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What attracts Malaysian job seekers in 2024?  Hint - salary is only part of it 

24 July 2024

New data from Brand Finance reveals top considerations in Malaysia when joining or leaving an employer, and what brands are rated the best place to work 

KUALA LUMPUR, 24th July 2024 – In Malaysia, the allure of competitive salaries and enjoyable work draws in job seekers, but retaining employees hinges significantly on the company's ability to continuously attract top talent from within the industry, according to new data from Brand Finance, the world’s leading brand valuation consultancy. 

According to the Brand Finance 2024 Employer Brand Index (EBI), Malaysian job seekers prioritise competitive salaries, enjoyable work experiences, and a company’s inspiring vision when evaluating potential employers. However, in order to retain employees over the long term, attraction of top talent from within the industry becomes critical, holding the most significance in the decision-making process. This shift suggests that the initial appeal of a company may be based on tangible benefits, but long-term loyalty depends on the perceived quality of the employer’s total workforce and the company’s reputation within the industry. 

Maybank emerges as Malaysia's top employer brand, boasting a commanding EBI score of 92.2 of 100. Particularly noteworthy are its scores for employing top talent and offering great salaries and remuneration, both ranking at 9.2 and 9.3/10 respectively. These factors have proven to be paramount for retaining its talent pool. 

“In addition to providing valuable data for talent strategies, the Brand Finance 2024 Employer Brand Index reveals Malaysian employee and candidate perceptions of specific sectors and brands as places to work.  

“Maybank stands out as the sole Malaysian brand to break into the global top 10, securing the 10th position. Driven by its strong reputation and high-quality workforce, it tops the charts with scores that are no less than 7.8 on most of the key drivers that job seekers take into consideration when applying for jobs in the Malaysian market.” 

Alex Haigh, Managing Director, Asia Pacific, Brand Finance

Other highlights from the Malaysia perceptions data: 

  • PETRONAS ranks 2nd among Malaysian employers with a score of 78.8. They excel with a perfect 10 for their inspiring vision, 9.9 for outstanding company culture, and 9.8 for commitment to environmental sustainability. 
  • Telecommunications brands dominate the upper echelons of Malaysia’s EBI, with Maxis, Digi, Celcom, Unifi, and Telekom Malaysia capturing the 4th through 8th positions respectively. 
  • The Malaysian workforce highly values flexibility in the workplace, whether through hybrid models or fully remote options. This preference is evident as flexible work arrangements consistently rank 5th in importance for both job seekers and employees retaining their roles with an existing employer.  
  • In the 2024 edition of Brand Finance's Global Soft Power Index, Malaysia advanced to the 35th position among 193 countries, compared to its 39th placement in 2023. Among other factors, this ascent signifies a notable boost in Malaysia's appeal as a workplace. 

The Brand Finance 2024 Employer Brand Index is the result of a survey of part-time or full-time employees in 16 countries, responding about brands within the sector of their current employer headquartered in the country they live in. The focus was to discover which employer brands within their own markets are rated the highest, and what are the considerations prospective employees have when considering whether to apply for a new role. The study covered a total of 64 brands in Malaysia.  

Media Contacts

Penny Erricker
Senior Communications Executive
Brand Finance

About Brand Finance

Brand Finance is the world’s leading brand valuation consultancy. Bridging the gap between marketing and finance for more than 25 years, Brand Finance evaluates the strength of brands and quantifies their financial value to help organizations of all kinds make strategic decisions.

Headquartered in London, Brand Finance has offices in over 20 countries, offering services on all continents. Every year, Brand Finance conducts more than 5,000 brand valuations, supported by original market research, and publishes over 100 reports which rank brands across all sectors and countries.

Brand Finance also operates the Global Brand Equity Monitor, conducting original market research annually on over 5,000 brands, surveying more than 150,000 respondents across 38 countries and 31 industry sectors. Combining perceptual data from the Global Brand Equity Monitor with data from its valuation database enables Brand Finance to arm brand leaders with the data and analytics they need to enhance brand and business value.

Brand Finance is a regulated accountancy firm, leading the standardization of the brand valuation industry. Brand Finance was the first to be certified by independent auditors as compliant with both ISO 10668 and ISO 20671 and has received the official endorsement of the Marketing Accountability Standards Board (MASB) in the United States.

Definition of Brand

Brand is defined as a marketing-related intangible asset including, but not limited to, names, terms, signs, symbols, logos, and designs, intended to identify goods, services, or entities, creating distinctive images and associations in the minds of stakeholders, thereby generating economic benefits.

Brand Strength

Brand strength is the efficacy of a brand’s performance on intangible measures relative to its competitors. Brand Finance evaluates brand strength in a process compliant with ISO 20671, looking at Marketing Investment, Stakeholder Equity, and the impact of those on Business Performance. The data used is derived from Brand Finance’s proprietary market research programme and from publicly available sources.

Each brand is assigned a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score out of 100, which feeds into the brand value calculation. Based on the score, each brand is assigned a corresponding Brand Rating up to AAA+ in a format similar to a credit rating.

Brand Valuation Approach

Brand Finance calculates the values of brands in its rankings using the Royalty Relief approach – a brand valuation method compliant with the industry standards set in ISO 10668. It involves estimating the likely future revenues that are attributable to a brand by calculating a royalty rate that would be charged for its use, to arrive at a ‘brand value’ understood as a net economic benefit that a brand owner would achieve by licensing the brand in the open market.

The steps in this process are as follows:

1 Calculate brand strength using a balanced scorecard of metrics assessing Marketing Investment, Stakeholder Equity, and Business Performance. Brand strength is expressed as a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score on a scale of 0 to 100.

2 Determine royalty range for each industry, reflecting the importance of brand to purchasing decisions. In luxury, the maximum percentage is high, while in extractive industry, where goods are often commoditised, it is lower. This is done by reviewing comparable licensing agreements sourced from Brand Finance’s extensive database.

3 Calculate royalty rate. The BSI score is applied to the royalty range to arrive at a royalty rate. For example, if the royalty range in a sector is 0-5% and a brand has a BSI score of 80 out of 100, then an appropriate royalty rate for the use of this brand in the given sector will be 4%.

4 Determine brand-specific revenues by estimating a proportion of parent company revenues attributable to a brand.

5 Determine forecast revenues using a function of historic revenues, equity analyst forecasts, and economic growth rates.

6 Apply the royalty rate to the forecast revenues to derive brand revenues.

7 Discount post-tax brand revenues to a net present value which equals the brand value.

Disclaimer

Brand Finance has produced this study with an independent and unbiased analysis. The values derived and opinions presented in this study are based on publicly available information and certain assumptions that Brand Finance used where such data was deficient or unclear. Brand Finance accepts no responsibility and will not be liable in the event that the publicly available information relied upon is subsequently found to be inaccurate. The opinions and financial analysis expressed in the study are not to be construed as providing investment or business advice. Brand Finance does not intend the study to be relied upon for any reason and excludes all liability to any body, government, or organisation.

The data presented in this study form part of Brand Finance's proprietary database, are provided for the benefit of the media, and are not to be used in part or in full for any commercial or technical purpose without written permission from Brand Finance.

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