate it wisely. ​Find out what your new IT position requires and whether your experience, skills, and interests are a good match. Learn as much as you can about IT employment options, wage expectations, and the needed skills.​​Do your research to uncover the company’s gaps​Most companies today are in the midst of a "transformational phase", due to changing customer habits, new competitors, new business models and basically the digitization of everything. ​As a result, the people they need to recruit are shifting as well. So do your research and figure out what new technological skills they'll need to succeed in their transition.​​Network with the right people​LinkedIn is a useful tool for getting to know important contacts better without the strain of a face-to-face meeting for which you might be unprepared. ​Connect with IT professionals and request knowledge that will help you in your job search, such as their experience as an IT Technician or in a related role, training courses, and certifications that you might need to gain the additional skills & knowledge. ​Remember, your key networking aim should be to develop a relationship and establish rapport so when a future opportunity arises, your connection will be willing to refer you.​​Earn tech-related certifications​Certification for IT professionals is voluntary and there are variety of optional qualifications that can improve their employability and broaden their knowledge base such as such as Network+, Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA),Cisco Certified Entry Networking Technician (CCENT) and CompTIA A+ can help you secure great jobs ranging from entry level positions to jobs and possibly increase your earning potential.​​Build your resume​Create a resume that highlights your professional skills. Any roles where you were in charge of configuring and helping others with technological issues should be highlighted. Click here for the Tech Resume Writing Guide.​​Many individuals desire to take this step but they often overlook the required preparation and execution that will help them achieve their goals. In Experis, we evaluate hundreds of thousands of applicants every year, and along the way we’ve learned a thing or two about what differentiates a candidate and makes us want to talk to them.​​And, we would be more than happy to hear from you too. Fill in the form below for us to reach out to you.​​​

​E-commerce is Fuelling the Demand for Skilled Tech-Talent ​​As the world has gone increasingly digital due to the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been a rise in demand for jobs that require digital and soft skills and hiring patterns have shifted from focusing on credentials towards skill sets. ​​“Malaysia is among the fastest-growing e-commerce markets in Southeast Asia, driven by rising Internet and smartphone penetration, growing middle class population and tech-savvy millennials. The fear of virus spreading through cash handling and visiting physical stores amid COVID-19 outbreak has further accelerate this growth, Nikhil Reddy, Banking and Payments Analyst at Global Data”​​It looks like we’re going to be more reliant on tech in our daily lives, from doctors’ appointments over video call to ordering food via apps at restaurants, which in turn will increase demand for the tech talent who can make these things possible.​​What skills are most critical to e-commerce companies?​​There are many tech skills supporting the growth of e-commerce. Some of these are:​​Web Developer Every online store comes with a website. The design, aesthetic, and functionality of the website have a huge role to play in how the customer finds the online shopping experience. ​​Mobile App Developer With the rolling out of 5G connectivity in mobile networks, users are beginning to experience a faster and more reliable mobile internet experience – which in turn is giving rise to mobile commerce.​​Digital Supply ChainEnsuring on-time delivery is a key differentiating factor for companies in the e-commerce space. The successful management of extreme market and spiked-demand has, therefore, become the new focus area, optimizing the supply chain management process for these companies and playing a critical role in ensuring efficient and faster delivery models.​​Artificial IntelligenceAI-driven tech is also able to understand consumer behavior and buying patterns. Being able to predict trends accurately will ensure that consumers' needs are better met and provide a more personalized customer experience.​​FintechCustomer experience has become a huge driving force in e-commerce, and the push towards seamless transactions affects payment processing. Faster, efficient and secure payment options have played a big role in driving the growth of the e-commerce market in recent years.​​From a talent perspective, this means that organizations want to invest in people skilled in technologies that drive consumer engagement. Skills like AI, Machine Learning (ML), Data Analytics, an understanding of payment technologies/fin-tech and security are fast becoming must-have skills to possess for potential employees. ​"Given the skills scarcity in Malaysia, you may want to consider strategies to become a builder of talent".​For those just starting to build the foundation of their ecommerce team, it can be challenging to know where to start. Before moving deeper into the hiring process, you must first explore the roles that make up a successful ecommerce team. ​​We’ve helped many tech companies to scale by connecting them with the right people. So, we would be more than happy to offer some advice & guidance on your hiring process. Fill in the form below for us to reach out to you.​​​

​The Future of Tech Recruitment​No country is immune from digitization. As industries shift to more advanced, automated processes, employers need additional people – particularly those with IT skills – to drive transformation. With the effects of COVID-19, the future of recruitment in all sectors will be very different from what we're used to as many companies are placing hiring efforts on hold or relying on emerging technology to on-board new employees.​Fortunately, there is expected to be a post-pandemic uptick in tech recruitment. For many businesses, having to adapt to remote working quickly forced companies to depend on cloud-based technologies, video communication and remote software in ways they couldn’t have imagined just a few years ago. ​​​Industry 4.0​Malaysia intends to develop the right climate for Industry 4.0 adoption and to align current and future growth strategies by ensuring: ​Talent supply & skill levelsCollaborative platformsDigital infrastructureFunding supportData availability & sharing, as well as,Innovation capacity​Given its importance, the Industry 4.0 Policy puts a focus on creating, improving, and retaining the required talent and skills. Industry 4.0 is radically changing the job environment which will result in dramatic shifts in how industrial workers conduct their tasks. There will be entirely new jobs developed with very different ability requirements, while certain roles will become redundant.