Things & Thoughts
The country’s highest number of COVID-19 deaths, coupled with the loss of singer Siti Sarah Raisuddin, has once again opened the eyes of the public to how badly the virus can affect a person. It also made us realise how precious is the time we spent with our loved ones. If time travel is a thing, when and what was the moment, you want to go back the most?
A good Human Resource team with the right resources will help your company get the most out of your employees. If you haven’t yet recognized the importance of your HR team in your company, make that a priority now and contact us at admin@pillarconsultancy.com
These are ways on how to practice gratitude and maintain family harmony during the pandemic according to Elizabeth Su and Reina Gattuso. However, we are also curious on how you guys practice and maintain those in your life. It will be really great if you share it with us so we can achieve a healthier mental state community!
As of 29 July 2021, the daily COVID-19 cases in the country have exceeded 17,000 for the second consecutive day with 17,170 new cases reported. As a responsible citizen, Pillar Consultancy is here to remind all of us that we need to carry on our duties in stopping the spread of Coronavirus moreover, with the existence of the new Delta variant.
Be safe and stay healthy, do not forget to register your vaccine appointment, and get vaccinated so that we can reach herd immunity.
Finding a great talent is hard, but what’s even more challenging is keeping the talent you have engaged so they will stay to avoid finding ourselves back at square one trying to procure more talent. According to an article on Forbes, here are 5 ways to develop employees, keep them engaged, and increase the probability they will remain with your organization.
Employees’ expectations change over time. Hence, HR professionals need to meet, work with or exceed those expectations to suits current and future changes that are constantly revolving. Here are some findings based on recent studies regarding employees’ new expectations and ways to meet them.
Source: hrmorning.com
Success and innovation in employee’s learning and development will depend on how businesses apply their acquired knowledge in 2020 to create growth and expansion opportunities this year. Training statistics reports emphasize the need for adaptive learning and focus on enhanced innovative learning experience. According to an article on blog.mettl.com, these are the top 5 striking training & development trends we need to know in 2021.
Digitalised disruption has caused many changes in Malaysia. It increases rapidly as the Covid-19 virus outbreak leads people to be dependable on technology more than ever before. As a result, these are Malaysia’s top talent trends for the year 2021.
Source: Hays.com
This year we learned a lot. We learned that we, as individuals, are vulnerable to threats and very resilient when facing changes. Most of us, spent a lot of time working from home, which has changed the way we live and helped us become comfortable with the digital world of work. Here are some HR predictions of 2021 as stated by Josh Bersin who is an internationally recognized analyst focused on the global talent market and the challenges impacting business workforce around the world.
Dear frontliners, thank you so much for your sacrifice and hard work, all of you means the world to us. We couldn’t thank you enough for your effort in saving lives during such hard and difficult times. We will never forget your selfless service in keeping our communities safe. Your sheer will and determination always enable us to get through this crisis and for that, we the people are always indebted to many of you. Sending warm thoughts and prayers to all frontliners.
Each of you are truly a hero.
The Malaysian employment market has been stable in recent years. Not until the disruption caused by COVID-19, where unemployment figures surge to 4.5%, highest in a decade. So, here is what we learned and can expect to arise out of the job market during and post COVID-19.
Which sectors of the employment market are seeing growth?
E-commerce and healthcare leaped to the rescue because, except for essentials, many could not travel outside their homes. Logistics companies, particularly food deliverers, rocketed in the tens of thousands to match supply and demand. Alongside demand for delivery drivers, warehouse workers and health professionals, there are also an increase in niche role requirements such as sales/marketing managers, robotic/cyber security engineers, IT/technical roles and significantly more.
Which occupations are growing in demand?
IT infrastructure played a crucial role in how companies responded to the disease outbreak and will stay fundamental as new ways of doing things become the norm. As employers proactively review their activities during the early stages of the pandemic and work on improving or extending their digital systems, roles involving planning, implementing, and supporting IT infrastructure will remain critical.
May this information appear useful to those who need it!
Did you know according to Health Ministry Malaysia, the Psychosocial Support Helpline receives 122,328 calls on its help hotlines since January 2021. Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said in a statement “Of the total, 109,806 calls (89.4 per cent) were closely related to psychological issues impacting from various social problems such as loss of source of employment and income, lost a place to depend on, fights between family members, marital problems (quarrels, separation, divorce) and abuse (emotional and physical),”
According to a research by Malaysia Psychiatric Association, they expect to see an upsurge in anxiety disorders, posttraumatic stress disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders and aversive social effects of isolation. As a result, they postulate that improvement could be achieved in compliance and supervision of medication, strengthening of the family support and reduction in substance-related psychiatric disorders. Whenever you feel lonely, chat and video call your friends and family. Go for a game night on Houseparty or a virtual movie night on Netflix Party.
Helpline:
03 29359935
011 63996482
011 03994236
Together we fight Covid-19 mental toll and let’s take care of each other more during these times.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major effect on our lives. Many of us are facing challenges that can be stressful, overwhelming, and cause strong emotions in adults and children. Public health actions, such as social distancing, are necessary to reduce the spread of COVID-19, but they can make us feel isolated and lonely and can increase stress and anxiety.
Learning to cope with stress in a healthy way will make you, the people you care about, and those around you become more resilient.
- Take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to news stories, including those on social media. It’s good to be informed but hearing about the pandemic constantly can be upsetting.
