Bridging the Gap: Connecting Overseas and Returnee Indonesians with Opportunities to Develop the Nation

Abstraksi

I am an Indonesian citizen, Australian graduate, and a recruiter. My experiences allow me to represent a facet of Indonesia’s inclusive talent economy: returnee Indonesians and the white-collar Indonesian diaspora. At first glance, the topic seems to merit little discussion since constituents of this group are relatively affluent, but I am eager to present to IDF on why this demographic must not be ignored, and how to enable them to contribute to Indonesian development. The Indonesian Development Forum has acknowledged the importance of capitalising on Indonesia’s emerging demographic advantage. However, Indonesia’s abundant workforce does not necessarily translate into high productivity--labor productivity ranks among Indonesia’s key issues. This is exacerbated by the 9 million Indonesians seeking better opportunities abroad. This brain drain is even more alarming given the challenge of equipping the Indonesian workforce for the fourth industrial revolution, or Industry 4.0, which is colored by developments like digitalization and automation. Against this background, I regularly encounter internationally-competitive Indonesian professionals overseas who cannot secure attractive employment in Indonesia. Similarly, returnee Indonesians find the national and professional culture shock severe enough to tempt them to move back overseas. No wonder Indonesians abroad have little desire to return. It is a ‘problem’ that is difficult to quantify. Significant amounts of potential tax revenue are being lost to these overseas Indonesians’ countries of residence and lost opportunities for innovation, knowledge sharing, development and leadership in the Indonesian economy. Page Group Indonesia is committed to addressing this difficult problem in two ways: firstly through our core business, and secondly through special initiatives to ease overseas Indonesians’ journeys home. Firstly, doing good is good business. “Page Group changes lives for people by creating opportunities for them to reach their potential”, and this is especially true in Indonesia. We work with companies to secure the human capital they need: educating them on the talent profile in the market and how to remunerate competitively. We also connect candidates with the right opportunities for their skills, experience and potential, which includes educating them on how to present themselves, and giving them insights into opportunities in the market. We also advise multinationals seeking to invest in Indonesia who need the right talent to execute on their local goals. When it comes to bridging the returnee gap specifically, we are proud of our “Membangun Negeri” campaign. It is an expression of our commitment to engage with all overseas Indonesians seeking opportunities back home. To ensure its success, there is a dedicated digital portal and internal KPIs that govern the program. It has significant potential given the scale of our impact; across the Asia Pacific region, we made 10,000+ permanent and 6,000+ temporary placements in 2017 and 2018. We are doing what few others can or will: leveraging our global network of offices, last year we took our Membangun Negeri campaign overseas with Shanghai and Melbourne and hosted WebEx meetings with those based in the United States. This year we are expanding our visit to Sydney and Singapore and hope to expand our footprint further. At the Membangun Negeri event in Melbourne for example, we helped attendees process the opportunities and challenges of coming home. We introduced them to statistics that challenged their preconceptions about Indonesia: Indonesia is rated “stable” by all major credit ratings institutions, and attracts investment from all corners of the globe. We have an extraordinary demographic advantage. We are growing rapidly compared to markets like the United States and Australia, and outpacing the region in digital transaction volume and level of participation in the digital economy. Beyond the macroeconomic indicators, we helped them imagine life in Indonesia: Indonesian salaries are lower than those overseas, but we still achieve a high quality of life and consume high-quality goods. Indonesia is a developing economy, but it is growing faster than many mature markets, and salaries are rising quickly in tandem. Life abroad may be more comfortable, which is the call home is for those willing to embrace difficulty and discomfort to make a difference and leave a legacy. It is not just about ‘coming home’, it is about Building the Nation. Attendees they felt better equipped to evaluate a return home, and valued the opportunity to share their CV with us and discuss their potential return home. To illustrate the value of our work: in 2018, 3 out of 5 professionals recruited by Page Group Indonesia were overseas or returnee Indonesians from countries like Singapore, Australia, the US, the UK and Malaysia. 90% of professionals we connect into management positions were Indonesian passport holders. 70% of our consultants are returnee Indonesians. Each role we close comes with a salary increment range of 15% -30%, translating directly to tax revenue for Indonesia. Our C-level placements deliver on revenue targets that add to the Indonesian economy and create job opportunities. I am excited to share this story, and further our work by taking part in the conversation. Imagine the Indonesians overseas we can reach through Indonesia’s network of embassies, consulates and diaspora associations globally. A chance to share this story will expand our ability to helping Indonesians overseas make the journey home.