​​Identify skills adjacencies ​As businesses continue to pivot to the changing economic world as a result of digital transformation, demand for employees with technology-related hard skills is growing. But, there is a misconception that hard skills related to digital technologies are the only in-demand skills due to the rise of digital transformation. ​In actual fact, technology skills are no longer highly centered in IT; they need to be “marbled” across organizational functions and businesses and coupled with soft skills to achieve transformation success. ​The gig economy, for instance, is predicted to account for 50%of the overall workforce in the next five years. Effective communication, in addition to the hard skills needed to perform the critical tasks, will play a significant role, especially in IT functions where employees are progressively working across teams to lead digitization. ​Therefore, a multi-source recruiting plan that involves both online and offline engagement activities would ensure that you access a broader pool of Tech Talent. Organizations would be able to flex their efforts to the best combination by measuring the number of impressions and clicks made on different platforms.​​If your business needs help connecting with the top tech talent to survive in the new normal, our experts are on hand to help. We’ve helped many tech companies to scale by connecting them with the right people. Get in touch today to start your conversation.​​​​

​Leaders need to lead digitally now. They need to digitally transform their organizations now.​​“Malaysian economy showing signs of recovery, projected to grow by 6.7 percent in 2021 following a contraction of 5.8 percent in 2020and to drive and sustain digital transformation initiatives, government and organizations need to urgently look at developing digital talent and especially digital leaders to ensure success in the Future of Work”.​Yet, the gap between traditional ideas of leadership effectiveness and what it actually takes to drive sustained business performance in the digital age is becoming increasingly evident. This is where the 80/20 rule applies; digital-ready leaders need a strong foundation of traditional leadership skills and also to be able to consistently demonstrate the additional 20 percent. ​​​But how ready are the leaders to skill up for the digital age? ​To lead in the digital age, business leaders need to combine the best of human and machine intelligence to create an inclusive, tech-enabled, and forward-thinking company. Digital leaders who can map an operational framework for the new digital enterprise, effectively communicate an inspiring vision, and mobilize the digital workforce will be most likely to succeed.​​In today's fast-paced corporate and ever-changing digital environment, it has become imperative for everyone to adapt to it swiftly. This will be only possible if you, as a leader, are open to changes and have an agile mind. Leaders must set an example to the rest of the workforce by creating a strong culture of learning. Leaders need to set an example by learning new skills – whether that’s about how to empower employees to make changes or developing their own digital capabilities – and ultimately create a learning culture where everyone recognizes that learning is an ongoing gradual process regardless of where they are on the career ladder.​​Leaders in the digital age must encourage a culture of measured innovation and experimentation within clear parameters, and they must learn fast. They should be prepared to quickly course correct and optimize opportunities. They must break down silos and champion seamless collaboration and exchange of information. And importantly, they must compete for scarce skills, engage talent in more varied ways than before, and champion broader thinking and learnability to fast-track upskilling and reskilling of their people.​​Want to get started and know more to develop a digitally-enabled and transformation-ready leadership team? ​Click here for the full report: From C-Suite to Digital Suite​​​​

​The Tech Resume Writing Guide (Experis Perspective: The global leader in accelerating careers in the ICT industry)​IT professions can be very competitive to secure and each opportunity will probably receive a wide range of applications so, standing out is important in this field. All you need is a TECHNICAL RESUME when seeking employment in IT, computer science, coding, software engineering, web development or design, DevOps or network or system administration.​Each role will have their own unique requirements, so personalizing your tech resume depending on those needs can help you stand out.​Now, the question is, how to best write a technical resume to secure a job in the IT ground?​​Keep it straight forward​​Many people believe that a good CV is all about squeezing dozens of details with heaps of pages, making it as competitive as possible. In actual fact, it’s best to keep it clear, precise, and straightforward. Say exactly what YOU CAN DO. The best CVs are the ones that you can stare at in 5 seconds to see what someone is really about instantly.​​A good CV should provide contextDemonstrate your significant role, what& how you built projects; whether you were part of a global team or working alone.Be specific about what you have exactly done, what systems you have worked on, what technologies you have used in order for them to see your mix of skills and experience.​Outline your most impressive achievements instead of tasks and responsibilities in the work experience section. Examples include:Led the development of a new user interface that increased customer satisfaction by 25%.Mentored a team of 10web developers.Developed and implemented a feedback system for customers to report bugs and concerns.Re-engineered account software systems for customers that reduced bugs by20%.Collaborated on the development of new software interfaces for banks.​​How to best show case your technical skills?​​Your resume should also include your relevant technical skills to the job you’re applying. These skills may include computer programs, databases, coding tools and platforms which you have been used in the previous/current working place. ​​Stay relevant by:Deleting obsolete skill sets that are not relevant to the job you are applying.Separating technical skills into familiar categories such as operating systems, networks and programming tools.Listing skills in the order of their relevance to your objective.