JAKARTA, INDONESIA - Media OutReach - 13 March 2019 - Global professional recruitment consultancy released its Michael PageIndonesia Salary Benchmark 2019 citing keen interest from companies to hire returning Indonesians to solve the country's candidate-short situation. The additional drive from companies to develop and retain Indonesian talent has created more competition in the tight candidate pool. 

Olly Riches, President Director at Michael Page Indonesia comments, "Both local conglomerates and multinationals in Indonesia are in competition to secure returning Indonesians as part of their hiring strategies in 2019. These professionals have the unique combination of updated industry skills, bilingual skills and a global mindset which employers believe will progress their business in Indonesia to the next level."

In the past 12 months, 3 out of 5 professionals recruited by Michael Page were overseas Indonesians or already back in Indonesia with previous international experience. 90% of professionals hired into middle or board level management positions were Indonesian passport holders.

"The pressure to localise succession planning has created more demand on Indonesia's shallow talent pool.  In our communications through outreach program Membangun Negeri, overseas Indonesians often express interest in returning home, citing family reasons and the exciting progress in Indonesia right now as their key motivations," explained Olly Riches.  

A majority of these returnees were skilled in the areas of engineering, manufacturing, marketing, finance, accounting and technology. They moved back home largely from living and working in Singapore (18%), Australia (14%) and the US (9%).

Indonesia's current demand for niche skills is in growing industries including Ecommerce, mobile applications, digital transformation and artificial intelligence. Olly Riches observes, "These new sectors are expanding rapidly in Indonesia, which increases the demand on fresh human capital. Hiring managers are committed to securing talent with the skills and aptitude to fulfil their requirements. Retaining returnee talent is equally crucial as many receive multiple offers. They often seek companies who stay ahead of industry standards to ensure a constant learning curve for themselves."

Editor's Notes: Data for the report is derived from our proprietary database capturing job advertisements and placements mainly through 2018 and other PageGroup studies. Information is then validated against insights from our leaders' and consultants' interactions with clients and candidates.