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EMPLOYMENT
NINA SUEBSUKCHAROEN
Promoting young people before they're ready could backfire on companies, says Satinee Mokaves, general manager of www.jobsDB.com. |
The Thai employment market is at a standstill with most companies focusing on maintaining their current staffing levels while they wait for the turbulent political air to clear, says Satinee Mokaves, general manager of the online recruitment site www.jobsDB.com. Given the difficulty of creating plans even to the year-end, most companies are making weekly assessments, she said. ''If we look at the strategy of most companies, let's say they are on red alert, they are not thinking long-term ... just thinking in terms of surviving right now.''
Most large companies cut back their staffing levels long before this round of demonstrations began and are now focusing on adjusting cost-of-living allowances for the remaining workforce. Ms Satinee noted that the layoffs that have taken took place over the past 18 to 24 months have chiefly been at the labour level, such as those by big textile companies facing difficulty.
''This is not about layoffs through downsizing or losing workers to other companies because they are not competing very much for workers ... but they have to maintain their work force. If not they run into new hiring costs.
''The situation has been bad for a long time, actually we are starting to get used to it because it began much earlier from when the coup took place (on Sept 19, 2006). Everyone is adopting a wait-and-see attitude; therefore this is specifically about politics, uncertainty about investing in this country, but lately this has linked up with the global economy. Thailand faces several issues, for instance political problems, lack of confidence in investing, and a higher cost of living.''
Lately those people who have quit their jobs are mostly in mid- to low-level positions. Many moved on because they lived far from their workplaces and the high cost of living made it difficult for them to continue.
As most large companies are only hiring new employees to replace those who have retired and not in order to expand business, this makes it difficult for job-seekers. ''Mostly young people get in, there is not much movement at the mid-level.''
However Ms Satinee says there are jobs available in small and medium enterprises for those who find such positions to their liking.
Despite the stillness in the market, recruitment firms such as JobsDB.com are doing well because it is when the economy is shaky that more people search for jobs. ''JobsDB.com was started 10 years ago in 1997 during the economic meltdown, that's when people searched the website a lot,'' said Ms Satinee.
Even as companies are generally focusing on raising cost-of-living allowances and not increasing salaries, workers too are not demanding pay rises. This contrasts with boom times when employees expect regular increases and hop from job to job, often for salaries much higher than their actual skills.
The challenging job market has led to students becoming more adaptive. Ms Satinee notes that over the past three to four years many have taken specialist training, for example in tourism, hotel work or cooking, making it easier for them to get employment.
''Today when companies decide to hire they take on those who have in-depth knowledge, special knowledge. Majoring in political science or social studies is a bit difficult because these fields are too broad.''
It is better, she says, for a fresh graduate to look for a job right after obtaining a bachelor's degree than doing so after completing a master's because by then they would be older but still without work experience. The fact is, not a lot of companies have the budget or time to train people. ''Businesses have high expectations from their candidates and when you enter you have to adapt very quickly and start producing.''
Some Thais are seeking work overseas, mainly in IT, but they trail Indians who have better knowledge and do not seek very high wages. At the executive level it is more competitive; some Thais even earn more than their expat counterparts.
However, Ms Satinee does see some problematic issues at the executive level, with some companies having rapidly promoted a lot of young employees when the economy boomed. ''They might have the knowledge but they lack managerial skills and the maturity in various ways to manage a team.''
These young senior executives who have risen fast now face difficulty rising any further because they lack the combination of ability, knowledge and experience required.
Some companies are also promoting younger people in order to reach the younger market. However, Ms Satinee believes such shortcuts may not work out in the longer term, because these younger people may take promotion for granted without putting in the necessary study and work to advance.
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