ISSN (Online) 0127-9890 Volume 7 Issue 1 2024

FACTORS INFLUENCING EMPLOYABILITY OF FRESH

GRADUATES POST COVID-19: A STUDY CONDUCTED ON THE
PERSPECTIVE OF MALAYSIAN EMPLOYERS
Md Mahib Khana, Pui Yee Chongb*
a
Department of Economics & Management, UNITEN Business School, Universiti Tenaga Nasional
b
Department of Language & Communication, College of Continuing Education, Universiti Tenaga Nasional

Keyword ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has substantially impacted the global
Employability Skills economy and job market, considerably affecting recent
COVID-19 graduates' employability. This study aims to determine the
Fresh Graduates factors that affect the employability of recent graduates in
Perspective of Employers Malaysia as seen by employers after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Graduate Employability Prior research has revealed the subsequent variables that exert
Academic Performance an influence on the employability of graduates. The current
Personality of Graduates study examines the independent factors of academic
performance (AP), employability skills (ES), and personality
(PE), with graduate employability (GE) as the dependent
variable. The study collected empirical data from 104
respondents using a structured questionnaire and a convenience
sampling technique. An extensive statistical investigation
revealed a substantial favourable impact of AP, ES, and PE on
the GE of Malaysian graduates. This study offers policymakers
and educational institutions valuable insights on improving
recent graduates' employability. The findings of this
ARTICLE INFO
investigation can assist researchers in understanding the
Article History: elements that contribute to employability. This study aims to
Received: 5 April 2024 provide young graduates with a comprehensive knowledge of
Accepted: 6 June 2024 essential employability skills while helping businesses identify
Available online: 28 June 2024 potential candidates with the appropriate traits and competence.

Copyright © 2024 Universiti Tenaga Nasional.

All rights reserved.

*Corresponding Author. Email address: [email protected]

INTRODUCTION

Graduate employability refers to a set of accomplishments, skills, understandings, and personal

characteristics that increase graduates' chances of finding employment and achieving success in their
chosen professions, which is advantageous to them, the labor force, the community, and the economy
(Pirzada & Khan, 2013). Employers perceive "employability" to mean "work readiness," or having
the abilities, expertise, and understanding of business that will enable graduates to contribute to the
objectives of the company as soon as they begin working (Hossain et al., 2018; Ibrahim &
Mahyuddin, 2017).

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 While many factors may influence graduate employability, these include academic
performance (Pericles et al., 2014), soft skills (Ayala Calvo & Manzano García, 2021), personality
(Kee et al., 2023), external factors such as the economic and labour market. Besides domain and
technical knowledge, employers consider soft skills an important factor when hiring. Employers in
the current national and global economies tend to hire graduates with strong soft-skill competencies.
According to Ayala Calvo & Manzano García (2021), employers are less concerned about academic
achievement and technical abilities if applicants display good traits and soft skills. For many
businesses, the inadequacies of graduate soft skills are evident before the screening, interview, or
selection process based on the candidate's physical appearance, aptitude, communication, and other
personal abilities. Examples include attire, looks, conversation, confidence, motivation, adaptability,
and a pleasant gesture (Asonitou, 2015; Di Gregorio et al., 2019; Hinai et al., 2020).
In equipping graduates with soft skills, the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) outlined
the generic learning outcome stipulated in the Malaysian Qualifications Framework (MQF), which
comprises knowledge in the studied areas; practical skills; social skills and responsibility; the value,
attitude, and professionalism; communication skills; leadership and teamwork; scientific problem-
solving skills; entrepreneurial and management skills; lifelong learning skills and information
literacy; and entrepreneurship (Ibrahim & Mahyuddin, 2017). This is also consistent with the
emphasis by the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE), which has identified a group of generic
skills that span many learning domains and personal development aspects, which include the
following soft skills: leadership, teamwork, communication, critical thinking, and continuous
learning and entrepreneurship (Danial et al., 2014).
This study investigates three predetermined variables for graduate employability in the
Malaysian labor market. Those three factors are academic performance (AP), employability skills
(TS), and personality (PE).

LITERATURE REVIEW

Underpinning Theories

Human Capital
According to Becker (2009), human capital refers to the collection of knowledge, habits, social and
personality attributes, including creativity, embodied in the ability to perform labor to produce
economic value. It incorporates the perception that there are investments in the individual, such as in
education, training, and wellness, and thus contributes to the development of an individual's
production (Goldin, 2016).