​​Recruiters also like to see how much technical experience you have, so either add how many years of experience you have with each technology or list your level of competence.​​Programming: C# (2 years), Java (5 years), Python (6 years)Operating systems: Ubuntu (1 year), OSX (5 years), Linux (7 years)Testing: Mercury Quality Centre (1 year), Test Director (1 year)​Or​Expert: TFS, HTML, JDBC, C/C++, Hudson, CSS, SOAP, J2EE, EclipseIntermediate: C#, ASP.NET, SQL, Visual Studio, Java, Ruby on Rails, VB.NET, HibernateLearning: Jenkins, Python, REST, spring​​​Sample Software Engineer Resume Writing Format​​​Personal & contact information​​Now, this section doesn’t need any creativity, but it must be factually correct because in the end you want an impressed recruiter to be able to contact you for an interview.Full nameCurrent title: Software Engineer (align to the job description) Contact number: +6017*******Email address: [email protected](use a professional email)Link to your LinkedIn profile​​​Summary​The best way recruiters simply glance over your resume looking for the most important information is via a resume summary, which are snappy paragraphs that go on top of your resume. ​"Experienced software engineer with a strong background in developing award-winning strategies for a diverse clientele. 12+ years of industry experience includes leading large engineering teams to achieve concrete goals on a strict deadline. Strong skills include Database management and MySQL, .NET and Java".​​​Experience​​It's meant to present you as a wholesome candidate by showcasing your relevant accomplishments and that you can do the job well.​​Here’s how we recommend you structure your work experience section:Position nameCompany NameDatesResponsibilities & Achievements​E.g.:​Software Engineer​ElectronicsX​03/2017 - 07/2020Built an ecommerce site integrated with multiple payment APIs for a45% in company revenueCompleted eight major projects, working closely with agile development team to develop, test and maintain Web- and desktop-based software applicationsGoal-surpassing 9.2 NPS (customer satisfaction) scores, up from 8.5 last fiscal yearConsistently achieved 100% compliance with industry best practicesReduced security breaches by75%​​Education​Include your highest degree and feel free to list a key (relevant) certification too. Here's how to format your educational achievements:​Program Name: Bachelor's Degree in Science/Information Technology University Name: APIIT/UCTI – Asia Pacific University| Aug2012–Aug 2014Years Attended: 08/2008 - 06/2012Major: Software EngineeringGPA (OPTIONAL): 3.75 ​CertificationsOracle Certified Professional (OCP): Java ME Mobile Application DeveloperOracle Certified Professional (OCP): Java SE Programmer​​Technical Skills​Put all relevant skills on your resume. Here are the most commonly used skills for a software engineer resume:​PHPDebuggingWeb DevelopmentGlobal Project ManagementMobile & Cloud SolutionsSaaS & IaaS Technologies (e.g., AWS, OpenStack)Solutions Engineering, Testing & Optimization​When listing your technical proficiencies, remember always to be honest about your level of ability. E.g.:​Expert: Multithreading MS Windows Server, MS SQL Server, IIS, TFS, SSIS, OLAPIntermediate: Java, .NET, C#, C++, T-SQL, ASP.NET, MVC, WCF, REST, AJAX, TCP/IP​​Link to LinkedIn​​LinkedIn is the perfect add-on to your tech CV. Your LinkedIn profile is your chance to put your best self out there whether you use it to demonstrate your career choices in context, highlight your biggest achievements, or show off your personality. It strengthens your first impression in a way no other profile section can.​​Ask for Help​​Don’t be afraid to ask the professionals to proofread it for grammatical errors, jargon, and repetition. IT companies look for smart, professional people who can develop high-quality technical solutions, and you don’t want a typo to distract from your skills.​And, we would be more than happy to offer some advice & guidance on your technical CV, so fill in the form below for us to reach out to you.​​​​Posted by:Yogakumari Sankar- Prospect & Content Development Executive​

​Increasing demand for Cyber Security Talents in Malaysia​​The threat of cyber-attacks has become prominent as the Digital Economy comes to the fore around the world. CYBER SECURITY is a major challenge for most companies, and in Malaysia, with over 98% belonging to the group of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), it is a definite concern to protect devices, data and networks in cyberspace. ​“84% of Malaysian SMEs were victims of cyber incidents in the past year. This speaks volumes of increasing concern among companies, regulators and industry observers”.​With threats becoming ever more complex, the need for expertise in cyber-security has risen exponentially. Developing talent — in cyber-security and other industries is something that the recent 2020 budget has also urged prioritizing — Malaysia needs to train 10,500 cyber-security specialists by 2020.​When it comes to potential in the cyber-security industry, Malaysia is one of the best ranking countries in the ASEAN region that are expected to contribute 75% of cyber-security services market share by 2025.Here are the details:​TOP 10% of job opportunities in Malaysia is related to cyber-security21% of women are Malaysian cyber-security workforceUSD 632.6M estimated value of Malaysia’s overall security services market in 2021​Given the growing position of the modern economy and its the commitments to the Information and Communications Technology industry as a whole and to the Malaysian economy, local businesses should not only hope that they will not be hacked, but should be vigilant in ensuring that their IT infrastructures are safeguarded at all times.​Thus, Malaysia will concentrate on development programs to cultivate the talents of cyber-security, such as encouraging STEM graduates to undertake cyber-security as a profession. The challenge however is to get the right number and quality of cyber security experts. As a global leader in accelerating careers and propelling business growth in IT, we understand the gripes hiring managers and HR staffers face when it comes to hiring tech talent. ​What are some of your cyber-security or IT recruitment concerns? Or are you looking to hire cyber-security and IT talents? Check out ManpowerGroup recruitment outsourcing services here. Or get in touch today and our consultants will reach out to you with a free consultation within 24 hours.​​​

