94 Per Cent Of Malaysian Companies Support Diversity & Inclusion

KUALA LUMPUR, March 18 (Bernama) -- Ninety-four per cent of companies in Malaysia are supportive of diversity and inclusion (D&I) efforts, according to the findings of the 'Michael Page 2017 Asia Salary & Employment Outlook' survey. It also revealed that the Malaysian government's support for the advancement of women in the workplace had created a conducive environment to address work-life balance challenges for females. Malaysian companies ranked gender (47 per cent) as the top focus in their 2017 D&I programmes, followed by age (40 per cent) and minority ethnic groups at 25 per cent. Michael Page Malaysia Director May Wah Chan said international firms were typically the key drivers of D&I, due to the mandate from regional or head offices. "However, many (of these firms) in Malaysia are seeking to localise their workforce and are becoming more representative of the local market," said Chan. She said salary increases remained one of the top considerations for candidates. However, other factors such as career progression and corporate values were also attractive points for job seekers. "This is especially relevant in technology, where competition for specialist skills in financial technology, app development and e-commerce is highly anticipated ," she added. --BERNAMA