Human Capital Theory

According to the human capital hypothesis (Becker, 2009), higher levels of education boost
professional efficiency. Education provides employable skills and abilities relevant to job
performance; as a result, persons with higher degrees of education have more significant economic
and professional competence in the job market. The human capital theory, as advocated by (Blaug,
1976), states that employability is a measure used to measure the quality of education received. The
human capital theories are crucial in this study, which seeks to understand employers' perceptions of
employability factors at an institution of higher education (Gillies, 2015).
The human capital theory identifies the positive relationship between academic credentials and
higher income across a person's working lifespan as the rationale for investing in education. The
most significant aspect of this idea is that education and training will strengthen an individual's
awareness of human capital and, therefore, their productive capacity. This adds to an increase in
income. Other than that, the theory also claims that education will raise the production of labours
(Blaug, 1976; Goldin, 2016; Pericles Rospigliosi et al., 2014). According to Goldin (2016), education
and skill not only benefit the graduates in the short term but will benefit the graduates in the long
term through receiving higher pay.

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 This research uses Human Capital Theory (HCT) to examine graduates' employability
capability since HCT is one of the most widely acknowledged theories on employability. HCT
believes that human resources practitioners can identify the effectiveness readiness of jobseekers.
Yet, the absence of graduation qualities, the vagueness of the obtained academic quality, and the
dearth of future employment options make the employability process difficult (Fix, 2018). According
to Blaug (1976), employers use educational attainment to identify individuals with certain valuable
"innate" traits that cannot be observed directly. It is argued that education per se does not enhance
productivity; instead, it is used by employers as a signal about an applicant's potential productivity,
including their ability to learn on the job. Developing and using soft or employability skills would
significantly influence students to join the workforce.

Graduate Employability
Graduate employability is the collection of skills and talents that graduates may acquire to secure a
suitable job and advance in their profession (Mohamad & Jaaffar, 2021). Such talents and abilities
help graduate job seekers satisfy employers' required standards and adjust to labor market changes.
It is a comprehensive collection of skills and abilities for enhancing future job advancement. Past
studies on employability from the 1990s may be divided into two groups (Abas & Imam, 2016;
Hossain et al., 2018; Mok et al., 2021). Firstly, employability combines several aspects, including
internal and external elements. The internal determinants contain personal knowledge and abilities
linked with the profession, such as technical and teamwork skills. In contrast, the external factors
comprise labor market conditions like labor demand and supply (Mok et al., 2021).
The second group of skills and capabilities may be regarded from the perspective of personal
ability, which holds that graduate employability results from individual capacity and is a set of
relevant skills and abilities that assist graduates in obtaining work and developing professionally.
This viewpoint thinks that graduate employability is the product of individual ability. Hence,
graduate employability is a comprehensive set of abilities that enables graduates to advance their
careers with talents, knowledge, and personality characteristics. A study conducted by Hwang (2017)
on employer needs and graduate skills identifies seven critical anticipated elements that companies
look for when hiring new graduates: communication skills, basic knowledge, personality (PE),
computer and IT abilities, practical experiences, and academic background. According to Danial et
al. (2014), the most sought-after graduates should have collaboration, communication, analytical and
critical thinking skills, and information technology. In addition, Haque's (2013) study indicated that
employers value practical knowledge, intellectual skills, hard work, communication and information
technology skills, management talents, and a good attitude. In another research by Ambepitiya (2016)
at two management education universities in Sri Lanka, academic knowledge, soft-skill, practical,
and technical skill development are the most critical variables in preparing a graduate for the
workforce. Even though formal education is a crucial component, it is not the sole determinant of
graduates' employability (Khuneswari & Hsieh, 2023).

