EMPLOYEES INVOLVEMENT AND DEMERIT PERFORMANCE EVALUATION (DEEP) SYSTEM
In Malaysia, the prospect of employee involvement in the workplace is undergoing significant shifts. Traditional hierarchical structures are giving way to more inclusive and collaborative approaches, driven by various factors including globalization, technological advancements, and changing employee expectations and behaviours. Understanding these trends and finding effective ways to cope with them is crucial for any businesses to thrive in the evolving Malaysian work setting.
One notable trend is the increasing emphasis on employee empowerment and participation in decision-making processes. Malaysian companies are recognizing the value of involving employees in strategic planning, problem-solving, and innovation initiatives. This trend is fuelled by the realization that engaged and empowered employees are more productive, creative, and loyal to their organizations. As a result, businesses are adopting practices such as open-door policies, cross-functional teams, recognitions, appreciations and regular feedback mechanisms to encourage employee involvement.
Another trend is the rise of flexible work arrangements and remote work. COVID-19 pandemic accelerated this shift, forcing many Malaysian companies to adopt remote work policies to ensure business continuity. However, even before the pandemic, there was a growing demand for flexible work options among employees seeking better work-life balance and autonomy. To cope with this trend, organizations need to invest in technologies that facilitate remote collaboration, establish clear communication channels, and implement performance evaluation metrics that focus on outcomes rather than hours worked.
All these transition trends were applied to all categories of employees and civil servants is not exceptional but was maintained in differ way of practising and involvement, including performance evaluation. In aspect of considering the performance evaluation process at time to recognize, there is a recent development on Demerit Performance Evaluation (DEEP) system. The system arrives at right time of renewal the criteria of assessment, it brings new air to the industries after 10 years as mentioned by The Honourable Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to Bernama on 25th February 2024. There is a call for paradigm shift on employees’ performance evaluation.
Thus, to cope with these trends effectively, industry players can adopt several strategies:
First and foremost, invest in developing DEEP system the soonest possible to identify and improve high rate of employees’ involvement in the organization. Ensures the criteria are perfectly match with the employees’ grades, responsibilities and capabilities. Also, generally civil servant was expecting a transparent and justified criteria build on the responsibilities. This would help the employees achieve their Key Performance Indicator (KPI) more effective and efficiently.
Secondly, invest in employee training and development by providing employees with the necessary skills and knowledge to adapt to changing work environments is essential. This may include technical training for remote work tools, team building programs and workshops on diversity and inclusion. However, frequent training on more or less similar context would lead employees less interested. Thus, to make the training and development effective, the Human Resource authority need to ensure that the training programs provides a different perspective of context that may benefits employees and encourage them to involve more in the organization.
Third, foster open communication by developing channels for transparent and open communication between employees and management can help build trust and facilitate collaboration. Regular town hall meetings, employee surveys, and one-on-one feedback sessions are effective ways to ensure that employees feel heard and valued. The outcome of the session should develop trust and confidence in employees towards management. Besides, able to identify the needs of an employees. However, the open communication should be understood that is a medium to express ideas and emotions respectfully. Everyone in the organization should practice to create a positive and healthy environment for people surrounding.
Fourth, prioritize employee well-being by supporting their well-being is crucial for maintaining morale, productivity, and retention. Offering flexible work arrangements, wellness programs, and mental health resources can help employees cope with the stresses of modern work life. Besides, one-on-one session would much help the employee’s well-being. Frequent gathering among employees would build a strong connection to help out each other. This might be an ‘impossible’ for some industry that demands individual tasks such as academicians, visual designer, data entry and etc. Yet, there is always an alternative to look forward.
In conclusion, the trends of employee involvement in the Malaysian work setting are evolving rapidly, driven by factors such as empowerment, flexible work arrangements, and global diversity and inclusion. By implementing DEEP system for civil servants would be an effective method of assessing employees and motivates them to engage and involve more in their work tasks. Thus, by understanding these trends and adopting strategies to cope with them effectively, Malaysian organizations can position themselves for success in the dynamic and competitive business landscape in the nearest future.
