KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian workforce finds the attractiveness of a potential employer commensurates with the salary and monetary-related benefits the employer provides, says Kelly Outsourcing and Consulting Group (KellyOCG).

In its 2014 Kelly Global Workfoce Index (KGWI) survey report titled “Executive Insights: Exploring Today’s World of Work”, as many as 93% of Malaysia-based employees surveyed cited salary and financial benefits as the main reason why they changed their jobs.

“This high regard for salary is lower in the Asia-Pacific where the average is at 86% and globally it is at 84%,” said KellyOCG in a statement yesterday.

Vice-president for the Asia-Pacific Anthony Raja Devadoss said it has become extremely crucial now for organisations to adopt a human resource strategy that includes work-life balance and flexible work schedules, against such a backdrop.

“Imagine that if half of the happy satisfied employees in Malaysia are on the lookout (for jobs) on a daily basis, what does that tell you? Organisations in Malaysia need to drastically improve their human resource acquisition and retention strategies to engage an ‘Empowered Workforce’,” he said.

He noted that over 60% of today’s workers globally spend at least one hour per week networking and establishing resources for new job opportunities.

“This behaviour does not necessarily signal dissatisfaction with a current employer because nearly half (47%) of employees admit they look for better career opportunities even when they are happy with their current job,” he said.

This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on January 23, 2015.