Academic Performance and Graduate Employability

Academic performance (AP) is measured by a grade point average (GPA) or cumulative grade point
average (CGPA) based on several academic markers, including test scores, in-class participation,
homework completion, and presentation skills (Cotronei-Baird, 2020). Several researchers found a
link between strong academic achievement and graduates' employment. Pericles Rospigliosi et al.
(2014) examined whether academic performance affects the perceived employability of business
graduates and found that academic performance measured by GPA is the key to improving business
graduates' employability. The initial employability of graduates is positively correlated with CGPA,
desired area of study, and internship experience, according to a survey by Fenta et al. (2019). On the
contrary, Noman et al. (2021) pointed out that a stronger academic record would only be
advantageous if graduates were working in positions paying in the bottom half of the income
distribution. Academic performance is not a significant factor in whether or not a graduate finds a
job after graduation. As a result, there are differing perspectives on the impact of academic success
on graduate employment. Based on the above argument, the first hypothesis is developed as follows:
H1: Academic performance has a significant relationship with graduate employability in Malaysia.
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Employability Skill and Graduate Employability
Improving graduate employability skills is seen as a crucial task by the academic community in
Malaysia. The demands of the labor market and employers' expectations for the abilities of recent
graduates differ by firm and nation. The contemporary corporate climate stresses the need for
education for employability, emphasizing the development of both skills and practical experience
(Mohamad & Jaaffar, 2021; Ng et al., 2022). After graduation, students must develop employability
skills and subject-specific knowledge to gain a competitive advantage in the job market. In addition
to academic credentials, most employers look for specific qualities and characteristics in prospective
employees (Ayala Calvo & Manzano García, 2021). Although not job-specific, these talents, often
employability skills, are critical for enhancing productivity and work value. Higher education is
viewed as an "entrance ticket" and is used as a pre-selection for professional employment.
Communication skills, leadership skills, basic IT skills, and communication technology are
becoming increasingly important (Danial et al., 2014; Haekal et al., 2021; Mok et al., 2021).

Communication Skill
The capacity to properly communicate with people by conveying and getting the desired message is
typically referred to as communication competence. It can be completed in person, online, or through
mail (Omar et al., 2012). Good communication and engagement decrease perceptual bias, time, and
effort, enhancing future productivity (Herbert, 2011). According to a study of the graduates'
employability criteria for the manufacturing business, Asonitou (2015) and McGunagle & Zizka
(2020) contended that employers highly value effective communication, problem-solving skills, and
collaborative abilities. They suggested that communication has a significant influence on
management graduates' employability.

Leadership and Motivational Skill

Good leaders must effectively communicate with their team members to motivate them. Employers
seek motivating abilities in a candidate's résumé to fill leadership positions. Companies value
leadership proficiency in crucial domains. A study by Singh & Singh (2008) and Wolff & Booth
(2017) found that four aspects, abilities & self-understanding, workplace culture, leadership &
problem-solving capacity, and communication, significantly influenced graduates' employment. A
study in several European nations (Ornellas et al., 2018) found that interpersonal and problem-
solving abilities improve students' and graduates' employability. Leadership skills are the capacity to
successfully lead a team or subordinate(s), whereas motivational skills are the capacity to inspire and
positively influence a team or coworkers. A strong leader should continually inspire and
constructively direct his or her followers or coworkers. Hanaysha et al. (2014) examined the graduate
employability variables for the manufacturing business and concluded that graduates must prioritize
leadership and motivational competence in addition to other skills. According to Kazilan & Hamzah
(2009), a lack of motivation, inventiveness, and leadership values constitute the primary
shortcomings that graduate students have when it comes to finding employment.

ICT Skill
The fast change in the sphere of technology impacts millions of people across the globe due to the
disparity between the rate of technological growth throughout the world and the digital abilities of
students, generating a vast void in the academic field (Pirzada & Khan, 2013). External labor market
issues, such as computer skill requirements, significantly influence employability. The capacity to
study and learn numerous tools and techniques, such as software, computers, and information
technology, is referred to as ICT skills. Because of the increased use of technology and the Internet
in today's highly competitive marketplace, such a skill set is essential. Moreover, an employee must
be skilled in a range of programs, although these competencies will vary based on the nature of the
task (Kee et al., 2023; Khuneswari & Hsieh, 2023; Ornellas et al., 2018). Haekal et al. (2021) argue
that employers require employees to have ICT skills. According to previous research, a new study
conducted in Bangladesh (Hossain et al., 2018) shows that ICT is favorably associated with
employability. On the other hand, Asonitou (2015) demonstrated that ICT skills had no significant

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connection with the employability of graduates. Nonetheless, this research identified technical or
ICT proficiency as one of the elements necessary for employability.
H2: Employability skill has a significant relationship with graduate employability in Malaysia.

