On July 02, 2024, JobNet successfully completed the Myanmar Professional HR Series seminar. The event was attended by over 280 HR professionals, and featured a 2-panel discussion led by esteemed HR experts and business leaders from Myanmar's top companies. The expert speakers shared valuable insights into the crucial topics for organisational success including the significance of employee development, adapting to skills-centric hiring, designing innovative compensation incentives, and leveraging on employer branding in their recruitment strategies. 

The event commenced with a warm Welcome Note from Mr. Justin Sway, CEO of JobNet Group. Following this, Mr. Sean Hope, Marketing Director of JobNet.com.mm, took the stage to present key findings of the recent Employment Market Insights.

In his presentation, Mr. Sean Hope highlighted the main findings of the Myanmar Employment Market, acknowledging the recent changes to Internet Connection and the impact it has had on companies and their recruitment. He mentioned that the impact did not have a significant disruption on recruitment through JobNet and its services, as JobNet is whitelisted by Myanmar Telecoms, there were no disruptions to clients and their recruitment needs. Additionally, JobNet has integrated multiple digital channels to communicate with the Job Seeker network to further ensure the highest recruitment satisfaction and success.

The data revealed a 7% increase in overall CV applications on JobNet and Alote in June 2024, suggesting that job seekers are still actively looking and applying for jobs. However, he noted that specialsed roles may receive fewer CVs as qualified talent is leaving the country. 

In conclusion, Mr. Sean Hope emphasised the importance of Employer Branding. As companies continue competing against each other to attract the best talent within the smaller pool of talented professionals, he suggested 3 crucial reuirements hiring managers and recruiters should consider for successful recruitment:

• To have clear job titles - for candidates to better understand the role

• To have attractive job descriptions - for candidates to know what the responsibilities and expectations of the role includes

• To have strong and complete employer profiles - to communicate your company culture and values, and attract the best candidates

Panel Discussion 1 (Myanmar): Creating a Talent Strategy through Employer Branding and Employee Value Proposition, moderated by Ms. Snowz Oo, Head of Sales (Corporate and SME) of JobNet Group, and joined by:

• Ms. Po Po Aye Mya Win, Head of HR Shared Services, Asia Strategic Holdings

• Ms. Thet HTar Oo, Chief Human Resources Officer, Hana Microfinance Limited

• Mr. Nay Zaw Aung, Chief People Officer, Tumil Holding

The discussion revolved around finding new ways to attract and retain the best candidates remaining in the market, with emphasis on the importance of Employee Value Proposition (EVP) and Employer Branding. The panel of speakers shared experiences from their respective companies, and talked about the updates on the employee support strategies, career development and training initiatives, and salary and compensation incentive packages to secure talent where possible.

Although their organisations are still actively hiring, the speakers were in agreement that focus has shifted more towards employee retention, and to nurture and train their existing talent pool. New processes and structures were considered, including flexible working hours and Work-From-Home options, specialised training to support professional development, and one-on-one check-ins to better understand the needs and expectations of their staff.

The speakers acknowledged that employees are the best advocates to communicate the company’s employer brand favourably, which in turn would support recruitment efforts. Employees who are happy at their company will promote their positive experiences, which will help attract prospective candidates to career opportunities at the company.

The hiring landscape in Myanmar is no longer just a competition amongst organisations within the country, but has become a battle against the desire for finding employment opportunities overseas. Through the improvement of employee retention strategies, your company could position itself as the preferred employer of choice for candidates who are considering career opportunities overseas.

Following Panel 1, a presentation from Ms. Myint Myint Zan, Senior Product Manager of JobNet.com.mm shared an update on the new JobNet Products and Improvements.

The most notable announcements were the newly implemented Employer Branding Report dashboard. This new feature will provide Platinum, Gold, and Silver branding sponsors on JobNet.com.mm detailed data on the performance of their employer branding efforts. The data will allow employers to evaluate and optimise your employer branding investment, ensuring their recruitment strategies are effectively reaching your target audience.

Panel Discussion 2 (Myanmar): Maintaining or Re-gaining Employee Trust in the Current Job Market, moderated by Ms. Khaing Su Wai, Chief Human Resources Officer, AIA Myanmar, and joined by:

• Mr. Paul Nyan Myint Soe, Head of People Department, AYA Bank

• Mr. Zarni Htun, Chief People Officer, KBZ Bank

• Ms. Wint Mon Oo, Chief Human Resources Officer, Manulife Myanmar

The discussion centred around adapting their Employee Value Proposition (EVP) to meet the psychological, empathy and financial needs required to retain an engaged workforce. 

The speakers shared the non-financial support their companies have offered their employees to build morale, and retain trust. They also shared ways their organisations have build a strong culture of motivation and loyalty, emphasised the significance of communicating closely with employees, particularly in these challenging times. This included embracing digital transformation to optimise internal processes and foster more efficient coordination across departments and offices, especially with those located in different cities and regions within Myanmar.