​Cyber Safe at Home ​Malaysia will continue imposing the recovery phase of "Movement Control Order" measures to contain the COVID-19 till Dec. 31 that means MORE people are getting online now – be it for business, education, entertainment, socialising or working from home due to the pandemic. As remote working brings new opportunities, it also brings new challenges. ​Nevertheless, the higher usage of technology also means bigger risks of running into cyber threats. COVID-19 has changed the landscape and remains the top-of-mind concern for individuals, organizations, and governments around the world. ​​Here are some tips to stay safe from cyber-attacks when at home. ​​Switch off Alexa, Apple HomePod, Google Home or anywhere you are working. Be careful when discussing confidential information if you use a smart home device - they may be listening and recording conversations. ​​​Keep devices off while working and update device privacy settings to allow you to delete conversations easily. ​​Master the tech you use - not muting yourself is the new hitting reply all. If video conferencing is new to you, give it a test with a colleague before going live with others. ​​As example, collaboration platforms such as Microsoft Teams, Slack or Skype users, there are many bite-sized trainings available on YouTube page to get you on the fast track to becoming an expert. ​​Poor connection while video conferencing? Turn the cameras off. Video conferencing is a great tool but can overload the network easily so consider having the camera feature on at the start of a meeting, and then switching to audio only to preserve bandwidth and improve the quality of your connection. ​​Get creative with meeting start times. Avoid scheduling all your meetings on the hour to preserve bandwidth – consider moving your team check in to start at 9:05 instead of 9:00. ​​Beware of any external tools that not recommended by your employer as they pose serious privacy and security risks. Always leverage on your company tools. Choose a trusted application for audio/video calling and file sharing that ensures end-to-end encryption. ​​Some company have access to a suite of collaborative, cloud-enabled Office 365 tools that make it easy for their employee to stay in touch with colleagues, clients, candidates and other partners: both Microsoft Teams and Microsoft Skype for Business provide safe and secure solutions for web conferencing. ​​Lastly, be alert to links and attachments, especially from unknown senders. Use multi-factor authentication (MFA) on all accounts. Now, most online services provide a way to use your mobile device or other methods to protect your accounts in this way. ​You can also ask IT Manager on how to recognize phishing attempts and report suspected encounters, including watching out for spelling and bad grammar, and suspicious links and attachments from people you do not know. ​​2 Sept 2020​Posted by:Nadhirah Afiqah - Marketing Assistant

Essential Tips for IT Professionals on Successful Remote Working​In response to the current COVID-19 (Coronavirus) outbreak in Malaysia, many companies are requiring all of their employees to work from home.​If you are an IT professional, working remotely does provide some advantages such as saving time and money by eliminating commuting, but it can also increase stress levels. ​Although some IT roles in theory can be executed at home, for many, this is an unexpected development they may be unprepared for.​Working remotely can be challenging under normal circumstances—but for those doing so for the first time or adjusting to sharing their home office with children, spouses or roommates—it is important to create structure and expectations. This applies to your colleagues and also within your home.​Potential challenges you can face working remotely:​Lack of colleagues and managers to collaborate with and stay on taskWorking too many hours as a result of an increased workload to support colleagues with technologies to work from homeManaging work/life balance and establishing boundaries to limit distractionsLack of face-to-face interaction, increased feelings of isolation and decreased motivation and trustPotential for miscommunication, especially with less tech savvy colleagues due to lack of non-verbal cues​​Essential Tips for IT Professionals on Successful Remote Working​In addition to any best practices your company will share relative to specific requirements for your technology and cybersecurity, the following tips enable optimal productivity:​​1. Prepare for SuccessCreate your workspace. Establish a dedicated work environment that is free from distractions. ​Consider logging out of all social accounts during work (unless necessary for your job). If sharing a space with others, lay ground rules and expectations for noise levels and break times.​Evaluate and upgrade your home technology if possible. Consider increasing or boosting your Internet bandwidth especially if you have multiple people accessing your network at the same time. ​Avoid burnouts and establish set working hours. Develop a routine where you “start (and end) your work day.” ​Potentially schedule a recurring meeting each morning to ensure you start your day on time. ​Similarly, log out and log off at the end of your work day.​2. Stay ConnectedHold daily check-ins with your team mates. Maintain open and frequent communication with your manager, colleagues and those who report to you. ​If you are a manager or a team lead, hold regular meetings with team members. Establish expectations for response times to emails and phone calls while utilizing out of office reminders or notifications if you will be away from your desk for extended periods of time.​Leverage multiple technology platforms. Phone, email and chat are likely standard in your work life. ​Using video conferencing may enable feeling more connected and decrease isolation.​Be productive and proactive. Plan to deliver the same productivity that you do when you are in the office. Have your manager or colleagues hold you accountable. ​Alert colleagues if you anticipate delays in your work or if you are collaborating on a group project.​Be strategic in your time allocation for troubleshooting especially if you are working in your company’s IT support desk.​Understand that most of your colleagues are likely to have questions and troubleshooting requirements. ​Prioritize addressing show stoppers and get directions from your leadership on the current company focus areas.​​3. Manage Your TimePractice effective time management. As you adjust to your new environment, you will establish peak performance times such as early morning before other family members are awake. Find the times that work best for you to maximize your productivity.​Build in time for the unexpected. If you build in extra time for unanticipated work demands, you will be less stressed if and when this happens. Set aside time and you can always reallocate it to get ahead on a project if no emergencies pop up.​Take breaks. Step away from your work area for 10-15 minute breaks every two hours. Take a short walk, read a quick article, check in with your family members or other friends working remotely. This shift in your focus will make you more productive when you return to work.​Be flexible and patient. This is even more essential now that you are working from home. As your company is responding to properly equip the newly remote workforce, there may be delays in responses from colleagues or a lag in technology.​​6 April 2020Posted by:Mohammad Kashif - Senior Marketing Executive​