Personality and Graduate Employability

Personality (PE) denotes a unique mindset, feeling, and behavior. It encompasses emotions, attitudes,
and views and is conveyed through social interactions (Di Gregorio et al., 2019). It comprises innate
and learned behavioral differences that differentiate one individual from another and may be detected
via a person's connections with the environment and social groupings. Kee et al. (2023) studied
graduate business students' employability characteristics and personality traits in South Africa and
revealed substantial correlations between personality and employability characteristics. Personality
was recognized as a determinant of involvement and employability by Qureshi et al. (2016).
Kamaruddin et al. (2020) postulate that protean personality positively influences internal and external
dimensions of employability. Similarly, according to an empirical study on personality traits, job
market assessment, and self-perceived employability in an ambiguous labor market (Di Gregorio et
al., 2019), conscientiousness, openness to experience, and agreeableness are significantly and
positively related to self-perceived employability. Personality is identified as one of the factors
influencing graduates' employability in this study (PE).
H3: Personality has a significant and positive relationship with graduate employability in Malaysia.

Conceptual Framework
Based on the following hypothesis, the research framework for this study included three independent
variables and one dependent variable, as shown in Figure 1. Three independent variables are
academic performance (AP), employability skills (ES), and personality (PE). Meanwhile, the
dependent variable is graduate employability (GE).

Figure 1. Conceptual Framework

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Population and Sampling Design

As the study aims to investigate Malaysian employers' perspectives, the population comprises
companies in Malaysia. According to the Companies Commission of Malaysia (Suruhanjaya
Syarikat Malaysia), there were 372,624 registered companies and businesses in Malaysia in 2022.
According to Krejcie and Morgan (1970), this population's sample size is 384. A convenience
sampling method was used through personal contact with HR practitioners in Malaysia. Data was
collected through online survey questionnaires from companies in Malaysia of seven types of
industries: education, automotive, construction, finance, food & beverage (F&B), commerce, and
others. These companies comprise various types of organizations, such as small-medium-sized
enterprises (SME), public limited companies (PLC), multinational corporations (MNC), government
link companies (GLC), and others.
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Data Collection
Invitations to participate in the survey were conducted through a business group of employers via
LinkedIn and through personal contacts in companies. Personal contacts are an effective strategy to
get companies' cooperation to participate in a survey. As the study is not funded, no honorarium or
gift was given to respondents; hence, all participation is voluntary. Due to limited resources and time,
only 104 respondents were collected between February and March 2023. The questionnaire was self-
administrated with structured close-ended questions.

Instrument
As the study aims to investigate the causal relationship between variables, a quantitative approach
was used as recommended by Creswell (2014). A 12-item structured questionnaire has been utilized
to gather information from past literature; refer to Table I. This structured questionnaire, which used
a Likert scale of five points, was used to get the relevant data from the participants. There are two
parts to the survey questionnaires; the first part captures the demographic questions, and the second
part consists of the question measuring the variables.

Table I. Measurement Scale

No. Measurement Scale Source

Graduate Employability (GE)

GE1 Only the best candidates are employed in my Hosain et al. (2021)
organization.
GE2 My organization provides a better chance for fresh Hosain et al. (2021)
graduates.
GE3 Before hiring, all candidates go through strict and Rasul et al. (2013); Hosain et
detailed procedures. al. (2021); Khuneswari et al.
(2022)

Academic Performance (AP)

AP1 Academic performance is an indicator of a candidate's Rasul et al. (2013); Hosain et al.
employability at my organization. (2021)
AP2 My organization considers academic performance an Hosain et al. (2021)
essential indicator of employability, although it is not
the only one.
AP3 The condition of good academic performance can be Hosain et al. (2021)
relaxed for exceptionally qualified job candidates.

Employability Skill (ES)

ES1 Candidates must have sound communication skills Rasul et al. (2013); Hosain et
along with other requirements. al. (2021)

ES2 We strongly seek candidates with leadership and Rasul et al. (2013); Hosain et
motivational skills. al. (2021)
ES3 Basic computer skills are mandatory competencies for Rasul et al. (2013); Hosain et
employability in our organization. al. (2021)

Personality (PE)
PE1 I believe a candidate with a strong personality has a Rasul et al. (2013); Hosain et
better commitment to his/her job. al. (2021)

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 PE2 A positive attitude to handling the jobs is an important Hosain et al. (2021)
indicator in our organization.

PE3 We seek candidates with strong self-esteem and Rasul et al. (2013)
positive attitudes.

Cronbach's alpha was used to assess the reliability of variables or constructs using SPSS
software. There was a total of 4 constructs, which are: (1) Graduate employability, (2) Academic
Performance, (3) Employability Skill, and (4) Personality. Cronbach's alpha values for all
constructions were more than 0.7, indicating that all constructs were reliable (Nunnally, 1978). The
reliability test results are found in Table II, where all four constructs passed the reliability test. Data
analysis, including descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and regression analysis, were
performed using SPSS software.

