Working professionals in Malaysia strongest believers in inclusive recruitment within Asia, according to new Hays study

Working professionals respond positively when made to feel included and equitably treated.

Malaysia, 18 Dec 2024 – 93% of working professionals in Malaysia felt that it was important for recruitment processes to be inclusive of their needs, according to a new Hays report researching current attitudes and the effectiveness of diversity, equity and inclusivity (DE&I) practices in the workplace. 

The report, ‘Building Inclusive Hiring Practices: A Blueprint for Action’, surveyed 966 working professionals and hiring managers across Malaysia, China, Hong Kong SAR, Japan, Singapore and Thailand in July 2024. 

Respondents were asked how various diversity factors affected their careers within their organisation, and where they felt their companies stood today with DE&I initiatives. Diversity factors taken into account included ethnicity, gender identity, socio economic background, disability, sexual orientation, neurodiversity or status as a caregiver. 

This sentiment was shared among hiring managers as well, with 93% believing in the importance of inclusive hiring processes. 

“Professionals in Malaysia want to see companies take inclusive hiring more seriously,” says Natasha Ishak, Regional Director at Hays Malaysia. “Addressing inclusive hiring gaps can help organisations broaden their appeal to candidates, levelling the playing field and benefiting professionals overall.” 

When asked what steps organisations could take to make them feel more equitably treated, the most popular actions voted by respondents were clear policies against discrimination and harassment (50%), followed by transparent inclusive recruitment, progression and promotion processes (48%) and diversity and inclusion training for all employees (36%). 

“Inclusivity measures resonate strongly with professionals in Malaysia, leading to better work outcomes,” says Natasha Ishak, Regional Director at Hays Malaysia. “Respondents felt that inclusivity and equitable treatment would improve their physical and mental wellbeing, leading to increased engagement at work and enhanced productivity and performance.” 

Among the groups surveyed in Malaysia, people in underrepresented ethnic groups within their companies felt they were most likely to face barriers to career growth, at 67% compared to 33% of people in well represented ethnic groups. 

43% of caregivers were also likely to feel limitations to career progression, the highest in Asia. 

“Understanding what’s current in practice in the organisation will help with plugging gaps to inclusivity. Leaders can start by reviewing what has been put in place and identify strategies and roadmaps to implement new policies that target professionals in need of equity,” says Natasha. 

Discover ways to improve your hiring experience with our publication, download below:

About Hays 

Hays plc (the "Group") is the world’s leading specialist in workforce solutions and recruitment, such as RPO and MSP. The Group is the expert at recruiting qualified, professional, and skilled people worldwide, being the market leader in the UK, Germany, and Australia and one of the market leaders in Continental Europe, Latin America, and Asia. The Group operates across the private and public sectors, dealing in permanent positions, contract roles and temporary assignments. As of 30 June 2024, the Group employed over 11,100 staff operating from 236 offices in 33 countries. For the year ended 30 June 2024: 

• The Group reported net fees of £1,113.6 million and operating profit of £105.1 million. 

• The Group placed around 57,700 candidates into permanent jobs and around 225,000 people into temporary roles. 

• 13% of Group net fees were generated in Australia & New Zealand, 32% in Germany, 20% in United Kingdom & Ireland and 35% in Rest of World (RoW). 

• The temporary placement business represented 59% of net fees and the permanent placement business represented 41% of net fees. 

• Technology is the Group’s largest division, with 25% of net fees, while Accountancy & Finance (15%) and Engineering (11%), are the next largest. 

• Hays operates in the following countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, UAE, the UK, and the USA.