According to the Asia Hudson Report, the employment turn over rate in Asia is rising mainly due to high degree of poaching and pinching of staff by employers and headhunters.

Intense competition in the industry is resulting a wage inflation, with high tendency of employee leaving his or her current company for a better salary and compensation. Staff also leave their company to work with multinational companies and gain international exposure.

The failure of the employer to establish a well-structured retention scheme and good corporate culture make it easier for their staff to leave for greener pastures.

Unlike decades ago, loyalty is no longer the game of employment today. Job hopping seems to be the order of the day. However, while this will have intermediate positive impact to the employees involved (especially when salary is concerned), many of the people end up overdoing it and eventually end up chasing their own tail, unable to grow and climb up the corporate ladder.

Hudson is a consulting firm providing permanent, contract and professional management services with major presence in Asia and across other continents.

Employment turn over rate represents the ratio of the employees leaving in a period of time (normally, yearly or monthly) over the total number of employees in the company. Say,

Average number of employees = 300
Number of employees resigning/leaving in the last 1 year = 30

The (yearly) turnover rate is 30/300 = 10%

Fortune magazine, with the help from Experience Inc., recently completed a report that lists down 20 great employers for new graduates (full list here).

While the data compiled mostly cover their operation in the United States, the finding is nevertheless pretty much consistent with the global reputation of the employers featured in the list.

Some of the criteria used as measurement in the survey are the start up salary and compensation offered, benefits and perks, workplace flexibility, growth opportunities and so on.

Some of the featured employers:

1. PricewaterhouseCoopers

PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) can never be far away from top graduates. While the company now stands tall with more than 100,000 full time employees worldwide, the figure does not seem to be enough. They want more, and they want excellent graduates. PwC is currently the biggest of the ‘Big 4′ audit firms (others being Ernst & Young, Deloitte and KPMG), and hires more than 4,000 university graduates annually to work in various departments including actuary, accounting, audit, IT and so on.

2. Lehman Brothers

More than 500 graduates in the United States were hired upon graduation last year, with a reported average annual salary of $60,000 ($5,000) per month, a rather impressive figure for a start. Newly hired employees will also undergo a thorough training and mentorship system, to get them up and running. Since Lehman Brothers has many offices scattered around the world, graduates will land opportunity to work in London, Milan, Paris, Hong Kong, Frankfurt and Tokyo.

3. Intel

As the world’s largest chipmaker, Intel is always in the look for best talents. Apart from getting a good job and top salary, the company has their very own university, which paves way for better learning and development. More than 400 different courses and training are offered to the employees, which can be enrolled online, face to face or on site classroom. Intel has plants and facilities in the United States, China, Malaysia, Mexico, Philippines, Russia, Vietnam and India.

4. Microsoft

While users of Microsoft products will certainly have a mixed feeling about the company, the employees enjoy rather generous benefits and perks. If you are a young, creative and energetic graduate, then perhaps Microsoft is a place for you to grow. A competitive annual salary of $75,000 ($6250 per month) awaits newly hired graduates. And yes, Microsoft staff drinks Starbucks for free (the one inside the office building).

5. L’Oreal

L’Oreal is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of cosmetic and beauty products with its global headquarter located in Paris, the land of fashion. The company operates in more than 100 countries worldwide, employing over 50,000 workforce. L’Oreal has a comprehensive, rotational training program that allows new hires to get themselves equipped with all the relevant skills and knowledge fast.

Cover letter sample for a career change.

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to express my desire with the position of Customer Service Associate as was advertised by your company, True Blue Limited recently in a local newspaper.

While my resume enclosed associates me little with the customer service industry, I have garnered, throughout my present employment as a Public Relation Executive, many of the essential skills that would shape up a good customer service personnel.

As a PR Executive, my daily routine involves me communicating and collaborating with the media, event organizers, international delegates, security officers, VIPs and other important external parties.

Dealing with different people of distinguished levels have made me a good listener and communicator. People describe me as a confident, reliable, calm and composed, with strong initiative to make things happen – the type of whom customers will find pleasant to work with.

I am keen to discuss and explore possible opportunity with True Blue Limited and realize my wish for a career change. I would very much appreciate it if you can accommodate an interview session for me, and I shall be able to attend the interview at your own convenient time.

Thank you again for your consideration, I look forward to hearing back from you.

Yours Sincerely,
Lisa McGyver