Table II. Reliability Test

Variables Number of items Cronbach's Alpha
Graduate Employability 3 .926
Academic Performance 3 .898
Employability Skill 3 .785
Personality 3 .753

RESULTS AND ANALYSIS

Demographic Profile of Respondent

Table III below illustrates the demographics of those who participated in this research.

Table III. Respondents' Profile

Description Frequency Percent
Gender
Female 72 69.2
Male 32 30.8
Total 104 100.0
Education Level
Diploma 32 30.8
Bachelor 44 42.3
Masters 26 25.0
PhD 2 1.9
Total 104 100.0
Position
Executive 10 9.6
Management 54 51.9
Operational 40 38.5
Total 104 100.0
Organization type
Small and Medium-sized 32 30.8
Enterprise
Public-Limited Company 12 11.5
Multinational Corporation 28 26.9
Government-linked Company 28 26.9
Other 4 3.8
Total 104 100.0
Industry
Education 2 1.9

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 Automotive 10 9.6
Construction 38 36.5
Finance 22 21.2
F&B 25 24.0
E-Commerce 6 5.8
Other 1 1.0
Total 104 100.0

A total of 104 respondents participated in the study. More than half of the respondents are
female (69.2%), mostly having bachelor's degree qualification (42.3%), and half hold management-
level positions. There are well-distributed respondents from different types of organizations: SME
(30.8%), MNC, and GLC (26.9%). The highest number of respondents comes from the construction
industry (36.5%), followed by F&B (24%) and Finance (21.2%).

Descriptive Analysis
Table IV shows the results of the descriptive analysis. Item PE3, measuring self-esteem and positive
attitudes, has the highest mean of 4.38, and the lowest mean score of 3.48 is AP2. This shows that
potential employers view a candidate's personality as more important than their potential candidate's
academic performance. For employers, staff who lack knowledge and skills can still be trained on
the job; however, attitudes and personalities are far more challenging for employers to mold. For
post-COVID, work requires more computing skills; therefore, the second highest mean score is 3.75,
which is item ES3, where computing skills are mandatory for employment.

Table IV. Results of Descriptive Analysis

Description Mean Std Deviation
Graduate Employability (GE)
GE1 Only the best candidates are employed in my organization. 3.69 1.141
GE2 My organization provides a better chance for fresh graduates. 3.60 1.048
GE3 Before hiring, all candidates go through strict and detailed procedures. 3.60 1.029
Academic Performance (AP)
AP1 Academic performance is an indicator of a candidate's employability 3.54 1.222
at my organization.
AP2 My organization considers academic performance an essential 3.48 0.995
indicator of employability, although it is not the only one.
AP3 The condition of good academic performance can be relaxed for 3.6 1.029
exceptionally qualified job candidates.
Employability Skill (ES)
ES1 Candidates must have sound communication skills along with other 3.69 1.141
requirements.
ES2 We strongly seek candidates with leadership and motivational skills. 3.73 1.090
ES3 Basic computer skills are mandatory competencies for employability 3.75 0.879
in our organization.
Personality (PE)
PE1 I believe a candidate with a strong personality has a better commitment 3.50 1.191
to his/her job.
PE2 A positive attitude to handling the jobs is an important indicator in our 3.62 1.046
organization.
PE3 We seek candidates with strong self-esteem and positive attitudes. 4.38 5.805

Correlation Analysis
The results of the Pearson correlation analysis in Table V indicated a significant relationship between
the independent variables AP, ES, and PE to GE at 0.01 level of significance (2-tailed). Surprisingly,
the findings highlight an unexpected pattern where Personality emerges as the weakest correlate,
while Academic Performance stands out as the strongest, contradicting the mean scores.
Additionally, Graduate Employability and Employability Skills exhibit stability despite these
disparities.
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 The intriguing aspect of this analysis lies in its contradiction with mean scores. While mean
scores may suggest a balance between the variables, the correlation analysis highlights the disparities
in their relationships. This emphasizes the importance of a nuanced understanding beyond the
averages.
The unexpected findings underscore the intricate dynamics of employability factors, revealing
that Personality traits do not strongly correlate with Graduate Employability, Employability Skills,
or Academic Performance. These results have implications for educators and employers,
emphasizing the need for a comprehensive approach to assess and develop employability skills
beyond traditional personality assessments.

