A Review of Digital Talent Systems for Malaysian Industries

Abstract

Digital talent is a USD 100 trillion industry but only one third of jobs requiring digital talent can be fulfilled. Organizations are often left with the dilemma on how to manage digital talent. Digital talent management influences the recruiting, training, development, and restructuring strategies of the organization. Malaysia has recognized the importance of digital talent as early as 2015 by outlining human capital development as one of the six cores in the 11th Malaysian Plan. The Malaysian industry employs 36% of the labour force and accounts more than one third of the country’s GDP. This paper presents a review of 50 commercial Digital Talent Systems (DTS) to identify the availability and suitability of current DTS for managing digital talent in Malaysia. Results indicate that digital talent is recognized throughout the world and no longer confined to a specific country or region. DTS is used in the Financial, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Education, Information and Communication Technology, Consultation, Hospitality, Customer Services, Logistics, Food and Beverages, Engineering, Consumer Goods, Construction, Utilities, e-Commerce, Automotive, Agriculture, and Transportation industries. Major features of DTS include Assessment, Interview, Tracking, Reporting, Analytics, and Hiring modules. Criteria used for assessing talents include General Skills, Cognitive Skills, Digital Skills, Aptitude, Personality, Management Skills, Agility, and Technical Skills. Although current DTS can accommodate most industries in Malaysia, there is yet a suitable DTS for the Environment and Tourism industries. In addition, current DTS lacks industry-specific assessments, especially for Malaysia.