Coworking Space KL: Business in Time of COVID-19 with JP Associates | Has Covid-19 affected the Recruitment Industry in Malaysia

Coworking Space KL

Coworking Space KL: Colony Connects – Business in Time of
COVID-19 with JP Associates

 

Coworking Space KL

 

COVID-19 has spread its impact across the board as we see businesses firing up their crisis management and contingency plans to help stay afloat in these unfaltering times.

In this new series of “Colony Connects: Business in Times of COVID-19”, we’ve been documenting and speaking to our members about how they have responded to the global health crisis – where their pain points are, how they’ve remained agile, what their priorities are going forward, and what the pandemic will mean for the future of their business or their industry as a whole.

On the first episode of this series, we got in touch with the people behind  JP Associates, a multi-disciplinary recruitment consultancy that specializes in technology and financial services recruitment in Malaysia. Here’s a summary of our conversation with them about their business journey during the pandemic as they shed light on the current state of the recruitment industry in Malaysia :

Coworking Space KL #Q1: Could you describe the nature of your business and what makes JP different from the rest?

A: JP Associates is a leading multi-disciplinary recruitment consultancy specializing in Technology and Financial Services recruitment. We focus on permanent, fixed-term and contractual positions specifically for Malaysian talents.

While others view recruitment as a fixed silo business model, for us it’s more than just hiring. We view hiring a team as an ongoing conversation and we’re willing to sit through with a candidate – even after their working hours – to connect with them and really getting to know them so that we place them in right job role based on their skills and qualifications.

Coworking Space KL #Q2: What do you consider to be your greatest achievement?

A: We have over 13 years’ experience in the Malaysian IT recruitment industry; but what has really helped us stand out in this saturated market of over 700 business competitors is our people and methodology.

We pride ourselves on curating only the best of companies to represent by introducing them to a pool of Malaysian talents and taking pride on our track record in assisting clients in recruiting the most talented local candidates available in the market.

Coworking Space KL #Q3: Has COVID affected the recruitment industry? What advice do you have for companies that are?

A: 2020 has posed a difficult year for many businesses. Even global public listed recruitment firms with long-standing business operations in Malaysia have been forced to streamline their operations due to currency exchange rates and market uncertainty.

Majority of the world doesn’t like change, but change is inevitable. So, our advice is to be the force of change instead of the resistance to it.

Businesses should learn to adapt to the current market trend in a complementary way while maintaining open conversations with their team members and setting expectations on both sides because – as now is the time to start cultivating an adaptable work culture.

 

Coworking Space KL #Q4: Is job hunting in Malaysia as tough as what everyone thinks it is during COVID-19? 

A: Individuals in mid to senior IT and finance roles are in high demand. However, we do see that those applying in the hospitality and engineering fields are having a tougher time getting hired.

Large corporations appear to be more stable as their businesses cover several sectors, making up for any deficit. Industries that are urgently expanding are – logistics, emergency services, medical, sanitary, tech support, and e-commerce.

Ultimately, we believe that your occupation is tied to your identity and values. Securing a job is a very personal and important event for an individual and yet there is no source or platform for most professionals to be educated on how to improve their career prospects – which is where we come in mapping it out for you.

About JP Associates

JP Associates was founded by Jeff Goh and Pam Cheing in response to market demand for faster, personalized access to executive search consultants that is also more cost effective and flexible.

Jeff and Pam are both leading Recruitment Specialists with a combined recruitment experience of over 12 years; with Jeff having also worked with two international recruitment consultancies prior to launching JP Associates. JP Associates is now a leading multi-disciplinary recruitment consultancy specializing in Technology, Finance & Accounting and Financial Services recruitment. We focus on permanent, fixed term and temporary recruitment from entry level positions to Director level specifically for Malaysian talents.

If you’re looking to make the right career moves or hire the right candidate for  your company – the team behind JP Associates is always on standby to support your business needs and talent requirements; 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; 365 days a year. Visit their website or Instagram page for more information about the recruitment landscape in Malaysia and great career tips as well!

 

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