Employment in Indonesia Recovers as 41% of Companies Increase Headcount in 2021: Michael Page Indonesia Survey

JAKARTA, INDONESIA – Media OutReach – 14 April 2021 – Professional recruitment services Michael Page Indonesia launched the Talent Trends 2021 Report, with a keen eye on the Indonesian job market. The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic downturn has had a significant impact across the Asia Pacific, and Indonesia was not spared. With that said, optimism is already starting to show, with about 41% of companies in Indonesia looking to increase their headcount and 34% maintaining status quo in 2021.

Olly Riches, Managing Director of Michael Page Indonesia & Philippines

Olly Riches, Managing Director of Michael Page Indonesia & Philippines says, “Indonesia had a strong business pipeline well before the pandemic hit. Its e-commerce sector has also seen continued strong growth over the last three to four years, particularly as unicorns dominate the talent landscape in Indonesia. This provides momentum for digital and technology businesses.”

According to the report, the COVID-19 pandemic also created a high demand in the technology space, many of the roles are for e-commerce platforms, start-ups or divisions about to become digital � either traditional sectors looking to ramp up their technology or businesses transitioning further into digital areas. We’ve seen a strong demand for high potential talent with a technology background, and had success bringing Indonesians from overseas back home primarily for tech-related roles.

According to the report, 57% of technology companies in Indonesia expect an 14% increase in headcount on average in 2021. 63% of employed technology professionals anticipate looking for new opportunities in 2021 while another 30% is passively open to new ones, suggesting increased employment activity.

Considering the competition for high-potential tech professionals, Olly Riches advises, “Technology companies must identify their value-added advantages when recruiting technology talents in Indonesia. Though the supply of technology talents has improved over the years (especially in software engineering functions), it is still one of the most candidate-driven markets.”

As a viable option to bridge skill gaps arising from their move to business recovery in 2021, 52% of companies in Indonesia cited their continued investment in employees by providing training to upskill the workforce while 41% turned to the use of automation for basic processes.