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| Source: JobStreet.com. From left: representatives from Changi Airport Group, ExxonMobil, and Procter & Gamble; Chook Yuh Yng,(Jobstreet’s Country Manager; Jake Andrews, Chief Product Officer of SEEKAsia, Madam Ho Geok Choo, CEO of Human Capital Singapore; representatives from Google, Keppel Corporation, Shell, and Singapore Airlines. |
JobStreet.com, a major online employment marketplace, has announced the top 10 companies Singaporeans aspire to work for. Google, Apple and Singapore Airlines emerged tops in a survey* where the objective was to find out which companies Singaporeans dream of working for and the reasons behind it. The findings also serve to help other companies learn best practices on what attracts candidates to work with these top companies.
Google's Singapore office houses a cafeteria called the 'Goopitiam' (a pun on the local term 'kopitiam' or 咖啡店, literally ‘coffee shop’ in a Chinese dialect), and its extensive menu changes every day. The office space is designed to spur interactions between employees and even facilitate rest and playtime. Free meals, casual dress codes and extensive healthcare benefits are just some of the perks employees get to enjoy.
Next is Apple. New hires praise the extensive training they receive from management while long-time employees feel their careers constantly advance with the company.
National carrier Singapore Airlines (SIA) is third on the list. The world’s most awarded airline, SIA is synonymous with outstanding service excellence. “Employees are nominated to attend various courses to improve themselves,” says a former security supervisor of 12 years.
Others in the list are, in ascending order from no. 4, Facebook; Shell; ExxonMobil; Microsoft; the Changi Airport Group; Procter & Gamble; and Keppel Corporation.
What makes companies attractive
According to JobStreet.com’s survey, which involved Singapore respondents across different sectors such as administration, accounting, engineering and media communications, salary is no longer the most important factor that employees consider when deciding to take up a job offer - it is now rated third, ranked important by 70% of respondents.
Seven in 10 (72.1%) of the interviewees voted work environment and culture, management and leadership as the key factor when reviewing a potential company. In senior management, they are looking for more than a boss — they want a leader, one who can push them beyond their limits and help them make personal breakthroughs. The work culture also has to be aligned with their personal goals and wants.
Benefits and incentives are rated the no. 2 in decision-making (rated as important by 71% of respondents), including performance-based bonuses, healthcare insurance as well as car and housing loans. According to a report by the Economist Intelligence Unit, Singapore is the world’s most expensive city to live in. Hence, it stands to reason that Singaporeans value these incentives as they pursue a high standard of living.
Other factors include company reputation (69%); support and training (64%); promotion prospects (54%) as well as passion; flexible work hours; growing industry; work-life balance; and known standard work quality.
Championing human capital excellence
In producing this survey, JobStreet.com is aligning itself with the Ministry of Manpower’s vision to “develop a productive workforce and progressive workplaces for Singaporeans to have better jobs and secure retirement”. The company suggests that businesses can model themselves after Singapore’s top employers, learning from the best practices that make them so successful. Human resources (HR) professionals, in particular, can discover innovative, staff-centric HR strategies that boost morale and elevate workplace productivity. All these efforts will allow a company to achieve higher staff retention and groom happier, more fulfilled employees.
Helping job-seekers get insights into Singapore’s workplace reality
JobStreet.com also introduced the Company Reviews feature to facilitate the matching and communication of job opportunities between job-seekers and employees. Company Reviews allows current and former employees to comment on their workplaces, helping candidates make more informed career choices.
“Company Reviews addresses the top questions that today’s jobseekers are asking. ‘What is the management like?’ ‘What sort of leadership styles do the bosses adopt?’ For job-seekers, the focus has shifted from ‘what do they do’ to ‘how they do it’. Company Reviews is a repository of such employees’ reviews, which will help other job-seekers better understand the workplace culture,” says Jake Andrew, SEEK Asia Chief Product Officer. The SEEK Group owns employment, education and volunteer businesses, including JobStreet.com.
Other factors include company reputation (69%); support and training (64%); promotion prospects (54%) as well as passion; flexible work hours; growing industry; work-life balance; and known standard work quality.
Championing human capital excellence
In producing this survey, JobStreet.com is aligning itself with the Ministry of Manpower’s vision to “develop a productive workforce and progressive workplaces for Singaporeans to have better jobs and secure retirement”. The company suggests that businesses can model themselves after Singapore’s top employers, learning from the best practices that make them so successful. Human resources (HR) professionals, in particular, can discover innovative, staff-centric HR strategies that boost morale and elevate workplace productivity. All these efforts will allow a company to achieve higher staff retention and groom happier, more fulfilled employees.
Helping job-seekers get insights into Singapore’s workplace reality
JobStreet.com also introduced the Company Reviews feature to facilitate the matching and communication of job opportunities between job-seekers and employees. Company Reviews allows current and former employees to comment on their workplaces, helping candidates make more informed career choices.
“Company Reviews addresses the top questions that today’s jobseekers are asking. ‘What is the management like?’ ‘What sort of leadership styles do the bosses adopt?’ For job-seekers, the focus has shifted from ‘what do they do’ to ‘how they do it’. Company Reviews is a repository of such employees’ reviews, which will help other job-seekers better understand the workplace culture,” says Jake Andrew, SEEK Asia Chief Product Officer. The SEEK Group owns employment, education and volunteer businesses, including JobStreet.com.
JobStreet.com envisions that employers will receive applications from more engaged candidates who have decided the organisations are a good fit for them. Employers can also respond to the reviews, providing context as well as communicating their value propositions.
Reviews, received after Company Reviews was soft-launched, include:
“...Work culture that is pro self-management; company promotes internally instead of sourcing leaders from outside the company; great advancement opportunities…”
Assistant manager with four years of service and counting
Procter & Gamble
“…Good in work/life balance, excellent work environment, good management team…”
Former Marine Lubes Coordinator with four years of service
Shell
Assistant manager with four years of service and counting
Procter & Gamble
“…Good in work/life balance, excellent work environment, good management team…”
Former Marine Lubes Coordinator with four years of service
Shell
“...What drives me to stay put in this organisation for all these years is the benefits/perks that they offer to us as employees...”
Senior Refinery Technician with over 12 yrs of service and counting
ExxonMobil
“...Environment supporting dynamic teamwork. Leader with bold and great vision, lots of opportunities within...”
Former safety officer with four years of service
Keppel Corporation
JobStreet.com covers the employment markets in Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam, servicing over 230,000 corporate hirers and over 15 million job-seekers in its database.
Interested?
Check out existing company reviews
*JobStreet.com ran an online survey from on January 2016, and received 1,265 responses from Singapore-based candidates, 30% of whom were junior staff with up to four years of experience, and another 30% were supervisor-level or people with over four years of experience. A further 23% were managers, and 13% were fresh graduates. The remainder were more senior. Survey results were validated against reviews of the companies.
Interested?
Check out existing company reviews
*JobStreet.com ran an online survey from on January 2016, and received 1,265 responses from Singapore-based candidates, 30% of whom were junior staff with up to four years of experience, and another 30% were supervisor-level or people with over four years of experience. A further 23% were managers, and 13% were fresh graduates. The remainder were more senior. Survey results were validated against reviews of the companies.