This is what corona means for your IT departmentDue to COVID-19, also known as the corona virus, certain tech trends have been shifted into high gear. Others, on the other hand, are being revised. ​That is happening now, all at the same time. One of the trends that now poses challenges is working remotely. But what does the corona virus mean for your IT department? ​And how do you respond to the fact that more and more employees will be (mandatorily) working from home? We will tell you all about it in this blog. Good news and less good newsLet's start with positive news first. Because luckily the number of corona infections is decreasing in China! It therefore seems that all the measures taken have had an effect. ​According to the Chinese health commission, the peak of the epidemic in the country is over. In time, a vaccine will be made available, and this virus will be manageable. But unfortunately, we are also dealing with bad news. And that relates to the present. At the time of writing this blog, there are already more than 200,000 infected corona patients in the world. ​Media coverage is mainly about people who have died or are sick. But also about fear and panic, cities in lock down, cancellation of flights, cancelled events... and we are not yet even talking about the economic impact, not to mention what it means for our industry. Accelerated IT trends due to coronaThe impact of the corona virus is clearly visible in the IT industry. The demand for chat and video software is huge right now. ​Various software packages are also being temporarily offered for free to facilitate working remotely. ​In addition, the Google I/O developer conference has been cancelled, Microsoft decided to turn its annual MVP Global Summit into a virtual conference and Amazon employees are being asked to test their VPN connections in the office, for the sake of preparedness. In fact, a number of industry companies indicate that the corona outbreak is the test case for replacing traditional office work. ​Twitter thus launched their work-from-home policy. Chief HR Officer Jennifer Christie told BuzzFeed News that the corona virus will have lasting effects on the way their employees now work. For example, she expects people who were reluctant to work from home to become accustomed to it.And managers who thought it was impossible to manage a remote team will find ways to do it. Therefore, it is expected that the trend of decreasing work in the traditional way in the office will now really take off. These are the measures you can take nowDo you have doubts whether your IT department is well prepared for the corona virus? Then you would do well to look at the measures that you can take right now. ​Consider, for example, providing the necessary hardware such as laptops and telephones. But also look at the software: does everyone have access to the right programs? And what about security? Is there a secure VPN connection? In addition, the continuity of your organization is important. Because what do you do with employees who are a single point of knowledge? ​If a System Administrator gets sick, is there anyone who can handle that work? One solution that provides continuity in this regard is to work with an external party for support. In doing so, you also build up a knowledge base in the long term, on which you can always rely. When users work from home, you have to realize that the problems that normally occur in the workplace now shift to home. Can they still receive support from the Service Desk? ​This goes beyond the action instructions to which Service Desk employees were accustomed. Because what do you do if a user, for example, does not have sufficient bandwidth? If you have not yet arranged this, it is certainly not too late. As long as there are staff on the work floor, there is time to organize this properly. ​For advice on how to deal with the corona virus as an IT department and what it takes to facilitate working remotely, you can contact us by filling the form below without any obligation. ​Submit your details for free support:​​

Realizing the importance of digital transformation for your company, we developed the Digital Evolution Pathway assessment. It is a tool to help your company benchmark where you are in the digital transformation journey.​Value of Digital TransformationEvery organization and every person has been impacted with the digital disruptions over the last decade. Companies, big and small from the east and to the west are on a digital transformation journey. ​We have no doubt technology opens doors for you to endless opportunities. It changes the way you build relations with your clients, execute strategies, set business frameworks and much more. Efficiencies are demonstrated across all business sectors and operational units with many ROI case studies. ​It is no surprise that 87% of companies believe that digital transformation is a competitive opportunity. ​So in 2020 you have probably no question over whether digital transformation is the right thing to do. But you are probably asking yourself how quickly and effectively your company can achieve it.​You are not alone. Back in 2016, 85% of enterprise decision makers felt they had a timeframe of two years to make significant inroads on their digital transformation before suffering financially and/or falling behind their competitors. ​Transformation Cycles Digital transformation is driving new value for customers and employees, enabling them to be more competitive because they are more adaptive and able to anticipate their circumstances by leveraging both internal and external data differently.​In the industrial revolution, it took industry about 30-years to fully realize the value of transformation. When computers entered the workforce, it took about 10-years. Those cycles are becoming shorter and shorter. With big data, connected enterprises and digital threads the environment will become even more complex, but richer data and insights will drive innovation, efficiencies and ultimately ROI for companies that have successfully transformed.