Survey: Malaysians prefer job boards over social media for job hunting

Half of those polled say job boards are their preferred option for job hunting, compared to just 11% who use social media.

PETALING JAYA: Although many Malaysians turn to social media for news or updates on the lives of others, online job boards remain their top option when on the lookout for jobs.

A new poll by recruiting experts Hays shows that 50% of survey candidates in Malaysia say job boards are their preferred option for job hunting.

This was followed by personal networking, which was the preferred option of 39%.

Only 11% of survey candidates used social media for job hunting.

This was opposed to Japan, which had the highest proportion of job hunters that use social media at 25%.

This was followed by Singapore (24%), China (18%) and Hong Kong (16%).

“With Malaysia’s internet speeds rising year on year, job ‘shopping’ online could be described as easier than in many countries across the globe, but it’s interesting to see that personal networks still rank above virtual networks when it comes to job hunting,” said Hays regional director in Malaysia, Tom Osborne.

“Research released earlier this year revealed that 71% of Malaysia’s population is active on social media but only 11% of respondents in our latest Hays poll turn to social media to look for a new job opportunity.”

The poll was conducted between June and September. It is not known how many participants were included. -FMT