Recruitment of IT Professionals in Malaysia will see a rise in the latter half of 2016, as jobseekers with in-demand talent look to receive a boost in salary, according to the latest annual Global Salary Survey from international recruitment firm Robert Walters.

For the first half of 2016, recruitment will likely remain cautious in Malaysia, however as the economy is expected to stabilise in the latter half, hiring will rise. Jobseekers with in-demand skills such as IT and corporate governance can expect salary increases of 20-25% in 2016.

Hiring for the first half of 2016 is only anticipated for replacement positions or within critical business units which will lead to employers up skilling their existing employees. This move is expected to help companies retain their top talent while the economy recovers.

“In times of market uncertainty, companies need to see the long-term value of investing in their employees,” says Sally Raj, Managing Director of Robert Walters Malaysia.

See: Malaysian Businesses to Invest in Talent Development in 2016

“Staff retention is now more crucial than ever as Malaysian professionals are highly motivated by training and development initiatives as well as leadership opportunities.”

“Despite this general slowdown, growth is still forecasted within IT, corporate governance and Islamic banking, all of which are driving recruitment of top-tier skilled specialists.”

According to Robert Walters, demand for accounting and finance professionals skilled in project management and the shared services businesses environment will be high as more multinational corporations migrate their functions to Malaysia.

Additionally, as the Malaysian technology space experiences rapid growth, more firms are likely to utilise digital channels to boost revenue. This will increase positions for IT specialists skilled in big data and e-commerce.

Also read: Malaysian Employees are increasingly concerned about Job Security in 2016

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