Jakarta, 07 August 2017: In a survey conducted by global recruitment specialist, Michael Page, Indonesian professionals topped the confidence ratings ahead of Thailand and India. The quarterly release tracks the employment confidence index of job seekers across the major cities in Asia Pacific.The Michael Page Job Applicant Confidence Index Q2 2017, which evaluated the responses of 412 mid to senior-level employees in Indonesia, across organisations and industries, revealed sound positive sentiments towards the Indonesian job market. Figures demonstrate that in the next six months, 85% of respondents from Indonesia are confident that the job market will be better and 84% foresee a stronger economic situation.Indonesia’s current employment landscape is predominantly candidate-driven with digital natives constituting a majority of the domestic workforce. This is reflected in the nation’s rising human capital demands and fierce competition between hiring managers for skilled professionals particularly in the digital and technology sectors.Contributing his expert insights, Olly Riches, President Director of Michael Page Indonesia says, “Indonesian professionals have a strong appetite to constantly improve their skillsets for the future. This progressive mindset is very much aligned to the current wave of entrepreneurial start-ups, fintech and e-commerce businesses being established locally. It is encouraging to see a new generation of Indonesian workforce willing to break the traditional career mold and acquire new skills from their professional experience in the process.”In view of the country’s hiring demand for professionals outstripping the supply, 75% of job seekers say that they are confident of securing a job in less than three months. In addition, 59% responded with optimism stating they currently see good employment opportunities in their areas of expertise.“The Indonesian job seeker of today is largely driven by the initiative to stay relevant in our fast-paced South East Asian economy. Beyond the chase for higher financial compensation, a majority are more concerned with other factors such as prospects for skills development and achieving work-life balance. This projects a dynamic domestic workforce with the foresight to seek future learning opportunities,” observes Olly Riches, President Director of Michael Page Indonesia.In support of these insights, further results from the Michael Page Job Applicant Confidence Index Q2 2017 indicate:Indonesian professionals are most optimistic about skills development (89%), expansion of their scope in job functions (78%) and compensation level (75%) over the next 12 monthsBetter work-life balance (61%) is the key reason why job seekers are likely to switch jobs, followed by higher salary (56%) and further skills development (48%)Within a talent-strapped economy, where job opportunities in Indonesia abound for qualified executives, there is likely to be continued optimism among job seekers. Against this hiring backdrop, professionals who can stay ahead of the technology curve with upskilling will see multiple job offers. ****END****Editor’s note: The Michael Page Job Applicant Confidence Index Q2 2017 is a measure of how optimistic job applicants are about the current job market. The responses are based on those that applied for a job published on our Michael Page website in Q2 2017.
