martin smith

Talent acquisition specialist Martin Smith shone a light on how Malta’s traffic problem is acting as an obstacle to recruitment. 

In a LinkedIn post, Mr Smith – who works with the AX Group – said that a number of prospective employees recently turned down great offers simply because the office was in a traffic ‘red zone’.

“We talk about ‘work-life balance’, but in Malta, we should probably call it ‘commute-life balance’,” he said.

“A 45-minute drive from Mosta to Sliema isn’t just 45 minutes of driving. It’s a tax on your mental health before your workday even begins.”

“The most common question I’m getting right now isn’t about the bonus. It’s about ‘core hours’ and avoiding the morning bottleneck.”

Mr Smith warned companies that they will lose out on talent if they insist on a strict 8:30am desk. 

“If the work is elite, does it really matter if the person avoided the Marsa traffic to do it?” he questioned. 

“Trusting your team to manage their travel time is a recruitment strategy in itself.”

Cover photo: Martin Smith/ LinkedIn

Related

‘Malta must shape AI, not just use it’

30 April 2026
by Sam Vassallo

As the election looms, tech leaders warn that without urgent policy, Malta risks falling behind on AI governance, security, and ...

‘Parental leave could reshape work, but at what cost?’ Three Maltese CEOs on the first election proposal

30 April 2026
by Sam Vassallo

MaltaCEOs spoke to three CEOs about one of the first proposals tabled in this early election.

‘The imbalance is structural’: Malta’s researchers on why AI is exposing gender gaps in Malta’s media

30 April 2026
by Sam Vassallo

Speaking to MaltaCEOs, the DIMAS researcher explains how large-scale analysis is revealing who gets visibility.

Moneybase adds corporate cards to business platform

29 April 2026
by Nicole Zammit

A new feature allows businesses to issue payment cards to employees and link them directly to specific company wallets within ...