​Digital Transformation Touch Points The potential areas for your company to impact with digital transformation are virtually endless. It is an integrated approach that combines software, data, interfaces and controls to design, model, simulate, analyze, control, share and manage the creation, delivery and performance of your products and services. ​So evolving through this journey involves the strategy, culture, technology and embedded processes within your organization. That will touch every aspect of your company, and become the way that it functions. ​Digital Evolution Pathway AssessmentWith a holistic understanding of what organizations need to transform, we realize the progression needed to accelerate Digital Transformation. Organizations must take note of where they are in their digital transformation so that they can identify and address their gaps to achieve ROI more quickly.​We developed the Digital Evolution Pathway assessment to help you benchmark where is your company in the digital transformation journey, with Workforce Transformation as a critical enabler.​Organizations must understand the underlying skills and behaviors needed at each stage of maturity.​Backed with that information we can assist you with all aspects of talent strategy, from workforce planning, to assessing and upskilling leaders and individuals, to connecting your company with the skills needed to accelerate innovation.​By benchmarking your organizations’ digital maturity, we offer practical advice on how to transform Strategy, Culture, Practices and Technology. ​Take your assessment now: https://www.digipathway.com/​

Robot workers replacing human jobs – the debate of the decade. All around the world companies and individuals alike are concerned with the impact of automation on the future of work. ​In Malaysia chances are 11- 54% of current jobs will significantly affected in the next two decades by automation. However, we have good news for you. Our global research shows more employers than ever, 87%, plan to increase or maintain headcount as a result of automation. ​Rather than reducing employment opportunities, organizations are investing in digital, shifting tasks to robots and creating jobs. At the same time, companies are scaling their upskilling so their human workforce can perform new and complementary roles to those done by machines.​Companies that are digitizing and investing in IT technologies are growing. That growth is producing more and new kinds of jobs. Those organizations that are already automating tasks and progressing their digital and IT transformation are also most confident of increasing headcount. 24% of those companies say they expect to create more jobs in the next two years.​Only 12% of those that are automating say they will reduce headcount, while 3% are not sure what the future holds.​However, as you might expect, while overall employers are looking to increase their employment, automation is changing the skills companies need from workers. It is estimated for example that in Malaysia 80% of the jobs at high risk of being displaced by technology are those that are semi-skilled.​For example, our report shows that the demand for IT skills is growing significantly and with speed. 16% of companies expect to increase headcount in IT - five times more than expect a decrease. ​Meanwhile the availability of tech talent is increasingly scarce, and the education and experience employers require versus what exists is presenting a mismatch. This reality is as true in Malaysia as around the world. ​So what does this mean to your organization? Chances are you have experienced a very urgent need to ensure there are highly-skilled workers capable of driving innovation and supporting your company’s future. ​With talent shortages at a 12-year high, and new skills appearing as quickly as old ones disappear, more companies are planning to build talent than ever before, and this is projected to increase by 2020. ​Companies are realizing they can no longer expect to find just-in-time talent, on tap. We found that 84% of organizations globally expect to be upskilling their workforce by 2020. ​Interestingly, demand for tech and digital skills is growing across all functions, yet employers place increasing value on human skills as automation scales and machines prove better at routine tasks. ​While 38% of organizations say it is difficult to train in-demand technical skills, 43% said it is even harder to teach the soft skills they need such as analytical thinking and communication.​So if you want to really compete in the Skills Revolution, you need to promote a culture of learning, provide career guidance and offer short, focused upskilling opportunities. ​People need to know how to prepare for high growth roles of the future and that their employer supports their learning to stay relevant in this rapidly changing world of work. ​

​As a talent leader, you have probably noticed that today a growing number of Malaysians are opting for alternative models over traditional, full-time, permanent roles. Part-time, contingent, contract, temporary, freelance, independent contractor, on demand online and platform working are on the rise. This development can be called as “NextGen Work”. Businesses and people want choice, flexibility and alternative ways of working that build resilience for less predictable futures. ​Globally 87% of workers are open for NextGen Work, 80% of workers say that NextGen Work is about learning and using new skills, 90% of Next Gen Workers enjoy it, and 81% of NextGen Workers choose it not because it is the last resort. ​​In Malaysia, the youth is becoming increasingly drawn to the gig economy lifestyle, which is all about freelance gigs and short-term jobs where “giggers” are free to choose where, when and how they work. Mirroring global statistics, 68% of freelancers in Malaysia choose to freelance in spite the availability of full time jobs. ​This uptake for freelance jobs was reported by the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) in August 2017 as the Malaysian freelancing economy growth increased by 31%.​Why is this uptake you might ask? Well NextGen Work allows you to supplement income over the short-term, provides freedom to explore different roles and develop in-demand skills to be more employable over the long-term. You can also control where, when and how to work, potentially reducing stress and allowing flexibility for Life Work Balance.