Executive recruitment company Monroe Consulting Group Indonesia says new government regulations aimed at boosting the country’s creative and technology sectors will see an increase in demand for qualified professionals to fill key jobs, including credit risk and collection, marketing and business-development positions.
In 2015, Indonesia’s Financial Services Authority (OJK) allowed finance firms (also known as multifinance firms in Indonesia) to expand their financial support from the automotive and heavy equipment financing into a number of new areas, including the creative economy covering economic activities that generate or exploit knowledge and information.
Data from the OJK, previously known as the Capital Market Supervisory Agency and Financial Institution (BAPEPAM-LK), shows that in the final quarter of 2015, finance companies disbursed more than US$350 million (Rp 4.7 trillion) to small creative businesses alone.
Sicilia Tjandra, head of Monroe Indonesia’s Professional Division that specialises in recruitment in the consulting, finance and insurance industries, said culinary businesses, handicrafts and software and publishing operations had received the bulk of this new funding, which was expected to continue to grow in 2016. President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo had long championed the importance of technology and culture-based creative industries, Sicilia said.
“This expansion will increase the demand for qualified and professional executives across these market segments,” she said. “Monroe Indonesia believes that positions such as credit risk and collection will continue to be popular, while we also expect to see an increase in job openings for marketing or business-development professionals.”
Sicilia said finance companies had traditionally focused on the natural resources and services sectors, providing financing for companies that relied on heavy equipment. “Multifinance companies have been the Professional Division’s bread and butter for a number of years but the bottom has dropped out of oil and gas, and mining industries,” she said.
“Like the multifinance companies, we have had to adapt quickly and have already made a number of key corporate placements in both the finance and creative industries,” Sicilia said. “We are now fully geared toward this industry and with our extensive experience, knowledge and networks, we are continuing to deliver the best people our client’s need to adapt to today’s business environment and grow.”