Malaysian firms urged to change working culture and retain local talent

According to The Borneo Post Online, Kelly Services (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd managing director Melissa Norman says that Malaysian medium and large corporations should start to transform their recruitment and working culture to avoid a talent drain in future.

She highlighted that Malaysian-based multi-national companies had applied its transformed recruitment and working methods to attract fresh graduates and local skilled labour, and it had been successful. “It is no more about the money that the young generation can gain, generation Y is looking forward to the quality of life that they can obtain from an occupation,” she told Bernama in an interview recently.

The orthodox kind of recruitment and working style, such as the ‘employer says all, employees listen’ and ‘9am to 5pm working style’, did not work with the younger generation any more, she added. We’re not surprised to learn that given the current working environment, many fresh graduates from foreign universities and skilled workers opted not to return to Malaysia, reducing the talent pool that Malaysia should have in order to attract more foreign direct investments, she said.

The good news? Some Malaysians companies had started to change their working or human resources module to a more colourful, vibrant, open-office style with flexible working hours and were more friendly when approaching a fresh graduate or young skilled employee, she said.

“However, more companies have to transform, or not have their productivity dependent solely on the going-to-retire and retired employees. The working lifestyle currently experienced by the younger generation is the major reason why most of them do not stay at one company for more than three years,” she said.

Norman said the human resources department, being the lifeline of a corporation, had to develop certain recruitment and working policies which fitted well for all the working generations. “Whether this will increase productivity is not proven, but this method will certainly attract more and more young, skilled talent,” she said. — Bernama

The Best Rejection Letter Ever

We’re totally hooked onto StumbleUpon and look what we found—the funniest rejection letter ever!

Herbert A. Millington
Chair - Search Committee
412A Clarkson Hall, Whitson University
College Hill, MA 34109

Dear Professor Millington,

Thank you for your letter of March 16. After careful consideration, I
regret to inform you that I am unable to accept your refusal to offer me
an assistant professor position in your department.

This year I have been particularly fortunate in receiving an unusually
large number of rejection letters. With such a varied and promising field
of candidates, it is impossible for me to accept all refusals.

Despite Whitson's outstanding qualifications and previous experience in
rejecting applicants, I find that your rejection does not meet my needs at
this time. Therefore, I will assume the position of assistant professor
in your department this August. I look forward to seeing you then.

Best of luck in rejecting future applicants.

Sincerely,
Chris L. Jensen

After some research, we discovered via Textile Arts Resource Guide that apparently: “The following has been circulating around the web as being “The Ultimate Rejection Letter”. It is, in fact, the rejection of a rejection letter. Written by a grad student in 1995 to express his feelings about being rejected for a teaching position, copies were given just to a few of his close friends. He never mailed it and had no idea it had been circulated on the internet until he stumbled across it in 2002. None of the names in the letter are real, nor is the school.”

Whatever it is, we think this is so cheeky and hilarious. Hmm…we’re wondering if any of you would like to try this one out?

Via Textile Arts Resource Guide & JobMob

The 60 strangest job titles in the USA

Locally, we tend to come across the usual designations. Check out this list and see if you’d apply for the positions with job titles as below:

Acrobatic Rigger – sets up equipment for acrobatic troupes
Air Hole Driller – operates machine which makes holes in smoking pipes
Babbitter – adds alloy to metal workpieces
Back Washer – operates machine for washing sliver (a continuous textile strand)
Bed Rubber – operates machine which smoothes stone blocks
Bit Shaver – smoothes mouthpieces of smoking pipes
Bobbin Loose-End Finder - finds and ties broken thread on winding machines
Brilliandeer-Lopper – uses a machine to cut and shape diamonds
Bucket Chucker – operates machine for smoothing inside surface of buckets
Cake Stripper – operates a machine used in the cottonseed oil business
Carroter – conditions fur for use in felt hat manufacture
Chick Sexer – inserts illuminating tool into baby birds to determine gender
Debubblizer – operates equipment which removes bubbles from plastics
Dolly Pusher – moves camera equipment around scene of TV recording / broadcast
End Frazer – operates machinery used in manufacturer of stems for smoking pipes
Flatcar Whacker – maintains and repairs logging rail cars
Fur Blower – runs machinery for fumigating and cleaning furs
Gambreler – hangs animal carcases on hooks ready for preparation
Gang Knife Fish Chopper – chops fish into pieces for canning
Getterer – applies solution to wires in lamp manufacture
Grizzly Worker – breaks rock and ore on quarry conveyor belts and chutes
Hair-Boiler Operator – operates high temperature vats for curling animal hair
Hand Nailer – assembles wooden boxes, pallets and packing cases
Horse Identifier – verifies horses at racetracks
Jet Wiper – wipes spinnerettes through which strands of rayon are produced
Lag Screwer – inserts bolts in table legs
Last Putter-Away - sorts and stores shoe moulds
Lingo Cleaner - cleans metal heddles used in Jacquard loom harnesses
Mother Repairer – improves metal phonograph record matrices
Napper Tender – operates machinery which gives socks a fluffy appearance
Nut Steamer – immerses almonds, pecans etc in hot water to soften shells
Odd Bundle Worker – arranges tobacco leaves on conveyor belt
Odd Shoe Examiner – examines shoe uppers for defective parts
Oyster Floater – spreads shellfish in container to keep fresh / remove impurities
Poultry Offal Icer – shovels ice into chicken waste parts to avoid spoiling
Quill Buncher-and-Sorter – arranges feather types for use in dusters
Redye Hand – sorts and bags hose and panty hose for redying
Roving Sizer – checks output of woollen carding machines
Rug Hooker – operates device to make piles on rugs and carpets
Scarf Gluer – joins together plywood panels
Sea-Foam-Kiss Maker – makes candy kisses and puts them on wax paper to harden
Ski Topper – operates machine that fits plastic strips onto skis
Skull Grinder – cleans ear and nose passages of brained pig heads
Smash Hand – repairs broken yarns on a loom
Smoke Jumper – parachutes in to endangered ares to combat forest fires
Snailer – operates machine which polishes and inscribes clocks and watches
Soft Crab Shedder – helps crabs to shed hard shells so they can be sold as soft-shell crabs
Sulky Driver – takes charge of two-wheel, horse-drawn carriages in races
Sumatra Opener – unbales and stacks tobacco
Targeteer – tests accuracy and functionality of weapons
Top Waddy – organises groups of cowpunchers on a range (also known as Top Screw)
Trip Follower – posts positions of aircraft on a flight-following board
Tubber – tends tumbling machines which clean items to be used as jewellery
Unscrambler – controls movement on food processing conveyor belts
Wax-Ball Knock-Out Worker – removes wax forms from insides of new basketballs
Whizzer – operates felt-hat drying machinery
Winterizer – operates chilling machine for removing stearin from vegetable oils
Worm Picker – patrols grassy areas to find worms for fishing bait
Wrinkle Chaser – uses various tools to remove defects from new shoes
Yeast Pusher - transfers yeast from fermenting cellar to storage tanks