​​So, if there is such an increased interest in NextGen work, if your company ready to adopt new work models? Here are initial questions you might want to consider:​1. Where to start with NextGen Work Models?If your organization is new to the concept of NextGen Work, it will be useful to try different models in controlled environments. These will present themselves as case studies as to whether to expand the approach or try a different one. ​It will also be useful to see what types of work models do your current employees prefer. You wouldn’t want to spend time and effort on developing work models that no one wants. ​If your company has already adopted some forms of NextGen Work, you can start looking at ways to replicate elements of what has worked into new models. For example, if you currently employ contractors, perhaps it will be good to look at freelancers to assist certain projects. ​2. How to measure performance of Gig workers? One of the questions we get from employers is how to track performance from someone who works from home for example? Well, for us, performance is determined by results and not by the duration a person spends in a workplace. ​To adopt NextGen Work models, you should revisit the methods applied in employees’ appraisals and KPI setup activities. You will most likely need to develop individualized performance plans for every employee. It should be based on clear and transparent deliverables for which the employee is accountable for. ​3. Are your compensation schemes ready?Just as you are revisiting performance measurement, you will need to tie performance metrics to compensation packages. In many instances this might require a renegotiation exercise with your staff. If done efficiently, this can prove to be a valuable opportunity to increase employee performance, satisfaction, and at the same time reduce costs. ​For example, a working mother might willingly accept to reduce her basic salary if she works from home since she will be saving on transportation and occasional child day care services. ​Basically rewarding staff should be based contribution rather than other factors such as title, or tenure.​4. Do you have the necessary infrastructure to support the new work models? NextGen Work is enabled by technology. Adopting new work models will require your organization to have an IT infrastructure that can support this transformation. Cloud services for file sharing and collaboration will be of paramount importance. Applications that will enable performance measurement and remote access to internal databases will definitely be another consideration. All of that should be covered with solid Cyber Security policies and tools. ​5. What is your leaders’ sense of urgency? A key question to address if you want to initiate and change process. Without the leaderships’ buy in, it will be unlikely to transform such a critical component of any organization. Chances are, if your organization has no forms of NextGen Work models so far, your leaders are probably lacking the sense of urgency. So you will have to spend some time to develop a compelling case to convince them with your plan. ​Answering the above questions will give you an indication of where your company stands and where are the gaps that need to be addressed prior to initiating new work models. ​Providing access to the labor market. Filling the void of career guidance. Boosting incomes. Supplementing pensions. Providing labor market mobility for people and business. Offering life-work balance for long careers. Nurturing learnability. Preparing people for disruption from technology, automation and globalization. Developing in-demand skills, on-the-job. This is why people are choosing NextGen Work. And this is why business leaders and policy makers must collaborate to find the best balance of flexibility and responsibility. ​To know more about NextGen Work models, visit: https://www.manpowergroup.com/workforce-insights/world-of-work/gig-responsibly-the-next-gen-at-work​

​How To Stay Relevant in the Digital Economy​When the world is constantly changing, naturally you face a challenge of staying relevant in the job market. ​Day in, day out, articles online speak about robots taking over and AI replacing humans in the workplace. Companies and countries alike are looking into ways to develop their workforce and equip them with skills of the future. ​The fundamental reason is that similarly as the world is changing, so are our future employer. They have unmistakably more diversions, decisions, openings, and approaches to convey on how exactly how solid the point of staying relevant in this digital presence to get the job that can increase your long term income potential.​Ways to stay relevant professionally​1. Take control of your educationEmployers feel that the content and quality of local university education do not satisfactorily plan students for the workforce. 90 percent of all organizations over-viewed feel that universities ought to give students increasingly reasonable preparing, while 80 percent imagine that universities ought to consider changing university educational programs to mirror the realities of the labour market. ​We are now in a society which many jobs and careers require additional education or training beyond formal education. We have to move away from an idea that students finish learning when their formal education ends and they enter the work world. Instead, working individuals have to update their skills, continuously learning and adapting to stay relevant in the digital economy. 2. Keeping your skills set current, updating your resume​Highlight ongoing skills development. Include a separate section in the resume to detail courses you’ve recently completed or another way you’ve shown initiative in acquiring new skills. You can also update your online platforms, like LinkedIn, with details of courses you’ve recently completed, certifications achieved, and otherlearning initiatives. ​Remaining current in your field will require a solid blend of hard skills, for example, computer programs and the specialized ability expected to carry out your job, and soft-skills abilities, for example, general industry learning and communications skills.  3. Build a network​Based on the research by McKinsey Global Institute, more than 1.5 billion people around the world have an account on a social networking site. It is observed by that 72 percent of companies are having strong social presence and is even expecting every employee to stay relevant in social networks. ​Make friends across generation. Making friends with people who aren’t in your age group can help you communicate with a wider variety of people. Many organisations are looking to hire candidates who bring a strong network with them. ​It’s also useful to have a network you can tap into to help you understand and solve problems and to support you in learning new skills. Proactive about linking skills development to promotions. As a conclusion, adapting yourself with relevant skills can help you to be more competent than others. As mentioned in Economic Report 2018 by Ministry of Finance Malaysia, the demand for skilled and multi-skilled employees will continue to rise in the coming years with the increase in automation and introduction of latest technologies. ​Building your network by enhancing your social skills to talk with a various group can help you to excel in communication skills. If you want to get a promotion, linking all your skills development to the correct skillset of that position can help you get promoted thus, strive in this current digital economy.

