By: Ts. Dr. Hj. Muhammad Khusairy Bin Capt. Hj. Bakri
In recent years, Malaysia has seen a surge in the number of job advertisements across various sectors, either in engineering, biotechnology, etc. posted on JobStreet, Indeed, MyFutureJobs, and LinkedIn. However, beneath the facade of these enticing job listings lies a harsh reality that many graduates and professionals are facing—a dearth of actual job opportunities despite the apparent abundance of vacancies. This phenomenon, often referred to as facade job advertisements, has left aspiring graduates and professionals disillusioned and questioning the integrity of the hiring process. It came to my mind how a graduate named Haris (Name and Race is Disclose) with a CGPA of 3.98 and 1st Class Honour with a very pack of soft skills and talent was unable to land a job after 1000 applications and only received an interview with no avail of job.
Haris is a bright and ambitious engineering graduate. Armed with a stellar academic record and a passion for innovation, X embarked on a job search journey that would soon turn into a daunting ordeal, he also registered with BEM and MBOT as a graduate engineering and graduate technologist and received a bachelor’s in engineering accredit by MQA. Over six months, X diligently submitted applications to nearly 1000 job openings in his field in Malaysia, only to be met with silence or generic rejection emails. His frustration is not unique; it echoes the sentiments of countless graduates and professionals grappling with the harsh realities of Malaysia’s job market that are boasted by companies and the government.
On the surface or in papers, Malaysia’s job market appears vibrant, with companies actively seeking talented individuals to fill various roles. Job portals are brimming with listings for engineering positions promising competitive salaries, career growth, and exciting challenges. However, a closer inspection and reality reveals a different narrative—one where job listings serve more as placeholders than actual opportunities. This questions the main issue, why there is no hiring? Or is it just a scam? Even though there are many job advertisements advertised by companies or government-linked companies.
Facade job advertisements, as the term implies, create an illusion of job availability without genuine intent to hire. I noticed this has been happening since 2018 and this deceptive practice has become increasingly prevalent in Malaysia’s job market, driven by a combination of factors such as company strategies to meet Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), compliance requirements, political-oriented intent, and industry trends, that show that they are doing the work, but in reality, what happens is the opposite, where none were hiring. This pops up more questions. Is Malaysia’s economy that bad or just as bad as it is?
Many companies including universities, government-linked organizations, etc., particularly large corporations, set ambitious targets for job postings as part of their recruitment KPIs. These targets may not align with actual hiring needs but are aimed at showcasing the company’s growth and attractiveness to investors and stakeholders. The company advertises almost 12 varieties of job openings, which attracts 15,000 applications, with none being offered a job.
In some cases, companies are required by regulatory bodies or industry standards to advertise job vacancies publicly, even if there is no immediate intention to fill those positions. This is especially true for certain government-linked organizations and sectors with stringent employment regulations. This gives and provides hope for graduates and professionals to apply. However, recent news shows the façade job advertisement, or what I call a soft-undetected scam job advertisement is real, the same data shows from 2018 till now engineering jobs are still there and the details have not changed since then. Another question arose when I saw the details, does the government still need 10,000 engineers and has there been no change in trend since 2018, or is all that data only in writing but reality we do not need engineering. This also happened back in those days, when they needed more doctors, where now they mention we have too many doctors and the narrative is easy to track back in that news present in the past. A contradiction to what universities are telling us, or is it our universities are milling too many graduates until there is no job in Malaysia? My brain is unable to digest all of the information and contradictions in all sorts of news outlets. However, the reality is back to the façade job advertisement.
Maintaining a positive image in the market is crucial for businesses even for the government. By continuously posting job openings, companies create an impression of expansion and vitality, which can attract potential clients, investors, and business partners. Too much positivity gives too much hope and with this façade of job advertising, when the truth is known, it ends up giving a negative perspective on the companies or government-linked organizations. Or are the companies trying to get as many applications from graduates and professionals, so they can end up using the applicants’ data to obtain more grants and funds to show they have talent, while none of them were hiring? Another façade case that where government needs to look into. Some companies use job advertisements as a means to build a talent pool for future needs. While this strategy has its merits, it can also contribute to the frustration of job seekers who apply to seemingly available positions but never receive a response In the end they end up leaving the countries and some are being scam ended up working as modern slaves in other countries.
For graduates like X, the prevalence of facade job advertisements has far-reaching consequences. It not only leads to demotivation and disillusionment but also wastes valuable time and resources spent on applying for non-existent opportunities. The psychological toll of facing constant rejection or silence from employers can erode confidence and dampen prospects for career advancement.
As the situation persists, calls for government intervention and greater transparency in job advertising practices have grown louder. The Malaysian government, along with regulatory bodies and industry stakeholders, must address this issue comprehensively. This is by implementing stricter regulations and oversight mechanisms to ensure that job advertisements reflect genuine hiring needs and are not used as mere placeholders.
Transparency is needed by requiring companies to provide clearer information about job vacancies, including realistic job descriptions, expected timelines for hiring, and the number of positions available. In addition, the government should also encourage collaboration between government agencies, industry associations, and employers to promote ethical hiring practices and discourage the proliferation of facade job advertisements. In other words, to promote this job advertisement, the company must be registered and submit the required documents to the government-linked organization to ensure transparency of hiring is transparent and that the jobs are there, before and after finding their candidates.
Companies or governments have to provide adequate support and resources for job seekers, including training programs, career counseling, and platforms for reporting unethical recruitment practices. Universities, on the other hand, have to educate the public about the prevalence of facade job advertisements and empower job seekers to make informed decisions when navigating the job market.
Addressing the issue of facade job advertisements requires a multi-faceted approach involving cooperation between government bodies, employers, and job seekers. By fostering transparency, accountability, and ethical recruitment practices, Malaysia can create a more equitable job market where opportunities are genuine and accessible to all qualified individuals.
In conclusion, the proliferation of facade job advertisements in Malaysia’s engineering and biotechnology sectors underscores the need for systemic reforms and a reevaluation of recruitment practices. Only through collaborative efforts and a commitment to fairness and transparency can the job market truly fulfill its promise of opportunity and growth for aspiring professionals.
The author is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Composite Materials and Engineering Center, Washington State University (WSU), and a Lead Research and Development Sector of the Association of Professional Technicians and Technologists (APTT) Sarawak, and Ahmad Faisal Bin Mahdi is a Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Business and Management, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), a Chartered Institute of Marketing member
