IOI Strengthens Responsible Recruitment With New Pre-Employment Orientation Programme

IOI Corporation Berhad (IOI) demonstrated its commitment to enhance pre-employment practices and safeguard workers’ rights, particularly in ensuring zero recruitment cost and minimising the risk of human rights violations, with a new Pre-Employment Orientation (PEO) programme.

The new PEO programme, spearheaded by IOI, was successfully developed in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), with co-funding support from Bunge. It marks an important step in strengthening responsible recruitment practices within the industry, and IOI is the first organisation to incorporate an independent PEO module.

The PEO training module covers key areas such as mental preparedness for working abroad, an introduction to Malaysia and IOI, ethical recruitment practices, grievance mechanisms, and financial literacy. These components are designed to support workers in adapting to their new environment while promoting informed decision-making.

The first Train-the-Trainer session was organised by IOM in Lombok, Indonesia, on 22 January 2026, bringing together selected Indonesian non-governmental organisations (NGOs)/civil society organisations (CSOs). The session aimed to equip the NGOs/CSOs with the necessary knowledge and guidance to deliver PEO training to IOI’s selected workers prior to their deployment to IOI plantations in Malaysia. This approach ensures that workers are better prepared and informed about human rights, labour issues such as debt bondage, zero recruitment fees as well as their roles and responsibilities to IOI, before commencing their employment.

To reinforce internal alignment, a subsequent hybrid training session was conducted on 13 March 2026 for IOI personnel, involving representatives from both Human Resources and Sustainability departments across IOI’s businesses. The session ensured that all relevant stakeholders shared a consistent understanding of the programme and its objectives.