​​If you’re a hiring manager recruiting for specialist IT talent, you’ll know that it’s a tough market globally in Malaysia specifically to find the right candidates for your organisation. ​This is a problem for organisations of all sizes, but affects large firms in APAC the most, with organisations of 250+ across the globe facing more than twice as much difficulty filling roles as micro organisations. ​The reasons behind this struggle are varied, but 31% highlight a lack of applicants as one of the biggest challenges, and 13% say candidates are expecting more than what businesses are prepared to pay.​So for you to attract the right talent, you should start to remove barriers and plan for a different approaches to the talent pipeline:​Remove Unnecessary Qualification Barriers​We noticed that a high percentage of organisations in Malaysia have traditionally required a university degree or diploma as a basic requirement for all roles. But as the "common" view of what a good education looks like changes, so too must the requirements for new hires. ​With that in mind, now is a good time to reassess your qualification criteria. For example, does it really matter whether your Cyber Security specialist went to University if they have all the necessary IT and Cyber Security training?​This isn’t about recruiting less qualified talent – it’s about opening up your talent pool to avoid missing an often overlooked set of candidates.​Look At Alternative Talent Pools​Review your existing team demographics, age range and diversity. Are there any groups which are missing? ​29% of organisations in APAC, are looking to target different talent pools to those they have traditionally recruited from, focusing on widening the breadth and depth of individuals they’re pulled from.​As well as giving you access to previously untapped talent pools, increasing the range of backgrounds your talent comes from can help improve employee performance, encourage creativity and drive innovation.​To help avoid subconscious bias when looking to increase the diversity of your team, it’s worth considering a blind CV approach – removing a range of details where appropriate to the role; from the candidate’s name, to academic and education details, to their criminal record.​Upskill Your Existing Talent​For many of the roles you’re looking to recruit for, it’s possible that you may already have the talent you need sitting right under your nose. ​With skills development being one of the highest ranked drivers for employees in the workforce, assessing individuals for existing capabilities and transferable skills could be a winning combination – helping to retrain your existing talent and upskill them to plug skills gaps and retain them in your business for longer.​Over half of businesses globally are investing in learning platforms and development tools to build their talent pipeline, up from just 20% in 2014. ​It’s clear that businesses in APAC are already taking this approach as 4 out of 10 employers in APAC are investing in learning platforms and development tools to build their talent pipeline, only 1% lower than in 2016. ​This approach can also apply to looking externally for talent. Whilst it will require some investment in time and training, looking for transferable skills and learnability in a candidate can help you to access otherwise untapped talent. ​For example, training programmes or cources in coding bootcamps from academies such as The Next Academy helps individuals with the relevant coding based foundation training and allowing them to show their potential to learn and progress in the space.​Improve Pay and/or Benefits​It is no secret, pay and benefits continue to be one of the key motivators for talent, particularly for specialist roles in areas such as IT. ​If your organisation is competing with other businesses with strong employer brands for the same talent, then a relatively quick fix is to compare your salaries with those offered by the competition. ​It’s also worth looking at whether the benefits that you’re offering appeal to alternative talent pools. Which incentives could you offer to target specific groups of individuals that you’re not currently reaching? ​With 22% of organisations in APAC looking to improve benefits like increased holiday and new joiner and well-being incentives, this is certainly becoming a popular option.​Hiring a new starter can be a long and expensive process, so it pays to get the right person on-board first time. ​From psychometric tests, 360 interviews, to new generation tools like big data scraping, social network analysis and gamification, organisations need to move away from biased intuition, to data based decision making.​If you need help in attracting the right IT talent to your organisation, get in touch today.

​IT jobs such as Software Developers, Computer Network Professionals, System Analysts, and Application Programmers have appeared in every Critical Occupation List (COL) since 2015. ​The COL, published by Institute of Labour Market Information and Analysis (ILMIA) and TalentCorp Malaysia, shows occupations that are skilled, sought-after, and strategic across 18 sectors in Malaysia. ​It also identifies shortages in occupations that are sought-after by employers. Occupations such as for Mathematicians Actuaries & Statisticians (with job titles such as data analysts, data scientists and big data analysts) point to a shift in Malaysia’s needs towards jobs required to meet Industrial Revolution 4.0.​In the News Straits Times newspaper article titled ‘Jobs of the future: Top five emerging careers’, Geh Thuan Hooi, The Malaysian Institute of Human Resource Management human resource adviser had said “With the advent of Industry 4.0 where artificial intelligence (AI) will replace many present jobs, anything related to data analytics, information technology and robotics are good fields to venture into”. ​He also said that, “Jobs requiring a high sense of creativity and decisiveness will be much sought after. Those with a strong mind-set, who are persistent and not afraid to fail, as well as team players will make it in the future”.​Moreover, Malaysia’s top five emerging jobs were all related to the tech industry as reported by LinkedIn in its report titled 2019 Emerging Jobs in Malaysia. ​It analysed “millions” of job titles by LinkedIn users in Malaysia in 2013 and 2017 and then grouped them into common job roles and counted how frequently a particular job role appeared in 2013 versus 2017.​The report identified five future jobs in Malaysia which are Data Scientist, Full Stack Engineer, Drive Test Engineer, User Experience (UX) designer and Content Writer. ​Knowing what the market demands now and in the coming couple of years, will help you upskill to remain relevant in the workforce. ​Here are the 5 jobs identified by LinkedIn:​Data Scientist​Data Scientists analyse and interpret data of a business. They can help local companies innovate with data and build Malaysia into a global hub for data analytics.​Full Stack Engineer​Some might argue that a full stack engineer is quite similar to a UX designer. However at the core, a UX designer might not even touch a single line of code. A full stack engineer on the other hand has the skills to convert processes and design ideas into functional applications. ​He or she helps businesses to go digital from start to finish, including creating apps and websites. Increasingly it is expected of them to have soft skills to facilitate communication and project management. ​Drive Test Engineer​For drive test engineers, the emergence of mobile and broadband is increasing their demand in the market. Companies need help to troubleshoot problems and improve network coverage based on the data gathered from telco networks. ​UX Designer​As many businesses move their operation online, UX designers will fulfill business needs to develop processes, and in many cases layouts, for applications. UX designers need to be up to date on the latest user behaviors and optimise applications for a great user experience.​Content Writer​The popularity of social media is great for content writers as they can use their journalism and publishing backgrounds to create compelling and engaging content. ​To conclude, keep yourself updated on the latest market developments and the skills that are in demand to stay releveant for your current or potential employers. ​Remember, the tech world is constantly evolving. What is in demand today, might no longer be needed tomorrow. Therefore one of the key skills you want to nurture is your constant ability to learn and adapt to changing circumstances. ​