In an era characterized by dynamic business landscapes, all practitioners of compensation and benefits must seize the opportunities offered by data analytics. This will facilitate equilibrium between employee retention and performance incentives. Drawing from our extensive consulting experiences, we observe a correlation between length of service and future rewards, which could exert upward pressure on retirement and related social programs. This notably includes healthcare-related benefits which are primed to experience a surge in costs.

Post the pandemic mayhem of lockdowns, restrictions and social-distancing, businesses around the world are grappling with a critical question: Should we continue implementing remote or hybrid work arrangements? In this post we explore the potential benefits, pitfalls, and nuances related to this trending topic.

Leadership demands setting a vision, engaging and motivating people, providing resources, and ensuring progress. These are some core leadership competencies required of a leader. But what about technical skills? What about the knowledge to understand the intricacies of the business and the know-how in problem-solving? How significant is technical know-how for leadership? Let's explore this further.

The job market is an extremely competitive arena. Not just for job seekers vying for the best roles, but also for companies, all competing to attract and retain the best talents. The strength of your employer branding can be the determining factor that gives you the edge in this contest. Here are some effective strategies for improving your employer branding:

In today's competitive business environment, attracting and retaining 'high potential' talents is paramount. However, defining who exactly qualifies as a 'high potential' can often seem like a challenging task. We aim to demystify the concept of 'high potential' talent and provide tips on what to look for, particularly in the context of the Malaysian landscape with this post.

The management of underperforming employees is an arduous task, often leading to consequences like inefficiency and legal liability. To compound matters, the subjectivity of performance assessment can result in inconsistent standards and thus, unresolved performance issues. This predicament, alongside a number of other factors, contributes to the failing of performance management processes, particularly in the Malaysian context. However, with the right understanding and proactive measures, employers and employees alike can navigate this complex issue to their mutual benefit.

Culture is a buzz word in the Human Capital and Human Resources world right now. Most would acknowledge its importance, yet struggle to really articulate what it is or measure how tangible it really is on the impact of a business. Culture is more than just nice phrases or terminology on your company website or wall - it does effect the health of your organization. Have you heard the saying : “Culture eats strategy for breakfast?”

Like many young Malaysians, Nurafiah and Kok Ming were optimistic about finding gainful employment and hopeful about the many job fairs organised by the both the public and private sector. Yet, they couldn't shake off the disappointment from the lack of job variety; their aspirations didn't align with the multitude of opportunities in engineering and technology.

In a competitive employment landscape, it may seem that Multi-National Corporations (MNCs) may have an advantage over Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) - as seems to be the case in Singapore.

In Malaysia however, SMEs form a vital backbone of the economy and can provide a wealth of opportunities for individuals seeking exciting challenges and meaningful work experiences. Here are some strategies that SMEs can adopt to attract and retain high-quality talent.

A productive and thriving business is the result of several key factors. Among these, employee engagement stands out as a crucial driver of success. Engaged employees are not only more productive and committed, but they also contribute to a positive organizational culture, fostering a better workplace for all.

Various aspects influence employee engagement, and here, we focus on four major drivers: Total Rewards, Organizational Alignment, Leadership, and Line of Sight.

Requests for salary increases is something every company, manager and HR professional will inevitably have to face. It is crucial to maintain professionalism but at the same time take an empathetic approach in handling the request.

Here are some things that should NOT be done in dealing with this situation:

However, the old perception of HR being hostile or unapproachable sometimes lingers. It's important for HR professionals to address this by cultivating an environment of openness and approachability. Here's how HR can achieve this:

Though uncommon, but there could be instances where an employee would disagree with their rating - especially if they were scored on the lower end.

This creates an uncomfortable situation especially in our unique Malaysian cultural context where face-saving and respectful dialogue are paramount, it could be tempting to try and skirt the issue or "sweep it under the carpet."

But, we have some practical steps on how employers and managers can approach this scenario.

"Side hustle" is an increasingly common phrase in today's working world. Defined as a secondary job or freelance work that provides supplementary income, a side hustle is a way for individuals to make extra money outside of their regular employment. But should Malaysian companies support their employees' pursuit of such ventures? Let's look at the reasons why it might make sense.