- Take care of your body by eating healthy, well-balanced meals, exercise regularly and get plenty of sleep.
- Make time to unwind by trying to do some other activities you enjoy or explore new hobbies!
- Lastly, connect with others by talking with the people you trust about your concerns and how you are feeling.
Together we’ll get through this pandemic healthily, be it physically or/and mentally.
Attention to all job seekers, here is the tips on how to make your CV stands out according to well-known hiring experts.
1.Be honest about yourself.
“Be honest about yourself, Create the ‘wow factor’ when people read your CV. Try to sell yourself but not too over sell.” Says Mr. Najid Yahya, the Managing Director of Pillar Consultancy.
2.Don’t make your CV too busy.
“What can you do to make a CV stand out? Don’t try to make it stand out!” FutureLearn’s Director Of Insights Hanna Celina says.
3.Don’t send the same old CV to everyone.
Bill Richards, the UK managing director at job site Indeed, says the one keyword to remember when editing your CV is “relevance”.
4.Don’t just write out all the requirements of your existing job.
“Try to include what you have achieved rather than listing duties you are responsible for,” Heather Byass, partner and resourcing development manager at the John Lewis Partnership says.
5.Include your LinkedIn profile or portfolio.
Jenna Prescott, the recruiting manager at travel company Expedia, says: “Keeping your LinkedIn profile up-to-date and putting a URL within your CV can also come in handy, as it means that even if your CV is looked at months down the line, recruiters can keep up to date with what you have been up to.”
6.Include extracurricular activities.
“I always look at extra-curricular activities, as a work/life balance is so important,” says Emily Austen, the CEO of Emerge PR.
Good Luck to all job seekers out there!
Source from : Cosmopolitan.com
Here is a basic guide if you are wondering on which educational lane to choose after getting your SPM results.
1) Diploma in Public or Private University?
Public universities:
Tuition fees at public universities are a lot cheaper than in private, but admission is very competitive via UPU.
Private universities and colleges:
If you didn’t get what you want via UPU, you can consider the private option. They are more expensive in tuition fees than public universities, but there are many of them including foreign universities with campuses in Malaysia.
2) Politekniks or Kolej Komuniti?
Politekniks:
Offering courses in vocational and technical subjects, these schools in Malaysia are famous for their skilled workforce and knowledge, with 37 polytechnics existing in Malaysia, divided into three categories: premier, conversional, and metro.
Kolej Komuniti:
Many schools nationwide offer the Technical and Vocational education and training (TVET) certificate and diploma course – these types of higher education institutions often have two-year programmes only, preparing students for a four-year degree or early entry into the workforce.
3) STPM or Matriculation?
STPM:
Although often looked upon as a difficult course when it comes to pre-university, Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) or Form 6 is generally a very cost-effective course, which allows students to be flexible in their future careers and eligible to enter universities worldwide while having to pay an affordable fee. Students are also given the option of taking resits of papers if they wish to improve their grades further, all of which leads to the popularity of the course in Malaysia.
Matriculation:
For those planning on enrolling in local public universities, the Matriculation course is ideal, with the government subsidising tuition costs for students. Apart from the chosen study stream, those studying the course are required to take four other compulsory subjects: English Language, Dynamic Skills, Islamic/Moral Education and Information Technology.
4) Asasi or Foundation
Asasi:
The Asasi or Foundations programme is a direct access route into university for potential students who have already decided upon their degree of choice. Purely exam based, Asasi is available as both an open and closed programme, where an open programme would allow students entry into other public universities, while a closed programme restricts students to the university, they are currently enrolled in.
Foundation:
A Foundation course is commonly taken up by students who are already decided on their intended career path, making the course inherently specific and tailored to fit the students’ future degree’s curriculums, essentially equipping students with a foundation for their degree. A Foundation course is also the fastest track to get you enrolled in a university.
However, there are many more options available for you out there other than what is stated in this post. Moreover, if you are considering continuing your studies overseas. Make sure you make some research in order for you to make the right decision. Most importantly, enjoy yourself while you are in this journey!
Source: easyuni.my
Here is why you should get screened for Covid-19.
It is to avoid being a silent carrier or asymptomatic patient. These silent carriers or spreaders are infected with coronavirus but show little or no symptoms of the disease. As a result, these people carry on with their daily lives, meeting family and friends, going to work, and spreading the disease without their own knowledge. It appears that most asymptomatic carriers are healthy young adults and children. If you come to contact with people who are positive for COVID-19, you may be positive despite not showing any symptoms of the disease.
You might as well curious as an asymptomatic patient, what can you do?. The answer is you must first always protect yourself by practice hand and respiratory hygiene. Always maintain 6 feet from other people, especially if someone is coughing or sneezing near you. If you live in an area with rampant malaria or dengue cases, do not ignore a high fever. Visit a hospital or clinic and avoid touching any surface or coming in close contact with other patients.
Other than that, If you ever find out that you have been in close contact with an asymptomatic carrier, it is essential that you should self-quarantine for fourteen days even if you are not showing any symptoms of the disease yourself. Close contact is when you live with someone or have been in settings of less than 1 meter or 6 feet from someone who has the disease. Always cover your face and mouth properly when outdoors and do not leave your house unless it is essential. Always maintain 6 feet from other people. You are more likely to infect others in the early stages of the disease when you have only mild symptoms, hence it is very important to self-isolate.