Table V. Results of Correlation Analysis

Graduate_ Academic_ Employability_
Employability Performance Skill Personality
Graduate_ Pearson 1 .919** .914** .466**
Employability Correlation
Sig. (2-tailed) .000 .000 .000
N 104 104 104 104
Academic_ Pearson .919** 1 .823** .388**
Performance Correlation
Sig. (2-tailed) .000 .000 .000
N 104 104 104 104
Employability_ Pearson .914** .823** 1 .364**
Skill Correlation
Sig. (2-tailed) .000 .000 .000
N 104 104 104 104
Personality Pearson .466** .388** .364** 1
Correlation
Sig. (2-tailed) .000 .000 .000
N 104 104 104 104
Note: **. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed)

Multiple Regression Analysis and Discussion

Multiple regression was conducted to assess the impact of Academic Performance (AP),
Employability skills (ES), and Personality (PE) on Graduate Employability (GE) in Malaysia. Refer
to Table 6, the regression results of this study indicated that all three chosen variables positively
affect the GE of Malaysian students. Academic performance, employability skills, and personality
can strongly influence the overall graduate employability where AP (B= .930, p < 0.05), ES
(B=1.050, p<0.05), and PE (B=.223, p<0.05). Hereafter, all the hypotheses H1, H2, and H3 are
supported. According to the regression results from Table VI, it has been shown that Academic
performance (AP), Employability Skills (ES), and Personality (PE) have a significant impact on
Graduate Employability (GE). The most influential factor that influences graduate employability is
employability skills. While the majority of businesses did not emphasize personal traits in their job
postings, graduates need to have a good personality for professional success.
Therefore, the following hypotheses are supported: all three independent variables, AP, ES,
and PE, impact GE.

H1: Academic performance has a significant relationship with graduate employability in Malaysia.
H2: Employability skill has a significant relationship with graduate employability in Malaysia.
H3: Personality has a significant relationship with graduate employability in Malaysia.

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 Table VI: Results of Multiple Regressions Analysis
Hypothesis IV Coefficient R2 F Sig
H1 Academic Performance .930 .845 556.905 .000
H2 Employability Skill 1.050 .835 516.031 .000
H3 Personality .223 .217 28.310 .000

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

Findings of the study

The study revealed that academic performance, employability skills, and personality are generally
helpful for graduate employability in Malaysia, particularly after COVID-19. It has been found that
academic performance is a critical factor for graduate employability. Several researchers found a link
between strong academic achievement and graduates' employment. Pericles Rospigliosi et al. (2014)
examined whether academic performance affects the perceived employability of business graduates
and found that academic performance published through GPA is the key to increasing business
graduates' employability. This result is consistent with past studies (Noman et al., 2021) examining
the relationship between academic performance and graduate employability. With good academic
performance, employers perceive that graduates have the fundamental knowledge and skills to
perform at work. This can reduce training time, and graduates are ready for the industry.
Besides academic performance, employability skills such as communication, leadership,
motivation, and computing are among the critical soft skills employers seek when recruiting fresh
graduates. Numerous studies (Asonitou, 2015; Wolff & Booth, 2017) confirmed this finding, where
soft skills help to improve graduate employability. In any job, besides applying knowledge and
technical skills, soft skills are a critical element to completing tasks in the workplace. For instance,
civil engineers need technical knowledge of structure, materials, safety, and another technical
knowledge. However, they must communicate with the project managers, workers, and suppliers to
complete a construction project. In addition, they are required to exhibit leadership abilities while
overseeing workers throughout the construction of buildings or structures. Personality traits
demonstrating commitment, positive attitude, and strong self-esteem also influenced graduate
employability. This study's result is similar to other findings by Qureshi et al. 2016 and Kamaruddin
et al. (2020). Fresh graduates who possess or demonstrate these traits may increase their
employability.
In conclusion, academic performance, employability skills, and personality influence graduate
employability and remain consistent before COVID-19 and post-COVID. However, the demand for
computing skills is more critical post-COVID as businesses move towards digitalization.

Implications of the study

The research results have several implications for theory and practice. The issue of graduate
employability has long been a focal point for university administration, academics, employers, and
graduates.

