Hiring delays are now a structural business risk — PEM launches 72-hour talent deployment model

MEDIA RELEASE

3 April 2026

Hiring delays are now a structural business risk — PEM launches 72-hour talent deployment model

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA — Hiring delays are emerging as a material business risk across industries, as organisations struggle to secure critical talent fast enough to execute. Malaysian human capital firm PEM (People Empowered Malaysia) has launched Talent on Demand (TOD), a model that enables companies to deploy experienced mid- and senior-level professionals within 72 hours.

As companies accelerate transformation, expand into new markets and manage cost pressures, the gap between identifying talent needs and securing capability has become a critical execution bottleneck.

According to the Randstad 2025 Job Market Outlook and Salary Guide, 56% of employers report difficulty finding talent with the required skills, highlighting a growing disconnect between business priorities and workforce availability. At the leadership level, PwC’s 28th Annual Global CEO Survey (2025) ranks the lack of skilled workers as the top business threat for Malaysian CEOs — ahead of inflation, cyber risk, and macroeconomic volatility.

“Companies don’t lose to strategy — they lose time. The gap between needing capability and securing it is where execution breaks down. Talent on Demand removes that delay entirely,” said Zailani Ali, Managing Director of PEM.

Talent on Demand introduces a new category between traditional recruitment and consulting, giving organisations immediate access to proven capability without the delays, costs or long-term commitments associated with conventional hiring models.

The model enables organisations to deploy vetted professionals across interim, project-based, fractional, or advisory roles, while reducing hiring risk through real-time performance assessment prior to permanent placement.

“The challenge today is no longer hiring — it is access to capability, at speed. Organisations need immediate access to proven talent, particularly during periods of transformation and growth,” said Abby Grewal, Co-Founder of PEM and Managing Director of Selective Search.

With competition intensifying for a limited pool of mid- to senior-level professionals, organisations that can deploy vetted talent within days — rather than wait 8 to 12 weeks for traditional hiring — gain a clear structural advantage in execution.

The launch reflects a broader shift towards on-demand capability models, as organisations move away from traditional hiring cycles towards more agile, flexible workforce strategies.

Talent on Demand enables organisations to sustain execution momentum while making deliberate, long-term hiring decisions — reducing risk without slowing growth.

The solution is now available across Malaysia, the GCC and Asia, supported by PEM’s regional talent networks and operating presence in Kuala Lumpur and London.

ENDS

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About People Empowered (Malaysia) [PEM]

www.pem.com.my

PEM is a Malaysian-owned human capital solutions firm focused on enabling organisations to access, develop, and deploy talent effectively across markets. Founded in 2014, PEM specialises in HR transformation, digital HR solutions, HR process outsourcing, and workforce development. Through Talent on Demand, PEM provides on-demand access to senior and mid-level professionals across Malaysia, the GCC, and Asia.

How Talent On Demand works

• Deployment of vetted professionals within 72 hours

• Flexible engagement models — interim, project-based, or fractional

• Try-before-hire capability

• Fully managed payroll and statutory compliance via HR Flex

• Access to Malaysian and international talent pools

• Coverage across HR, Finance, Corporate Affairs, Technology & AI, Operations, and Strategy

PEM MEDIA CONTACT

For the attention of Marlene Kaur, info@pem.com.my