Hybridising capabilities for IR4.0 job demands from the perspective of Malaysian employers / Ainol Mardhiyah Rahmat

This study demonstrates that graduates who have developed hybrid capabilities are more likely to be invited for job interviews and secure work. This study adopts a case-study approach, which is a qualitative method. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to gauge the experiences and collect opinions from employers represented by professionals who hold power to hire new staff members. This study has identified the essential capabilities demanded by employers in the IR4.0 environment: personal, methodological, social, digital, and technical capabilities. The trajectory of the identified capabilities led to the discovery of four major capabilities that require hybridisation: personal-soft digital, socio-soft digital, method-soft digital, and neo-technical capabilities. The experiences and opinions gauge from the employers find that the hybridisation of capabilities will influence employers’ recruitment decisions by considering three factors: digital curriculum vitae, assessment, and job interview performance. The recruitment decisions are made using Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology with the interference of human intelligence to recognise the right hybrid capabilities possessed by the graduates that fit the organization's goals, culture, and values. This study points to higher education institutions, policymakers, and employers to revamp their focus and help the graduates develop hybrid capabilities that best foster employability to accommodate future job demands.