Malaysia's Workforce Balances Ambition, Rising Pay Expectations, and CSR Priorities - New Reeracoen x Rakuten Insight Study Finds

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Oct. 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Malaysian professionals are sending a clear message to employers: ambition without purpose is not enough, and neither is purpose without progression.

The newly released Reeracoen x Rakuten Insight APAC Workforce Whitepaper 2025 surveyed over 12,000 professionals across 12 Asia-Pacific markets and found Malaysia's workforce stands apart. Nearly 40% of Malaysian workers aspire to leadership roles (above the APAC average of 37%). At the same time, two out of three say a company's stance on sustainability and social responsibility influences whether they will take a job.

The stakes are rising in other ways. More than one in four Malaysian workers (28%) now expect double-digit salary increases, compared to just 21% regionally. It is a bold ask, but the data suggests it comes with an equally bold commitment: Malaysia is one of the few APAC markets where company-sponsored training significantly outpaces what employees pursue on their own.

"Malaysian talent is capable, grounded, and ready to grow. Ambition here is strong, but so too is the demand for values, trust, and leadership that empowers," said Yohei Yagi, Country Manager, Reeracoen Malaysia. "Employers who combine structure with stretch, and strategy with empathy, will unlock the full potential of Malaysia's workforce."

The Talent Paradox Employers Must Solve

Malaysia has positioned itself aggressively as a hub for digital innovation, advanced manufacturing, and green growth through initiatives such as MyDIGITAL, Industry4WRD, and the Twelfth Malaysia Plan. Foreign investment is flowing into semiconductors, renewable energy, and tech infrastructure.

But there is a gap between policy ambition and workplace reality. While 71% of Malaysian professionals say flexible work arrangements matter to them, access remains inconsistent across industries. And while workers want empathetic, empowering leadership – 58% call it critical to job satisfaction – many organisations still default to top-down management styles that stifle the very ambition they claim to want.

The whitepaper presents five forces reshaping Malaysia's talent landscape:

• Leadership Hunger: 39% of professionals aspire to leadership roles, signalling a workforce ready to step up, provided the opportunity and developmental support are present.
  
  
• Values as Non-Negotiables: 67% factor in sustainability and corporate responsibility when choosing employers.
  
  
• Empathy as a Strategy: 58% identify empathetic leadership as essential to job satisfaction, making culture as decisive as compensation in worker retention.
  
  
• The Flexibility Gap: Hybrid work is valued by 71% of workers, but uneven implementation across sectors creates frustration and turnover risk.
  
  
• Proactive Upskilling: Unlike many markets where employees drive their own learning, Malaysian workers are more likely to engage with company-sponsored training programmes – a competitive advantage if leveraged well.

What This Means for Employers

Kenji Naito, Group CEO of Reeracoen Group, added, "Flexibility, purpose, and learning are no longer perks. They are expectations. The companies that realign their talent strategies around these values will lead the next wave of regional growth."

Collin Leow, Country Director, Malaysia & Thailand, Rakuten Insight, shared, "The future of employment in Malaysia and Thailand will be defined by how well we align ambition with adaptability. Workers today are not only seeking growth — they are seeking meaning, mobility, and mastery. The findings from this study highlight a powerful regional shift where professionals want to lead, but they also want to learn, contribute, and belong in organisations that reflect their values.

As technology and sustainability reshape our economies, employers who invest in empathetic leadership, equitable flexibility, and purposeful upskilling will gain a decisive advantage. The most successful companies will be those that see talent not just as a resource to be managed, but as a force to be empowered — capable of driving innovation, resilience, and inclusive growth across borders."

For employers, the message is clear: incremental adjustments may no longer cut it. Workers value organisations that take hybrid work seriously, back ESG commitments with action, develop leaders from within, and treat empathy as a business competency, not a soft skill.

The full whitepaper is available for download at:
https://www.reeracoen.com.my/en/events/APAC%20Workforce%20Whitepaper%202025

About Reeracoen Malaysia 

Reeracoen Malaysia is part of Reeracoen Group, an award-winning leader in Asia's recruitment landscape, connecting top-tier talent with forward-thinking organisations. With nine offices across six major Asian countries, we combine deep local networks with cross-border hiring expertise to help businesses grow faster and stronger.

Our excellence has been recognised with recent awards such as:

• Best Recruitment & Talent Acquisition Agency 2025
• Best International Recruitment & Talent Acquisition Agency 2024
• Best Executive Recruitment Agency 2024

We uphold the highest standards of professionalism and service quality, providing innovative and trusted recruitment solutions to help businesses and candidates succeed in an evolving digital economy. For more information, visit https://www.reeracoen.com.my/ and follow us on LinkedIn for the latest updates and insights.

About Rakuten Insight Global, Inc.

Rakuten Insight Global, Inc. ("Rakuten Insight") is a wholly-owned online market research subsidiary of Rakuten Group, Inc., a global leader in internet services, headquartered in Tokyo. Rakuten Insight was established in 1997 as AIP Corporation and became part of the Rakuten Group in 2014. Rakuten Insight possesses a research panel focusing on 12 major Asian markets & the US and a panel network covering 60 countries and regions. With offices in 11 countries and regions, Rakuten Insight provides market research for over 500 leading companies around the world. Rakuten Insight Malaysia serves as an off-shore market research hub to drive business development and provide multi-lingual and multi-functional operational support for clients based across Southeast Asia. For more information, visit https://insight.rakuten.com/  and follow us on social media.

SOURCE Reeracoen Malaysia