Theoretical Implications
Applying the human capital theory, this study has confirmed that academic performance and
education will enhance the career prospects of graduates. The findings of this investigation further
demonstrate that the idea remains consistent both before and after the onset of the COVID-19
pandemic. The study also verified the correlation among academic achievement, job market abilities,
individual traits, and post-graduation employability.

Practical Implications
The most crucial consideration for higher education is to produce students with the employability
skills employer’s demand. The study findings will help HEIs assess their students' acquisition of the
most needed skills. HEIs should continue to enhance the quality of teaching as this can improve
graduate academic performance. Besides targeting the enhancement of the academic performance of
10
its students, HEIs may initiate more activities and programs that help develop and cultivate skills
such as communication, leadership, and digital skills. These efforts will assist institutions in
narrowing the skills gap of their graduates and equipping them with the skills to improve the
employability of their graduates.
The results of this study provide good insight into how undergraduates can become more
holistic and balanced graduates. Hence, having good academic performance is equally important to
developing soft skills. Companies can also get an overview of the aspects they must focus on during
recruitment. Overall, this research serves to help fresh graduates understand better what makes them
secure a job and what their employers expect of them.

Limitations and Recommendations for Future Research

Among the limitations of this study is that the data is only confined to a single nation. Cross-cultural
research or comparative analysis, which includes other variables, may have produced different and
broader findings. Hence, a knowledge gap may be filled, and an opportunity to do more research on
this area. In addition, qualitative research might be considered to understand better factors
influencing graduate employability post-COVID. Another constraint is the sample size, as 104
respondents may not adequately reflect the entire population. Therefore, it is crucial to approach the
interpretation and implications of the study with caution.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Researchers would like to acknowledge Uniten Business School for funding the publication of this
paper.

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APPENDIX

QUESTIONNAIRE
Factors influencing employability of fresh graduates’ post Covid-19: A study conducted on the
perspective of Malaysian employers

Assalamualiakum,
I'm Md Mahib Khan, a final year bachelor’s degree student pursuing a Degree in Business Economics
from Universiti Tenaga Nasional (UNITEN).
I'm working on my final year project regarding "Factors influencing the employability of fresh
graduates post-COVID-19 in Malaysia." This will help us better understand what sets of skills and
extra efforts a fresh graduate must go through to secure a job and the expectations of an employer.
I sincerely invite you to complete this survey by answering the following Questionnaire: it will take
less than 5 minutes of your time. Your insight and opinion are precious and will be protected with
strict confidentiality. Your participation is highly appreciated. Thank you!
Thank you very much for your time.

Name of the Researcher: Md Mahib Khan

Email: [email protected]

SECTION A
DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE
Instructions: This section intends to capture your demographic profile. Please tick "X" for your
answers. Your response will remain anonymous.

Gender:
Male
Female

Education:

SPM
Diploma
Bachelor
Masters
PhD

Position in the Organisation:

Executive
Management
Operational
Other

Type of Organisation you are from:

SME (Small and Medium-sized Enterprise

PLC (Public Limited Company)
MNC (Multinational Corporation)
GLC (Government Linked Company)
Other

14
Which industry does your Organisation belong to:

Education
Automotive
Construction
Finance
Restaurant (F&B)
Commerce
Other

SECTION B
Instructions: Please read each statement below and indicate your response by circling the
appropriate number (on a 5-point scale given below) that indicates your opinion.
1 2 3 4 5
Strongly Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree

Graduate Employability (GE)

No GE 1 2 3 4 5
GE1 Only the best candidates are employed in my organization.
GE2 My organization provides a better chance for fresh
graduates.
GE3 Before hiring, all candidates go through strict and detailed
procedures.

Academic Performance
No AP 1 2 3 4 5
AP1 Academic performance is an indicator of a candidate's
employability at my organization.
AP2 My organization considers academic performance an
essential indicator of employability, although it is not the
only one.
AP3 The condition of good academic performance can be relaxed
for exceptionally qualified job candidates.

Employability Skill (ES)

No ES 1 2 3 4 5
ES1 Candidates must have sound communication skills along
with other requirements.
ES2 We strongly seek candidates with leadership and
motivational skills.
ES3 Basic computer skills are mandatory competencies for
employability in our organization.

Personality (PE)
No PE 1 2 3 4 5
PE1 I believe a candidate with a strong personality has a better
commitment to his/her job.
PE2 A positive attitude to handling the jobs is an important
indicator in our organization.
PE3 We seek candidates with strong self-esteem and positive
attitudes.

Thank you for your valuable participation

15