KUALA LUMPUR (July 8): Employers continue to prefer local professionals for most jobs, a recent study by recruiting experts Hays Plc has found.

International organisations are looking to take advantage of local skilled labour and language capabilities for the booming shared services centres industry, Tom Osborne, Hays’ country manager for Malaysia said.

The latest Hays quarterly report also found that permanent jobs remain the focus, with the right industry background and soft skills being the most sought-after qualities in prospective employees.

“Despite a growing list of skills in demand, employers remain very specific in the skills they want and this includes like-for-like industry experience,” Osborne said.

“They will not consider candidates without the exact background that their role requires,” he said.

People who can increase sales, make cost reductions and ensure regulatory compliance, are amongst those in highest demand, the report found.

Good sales managers are particularly sought across all industries, especially national or regional sales managers based in Malaysia.

Within the fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) and service industries, financial planners and experienced procurement managers are in demand to help reduce costs and increase efficiency.

Manufacturing companies are on the lookout for logistics managers for the same reasons.

Meanwhile, financial reporting experts, corporate finance professionals, and internal audit and compliance candidates are also sought, due to tighter regulations and increasing requirements from the Central Bank.

The shortage of IT talent in Malaysia has put Java and C# developers in high demand.