The future of work in ASEAN

Three key developments that can help your business thrive

Across the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (or ASEAN, as it’s commonly known) the future of work is evolving fast. Those businesses accessing new talent pools, utilising the latest recruitment technology, and upskilling their teams to meet future strategic needs will have a big competitive advantage. At Morgan McKinley, we have a strong presence across the ASEAN region, and we’re helping our clients take advantage of three key talent attraction developments here.

1. The rise of remote working, which has made tapping into the rapidly developing talent pools across South-East Asia more efficient and cost-effective.
2. The increase in strategic workforce planning and upskilling to create teams that can meet future business needs.
3. The rise of AI-enabled talent mapping, hiring and training tools.

1. Remote working is expanding regional talent pools

Remote working within ASEAN is a growing phenomenon which is increasing the availability of skilled local talent. All across the region – and especially in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam – there are more opportunities for businesses to access talent that is both skilled and flexible.

Organisation-wide digital transformation programmes are providing the infrastructure to fuel this growth in remote working. This in turn helps to stimulate the expansion of the emerging talent markets, such as the swift growth of available tech talent in Vietnam.

Working with a partner who has in-depth knowledge of these regional talent markets is key. That means someone who knows:

• Where you should focus within the region in terms of your specific recruitment needs
• what sourcing, marketing and employer branding approaches work best in different countries and cultures
• how you can develop flexible talent pools that call on local, regional and global talent to create the perfect mix.

2. Talent mapping, workforce planning, and upskilling strategies are delivering the workforce of the future

Of course, before recruiting new talent, remote or otherwise, being laser focused on exactly how that talent will drive future business success is vital. Identifying what skills and competencies currently exist in your organisation and what gaps you need to fill to meet your strategic goals are the first steps in creating a future-proofed talent management strategy. A detailed plan of how you can fill those gaps by upskilling your current people or hiring new talent can then follow.

Radical thinking can be required here. Ask yourself:

• Do existing role titles still make sense in the context of your medium and long-term organisational strategy?
• Are your job descriptions honed and designed for success?
• Do they rely too heavily on lists of hard skills, and are they lacking in tactical competencies that can help drive business goals?
• Where are the optimum locations for your new people or teams?

Increasingly, we’re partnering with our clients to recruit (or upskill) talent for roles that did not previously exist in their organisation – in order to meet future business needs.

3. AI-enabled tools are helping to define, pinpoint, attract, assess and develop the best talent

AI is playing an increasingly critical role in talent attraction and management. Partners who have expertise in a range of AI tools and can come alongside to recommend bespoke options that suit your needs are key. Beware those simply championing a proprietorial product.

From market research tools that can accurately pinpoint talent, to assessment tools that go beyond merely skimming through CVs to evaluating candidates through job-related simulations, AI with the right functionality can deliver excellent results. And it’s not just in the attraction space that AI can prove invaluable. It’s also enabling effective upskilling and learning programmes – including the ability for remote and office-based workers to be mentored by experts across the globe.

Success comes through judicious use of AI, driven by human experts with clear objectives and a focused, overarching strategy.

Your approach to talent will be the foundation of your business success

Integrating these three strands can create a formidable talent attraction and development strategy that builds success for today and tomorrow. It allows you to create flexible talent pools that call on regional and global talent and then connect them all seamlessly with customised technology solutions that power communication, learning and growth.

At Morgan McKinley, we’re experts with a strong presence across the ASEAN region, as well as throughout APAC, Europe and North America. We’re helping our clients take advantage of an integrated, future-ready talent strategy that leverages the rise of remote working, fully enabled by proven technology.

If you would like to find out more about how we deliver such bespoke solutions, please reach out to evelynchow@morganmckinley.com