‘Employee engagement in Malaysia above global average’

KUALA LUMPUR: A study by management solutions provider Qualtrics found that Malaysia scored marginally higher than the global average in terms of employee engagement.

The “2020 Employee Experience Trends: Malaysia” study found that the average employee engagement in Malaysia stood at 54% compared with the global average at 53%.

India (79%), Thailand (72%) and Hong Kong (63%) attained the highest scores.

The company said employee engagement rises significantly to 79% when employee feedback is well-received and acted on, and falls to 47% otherwise.

Information gleaned from the study revealed that two-thirds, or 67%, of workers in Malaysia believe that it is very important that employers listen to feedback.

Among the top drivers of employee engagement in the country are recognition for good work, a clear link between the work and the company’s strategic objectives, opportunities for learning and development, managers who help employees with career development, and confidence in senior leadership in making right decisions.

It also disclosed that 16% of employees in Malaysia intend to stay with their current employer for less than a year, with some looking to change jobs almost doubling at 30%.

“Employee engagement tends to increase the longer an employee remains at the company in Malaysia, peaking around four years.

“However, engagement drivers change over time, reflecting the need to continually understand and act on important issues,” Qualtrics employee experience senior solutions strategist (Asia Pacific and Japan) Stephen Choo said.

He said the key engagement driver for employees with less than two years tenure is training, while engagement for employees with four years and more of tenure is driven mostly by a clear link between the work and the company’s strategic objectives.

“As Malaysia steers towards building a digital economy, it’s important for companies to create an agile workforce,” Choo said.

This helps companies retain exceptional talent and reduce employee churn, making it a winwin situation for everyone, he added. – Bernama