SO?

Yesterday I was supposed to go to the FMM HR/IR meeting but opted not to at the last minute because I'd some new legal projects assigned. I sent my staff Azizah to go instead.

When she came back, she told me that the meeting discussed about worker-hiring issues, the scarcity of local workers and the Government's depressing resrictions placed on foreign worker employment.

Sigh.

See, that's the thing: this is all we talk about nowadays and we can all only sit around and talk about it. No one can come up with any answers. That's because the answers are not up to us!

There is really no light at the end of the tunnel in sight. Or rather the end of the labyrinth.

While it's all very well to know that we are not alone in our struggle to meet workforce demands, it's of little comfort because we have now come to an impasse which actually should not be there at all if only the powers that be try to understand how business works.

WHERE HAVE ALL THE WORKFORCE GONE?

The whole situation is like a snake chasing its tail. Employers are hard pressed for manpower. They source for local workers, only to be snubbed in the face for paying "low" salaries.They turn to agents to help bring in foreign workers, only to be told by JTK that the Government is putting a plug on foreign manpower recruitment especially those on outsourcing basis.

No man, no work. No work, no eat. No eat, die.

So what's a Malaysian employer to do now?

Intriguingly, where have all the local workforce gone? Not everyone is across the causeway. And they say we are still in recession mode. So why are people not grabbing the first job opening they find?

You know this whole "low salary" story is not always true. Even if it is, for crying out loud it's a blue-collar job! What do they expect, a six-figure packet with a Camry to go with it? Most companies are in fact willing to pay workers reasonably higher remuneration than the average market price as long as they can get their people in. Still, these companies cannot seem to attract people. Don't even talk about attracting talent, they can't even entice the village idiot to come and work. What is happening? Has the nation been struck by a SLOTH PHENOMENON?

Ponder all we like. Frankly, if you ask me, I don't see an immediate solution. Unless every factory invests all their gold in full-automation and pay engineers to man them. But then that'll result in price hikes for finished goods and eventually, inflation. Business dies. Sheesh.

Anyone out there has any best practice stories to share on blue-collar recruitment? I'm desperate here.