Malaysian workplaces are preparing for a future driven by flexible work schedules and generative artificial intelligence (gen AI).
The majority of workers (63%) believe that augmented intelligence (AI) may improve flexibility, and 70% have either used or plan to utilise the technology in the coming year. Employers are just as excited, with 96% wanting to implement gen AI soon and 84% anticipating it would increase flexibility.
A key skills gap, however, might be a major hurdle amid all the enthusiasm. Even though companies and workers agree that reskilling and upskilling are necessary to adopt new work practices, just 22% of employers intend to offer training in emerging AI-related skills.
The EY 2023 Work Reimaging Survey found that 39% of Malaysian workers are thinking about quitting their employment in the upcoming year due to economic difficulties. Better wellness initiatives, flexible remote work schedules, and more attractive pay packages abroad are some of the causes. Employees’ top concerns are salary (40%), workplace flexibility (28%), and the employer’s capacity to draw in talent (28%). Malaysian employers are aligned on crucial talent challenges, as seen by their shared goals
There is a perceptual difference, though. Only 57% of workers in Malaysia think that slower economic development lowers employee turnover, despite 64% of employers holding this view. In addition, respondents—whose perceptions of the power dynamics in the workplace have varied from 53% before to the pandemic to 43% in 2022 and 53% at this time—perceive employers as having greater sway over employees.
The poll also revealed encouraging trends in Malaysian organisations adopting a mixed work style. The majority of employers—52 percent—are in favour of two to three days of remote work. Employers and workers, however, have different perspectives on leadership alignment: whereas 82% of employers believe alignment exists, just 62% of employees share this belief.
Finally, the poll highlighted how neurodiversity is becoming more widely recognised, especially among Gen Z and Millennials. Nine percent of Malaysian respondents said they were neurodivergent. Accepting neurodiversity and all of its distinctive qualities is seen to be essential to fulfilling the growing need for digital skills.
