2023 saw more overseas businesses establishing offices in Indonesia, stoking demand for talent with past stints in multinational corporations or other environments where they were part of a diverse culture.
According to Rachmi Fauzie, who oversees the Human Resources division as Senior Manager at Robert Walters Indonesia, candidates who had overseas assignments or international exposure were also highly prized on the market. This comes as companies are keen to bring on talents who can provide new perspectives and create meaningful change in the organisation.
“More companies also minted mobility programmes, which has resulted in some shuffling of talent as employees rotated within the organisation,” she adds.
Read on to find out more about Rachmi’s expectations for Indonesia’s labour market and hiring trends for Human Resources professionals in 2024.
Push for more equitable hiring
In the year ahead, Rachmi anticipates that companies will place a stronger emphasis on equity, diversity and inclusion (ED&I) in their recruitment. They will make changes to their candidate sourcing and strive to eliminate bias in the selection process.
As part of the drive to create a more equitable workforce, companies will also lean more heavily on data to inform their decision making when hiring new talent.
Candidates with strong data skills and emotional intelligence in demand
Pegged to the push for more equitable, data-driven hiring, companies will be on the lookout for Human Resources professionals that know how to use data to drive decision making.
Rachmi also notes high emotional intelligence and adaptability as the key soft skills that employers. In particular, candidates who can stay on top of rapid changes and uncertainty will have a strong advantage.
The most in-demand roles in the sector will be in people development, compensation and benefits, and HR business partners.
Advice for talent attraction and retention
Rachmi recommends that companies begin from the candidate experience during the recruitment process to successfully attract and retain talent. She adds,
Build a good experience for the candidate from the first engagement, all the way till the interviews are done and an offer is given. By getting off on the right foot, candidates will have a positive impression of the company and its value.
Where possible, companies should also highlight any environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives and other activities related to the company’s vision and purpose. This will help attract progressive candidates that are drawn to organisations that operate sustainably and ethically.
To keep engagement levels up, companies can also formulate career development plans and involve employees in learning and development programmes, internal mobility opportunities or short-term projects that are relevant to their career goals. In particular, Rachmi notes that employees tend to stay on for longer with their company if there are upskilling opportunities, or pathways to gain certifications or attend industry conferences.
Employees also appreciate initiatives that add to their well-being and work-life balance, so companies should also look at how they can provide more support in these areas.
Moderate rise in salaries
In 2024, salaries for job movers are expected to increase by between 10 – 20%.
Find out more
Request access to our 2024 Salary Survey to benchmark salaries and to find out more about key hiring trends in Indonesia.
