In 2024, the hiring landscape for sales and marketing professionals were most influenced by economic uncertainties and rising inflation, which prompted consumers to cut back on spending.
This frugality was most prominent in the retail sector. Whether it was high value items or mass market products, consumers sought to reduce costs, putting business revenues on a downward trajectory. This could shrink hiring budgets and dampen hiring appetite looking ahead, though Marie Lee, Associate Director at Robert Walters Malaysia, points to a bright spot on the horizon, stating, “More brands – both local and international – are entering or expanding their presence in the Malaysian market, which could sustain hiring volumes in 2025.”
The decline in consumer spending made for turbulent times in the FMCG sector, as consumers turned away from premium brands for local, mass market brands that are more cost friendly. Multinational corporations (MNCs) that front Western brands were most heavily hit, and many were often left with no choice but to restructure and downsize their teams over the past year.
However, hiring volumes held steady in the healthcare space as more medical service providers sought to grow their footprint in the market. She explains, “This stems from an ageing population and increasing life expectancies, which are bolstering demand for healthcare services and talent in this space.”
Meanwhile, digital and sustainability priorities took centre stage in the industrial and B2B sectors. Within the automotive industry, the rise of electrical vehicles spurred demand for sales professionals who can convey the benefits of new technologies and sustainability effectively. Similarly, the renewable energy businesses sought marketing talent that could promote their corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives and the benefits of sustainable energy. Solution selling gained prominence there, as well as in engineering, healthcare and telecommunications, as companies needed to provide customised offerings to address client needs and environmental concerns. Other industries like manufacturing, construction, technology and logistics shifted towards cautious, performance-focused marketing strategies, which drove demand for digital marketing and data analytics experts.
“As these industrial and B2B sectors evolve, hiring will continue to be defined by a need for business diversification, digital expertise, solution-focused sales capabilities, and analytics proficiency. Expect fierce competition for sales and marketing professionals who possess these specialised abilities,” says Marie.
Read on to find out more about Marie’s expectations of the labour market and hiring trends for Malaysia’s Sales and Marketing professionals in 2025.
More brands entering the market, but hiring gets stricter
As the sector most affected by tightened consumer spending, retail businesses will likely maintain a careful approach to hiring in 2025. Instead, there will be a stronger focus on retaining existing talent, which could result in extended notice periods, and more bonuses and counteroffers. Meanwhile, Marie believes that businesses looking to hire will be more rigorous in their assessments, with stricter requirements.
“Though there will be an inclination towards skills-based hiring, we may see longer hiring timelines as companies wait to score the ‘perfect’ candidate that meets their expectations,” she comments.
More FMCG and healthcare brands are set to enter the Malaysian market, which will contribute significantly to hiring volumes moving forward. Hiring demand for brand marketers remains strong, and the same goes for key account managers with pharmacy channel experience as the beauty and skincare category keeps growing. As more healthcare companies introduce new therapeutic areas and medical treatments, they will seek support across a range of areas like sales, product, application, and regulatory assurance.
As these industrial and B2B sectors evolve, hiring will continue to be defined by a need for business diversification, digital expertise, solution-focused sales capabilities, and analytics proficiency. Expect fierce competition for sales and marketing professionals who possess these specialised abilities.
On the other hand, industrial and B2B businesses will place more weight on business diversification, solution selling, regional capabilities, sustainability, and digital and data-driven skills like digital marketing and data analytics. Besides needing sales professionals who can promote customised, customer-centric solutions, she flags a growing interest in talent with regional experience, stating, “Businesses are adapting to changing market dynamics and consumer preferences across the region, and they’re after sales and marketing experts who can navigate these diverse, multicultural markets.”
Top roles and skillsets for 2025
Some of the main objectives for retail businesses in the year ahead is to increase brand awareness, drive more footfall into stores and boost sales. To do so, they will invest more in hiring marketers and merchandisers across all levels of seniority, as well as talent in retail operations. Together, these teams are expected to work together to nail product allocation and promotion strategies, creating stellar shopping experiences for consumers stepping into their stores. Companies prefer candidates who had lengthier tenures in prior positions as they want talent who are more likely to stay on, but they are also open to those with exposure in different functions and industries.
Within FMCG, brand marketing, key account management and trade marketing positions are highly sought after. The top skillsets needed in the sector are key account management in pharmacy channels, new product development and innovation, and consumer insights and data analytics.
Meanwhile, in healthcare, there is expected to be tremendous demand for product managers, marketing managers, sales managers, medical representatives and medical advisors. The oncology, gene and cell therapy domain has seen a marked increase in demand for talent, and this upward trajectory will continue looking ahead. When it comes to skillsets, businesses value candidates with niche, hyper-specialised experience in specific therapeutic areas or channels, as well as strong stakeholder management experience and a proven ability to manage regional counterparts.
Industrial and B2B sectors will seek out talent in technical sales, solution sales, business development and digital marketing. More regional positions are expected to become available, so sales and marketing experts with cross-cultural, regional experience will have an advantage. Candidates with skills in digital-centric customer relationship management will also stand out.
Candidates cautious about moving
Across all industries, remote, hybrid or flexible work options are a big pull, particularly as some companies have returned to a full week in office. Candidates are also eager to have insurance and health benefits that cover them and their families. However, most are mindful of economic uncertainties at present. They are thus cautious about switching jobs and being more selective about the roles they take.
In retail, candidates try to envision if they can see themselves in a given position for a longer time, so factors like job security, brand awareness, and the company’s stability are top of mind. Marie finds that those exploring new positions often ask about annual leave entitlements.
To retain talent in retail, she advises having open conversations about the company’s long-term viability as a business, and to work out clear career development plans. Non-direct monetary benefits also help talent feel appreciated. In hiring, speed is of the essence as competition remains stiff. Some companies may also want to hire based on potential given there is a shortage of qualified talent.
A similar situation is at play in the FMCG and healthcare sectors. Though candidates also seek job stability and career progression, she finds that there is more openness towards exploring new job opportunities. Positions that offer a larger scope than their current roles are highly appealing, especially as more candidates are moving into regional roles as companies move to a leaner structure. Wellness benefits are also a common request.
Fostering a healthy workplace culture and environment is key for attracting FMCG and healthcare candidates, who prefer companies that keep up with industry trends in digitalisation, corporate branding and ESG. Hiring teams may also want to look into retention planning, which some companies are already practising in the form of upfront bonuses that keep top talent bonded to their new role for a fixed duration. To keep top talent onboard, it is also advised that companies lay out clear succession plans so candidates know how they can move forward in the organisation.
For industrial and B2B candidates, her advice to companies is to help their teams achieve better work-life balance by finding the right balance between remote and in-office options. They should also aim to create a culture centred around purpose and growth, focusing on sustainability and CSR, providing platforms for feedback, recognition and career growth, and upskilling opportunities particularly in sustainability and digital skills.
Salaries rise across the board
Job movers in the retail sector can expect a 15 – 25% increment, while talents staying in the same role will receive annual increments of around 3 – 7%.
Salaries for FMCG job movers typically fall between 20 – 25%, and while this will remain the standard in the year ahead, hiring companies may provide sign-on bonuses to top candidates, in hopes of shortening their notice period and getting them onboard sooner.
Healthcare professionals can also look forward to the standard increments of 15 – 20% when changing jobs. Annual increments will likely remain at present rates of 3 – 7%.
For the industrial and B2B sectors, salaries are likely to go up by 20 – 25% for job movers, with rates varying based on job scope and responsibilities.
Find out more
Request access to our 2025 Salary Survey to benchmark salaries and to find out more about key hiring trends in the Sales and Marketing industry in Malaysia.