Source: from the 13,000 or so jobs in the US government's authorative manual.

Via Vitamin Q - a temple of trivia and lists

Higher EPF contribution for RM5,000 and below earners

We’re starting off the New Year with a boost in our retirement savings! Via The Star Online, “The revised employers’ statutory contribution rate of 13% to the Employees Provident Fund for workers earning less than RM5,000 a month will take effect from January. EPF public relations general manager Nik Affendi Jaafar said the 1% increase from the current 12% will benefit about 5.3 million working Malaysians, who make up 92% of EPF’s active members. “The employees’ contribution rate remains at 11%,” said Nik Affendi.”

Employees who are 55 years and above and earning wages not exceeding RM5,000 will also benefit from the revised rates, as employers are now required to contribute at 6.5% – an additional 0.5% from the current 6%.

"Prime Minister and Finance Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced the increase in employers' contribution for those in this income group during his 2012 Budget Speech as a move to redress the problem of inadequacy of income during retirement which retirees are now facing," Nik Affendi said.

It was highlighted that EPF said previous studies had shown that 70 per cent of retirees could exhaust their savings within 10 years from the onset of their retirement.

"As such, the EPF commends the government for its quick action in putting a damper on the problem as the additional one per cent contribution, coupled with the power of compounding dividend, would add up to a healthier savings for the retirement of working Malaysians," Nik Affendi added.

Let’s Talk Talent

When I was a little girl, my grandparents used to constantlydrill it into me that “Nobody's good at everything; everybody's good atsomething”. Sure I found it hard to believe…in fact I thought they were justtrying to make me feel better!

From the ripe old age of 10, I started writing—sending in mypieces to local newspapers and I was completely obsessed with slogan-writingcompetitions. While I managed to score loads of moolah and prizes during myquests, I never actually thought I was good at it.

 

Eventually, over the years Irealised that “Hey, not everyone can write, get published and win tons ofgoodies! Aah…so this is my talent, eh”. I guess it wouldn’t come as a surprisethat I am now Content Editor at JobsDB Malaysia and lovin’ every minute ofwhat I do!

 

As The Toilet Paper Entrepreneurput it: “Everyone has a talent.  EVERYONE.  So maybe yours is blowingmilk out your nose... it's still a talent.  And most talents can bemonetized.  The key is to find your talent and then turn it into ascalable business.  Too bad many folks get stuck on the "finding thetalent" part.” Believe or not, Mike Michalowicz is right!

Best-selling author and broadcaster Patrick Lindsay offers apiece of advice, “Some know it from childhood. Some never find it. But we allhave special talents. Take the time to explore yours. It may be disguised. Itmay be undeveloped. But trust your instincts. Give yourself the opportunity. Itwill be there.”

With the New Year around the corner, we urge you to tap intoyour inner talents and realise your true potential—you’ll lead a happier, morefulfilling life!

Image via weheartit.com

Civil servants to get up to 13% pay rise from Jan 1

Pay rise news is always good news and what better way for civil servants to start off 2012! According to The Star Online, Public Service director-general Tan Sri Abu Bakar Abdullah said the increments for the civil servants would be based on four principles: hierarchy: talent and experience; their position and subject matter expertise; and their performance.

Nothing comes easy they say, which is why Tan Sri Abu Bakar Abdullah stressed that the increments would be performance-based, which also means that if the top civil servants do not do enough to merit bonuses, there would be no pay rise for them either.The performance of the top-level civil servants will be evaluated through their Key Performance Indicators.

If you’re wondering how exactly the pay rise would work, wonder no more: citing an example of how a top management officer would be paid, he said a doctor with a salary range of between RM4,431 and RM6,439 is now eligible for a salary of between RM4,520 and RM8,840. However, the doctor will not immediately move to the new maximum rate if he is currently earning RM6,439.He will instead earn a similar salary and continue to enjoy increments of up to RM8,840 (37% higher than the previous ceiling) even before he is promoted to the next grade.

Giving an example for the lower category staff, he said: “If a driver earns between RM1,222.51 and RM1,882 under the current scheme, he can earn between RM1,245 and RM2,965 under the new scheme.”

Via The Star Online
Image credit to stock.xchng

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