Meet Andrew Hairs, a specialist in executive recruitment, which each year brings hundreds of people in new jobs in Indonesia and other emerging economies.
Where are you and how did you end up in Indonesia?
I was born in England and raised until my family immigrated to Australia when I was 10 years old. After working working in the UK and Australia, I was hired by Monroe Consulting Group to open a recruiting office in Tokyo. This led them to send me to Indonesia for a six-month mission to help open a recruiting office in Jakarta. That was 10 years ago. I am now CEO of the Group and our Jakarta office has 45 employees. Our success in Indonesia allowed me to extend to other emerging markets, such as Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, China, Chile and Mexico.
What were the main challenges in getting the company established here?
Ironically, as many companies from Indonesia, finding good employees is the biggest challenge. As to regulatory challenges, 10 years ago, the answer to most questions about regulations was "that's a gray area", although the implementation process and a license was relatively painless the time.
what are the major skills shortages in Indonesia?
While all industries are suffering the greatest shortages skills at the moment are in the digital sector. the higher the position, the harder it becomes to find the skills. the greatest challenge of human resources in all sectors of the industry in Indonesia is to find sales and marketing with proven experience. in a recent survey we conducted, 89% of companies in Indonesia said they found hiring senior executives very or extremely difficult.
Why There a skills gap?
The skills shortage can be attributed to the low quality of education available to the general population, only two Indonesian universities on a list of 500 world universities . Only a limited number of Indonesians have access to Indonesian universities or reputable international education. The problem is worse because a large percentage of these people are then lost to the employment abroad, or they join a family business after the return of education abroad.
are headhunting specialists playing a more important role in Indonesia?
We do not have precise data, but more and more companies are relying on the services of recruitment companies. In 2014, the investigation of Monroe, enterprises classified executive search as the third largest source of successful candidates; by 2015 that had risen to first place.
How Indonesians compared to other nationalities for the company's loyalty?
Loyalty is hard to find in all emerging markets, especially when wages are rising rapidly. Indonesia is no different in this regard, but what is interesting is that Indonesian professionals feel less guilt than other professionals in the region when resigning to take a better offer. Based on our survey, only 8% of Indonesian professionals who have received a job offer from another company has decided to stay with their original employer because of feelings of guilt or regret. This is significantly lower than in other countries of South Asia emerging, where 30% have decided to stay for those reasons.
Which industries have the highest turnover of staff?
Wherever there is a skills shortage, there is a high staff turnover. In the digital sector and online businesses are fighting for the limited talent. We see a lot of movement in the area, with about 35% of medium or high level professionals change employer of last year.
Do you think the future Indonesian professionals eventually replace expatriate workers the most?
I'm still positive on Indonesian professionals, especially the younger generation who are starting to break through. Many of them are motivated and demonstrate a willingness to learn and develop. Although there is still a need to use expatriate talent to fill some gaps in the short term, all expatriates should ensure that they give something in transferring their knowledge and develop people around them.
are the rules of the labor Indonesia getting better or worse?
Indonesian labor regulations concentrate on the protection of workers, with very little regard for the rights of employers.
While I admire and understand the spirit of the recent regulatory changes, I believe that further changes are needed to develop a system that takes into account business needs while respecting and protecting employee rights.
Tips for expats who have difficulty with immigration and the Ministry Manpower?
Keep Calm and work with the system you have. Getting angry and frustrated will not achieve anything, to identify the problem and find a solution. After the elections last year, immigration has taken a very hard line against expatriate workers, which caused problems for companies that rely on expatriates. The good news is that the government and immigration now seem to be listening to employers, so that work permits are becoming a little easier to deal with.
The regulations you want to wave a magic wand?
As a customer long-term Indonesia and the father of a son of Indonesia, I would like to see adjusted regulations that guarantee me the right to live and work in the same country as my son. I would also allow foreign ownership of apartments and houses in designated areas.
What are the biggest rewards of your work?
Be able to develop and give their people's talents the opportunity to grow professionally. I opened the office in Indonesia 10 years ago now has a director of management and management of Indonesian second row. The entire management team started as interns and they worked hard to develop their skills. To see these become strong professional, I can rely on and trust, is a very rewarding feeling.
How do you relax in Indonesia?
Jakarta can be a stressful place, so it is important to remember to leave the city and breathe some fresh air to help relax. If I can not get out of town and a friend deeply thrash New Zealand, I'll name only as Cameron Bates, on the tennis court always makes me feel better.
Your favorite thing Indonesia?
I'm not sure it's just one thing. The natural beauty you find here, the friendly people, the energy of Jakarta pisang goreng Keju Coklat (fried banana with cheese and chocolate) are some of the reasons to love this country .
Your least favorite thing about the country?
corruption.