Five talent shifts redefining Singapore hiring

Source: PERSOL. 2025 talent trends and hiring priorities.

PERSOL's Industry Insight Report 2025 has revealed that employee expectations for flexibility, purpose and growth now outweigh pay as key drivers of career choice, reshaping how organisations attract and retain talent across the Asia Pacific region. 

Based on findings from 12 markets and four core sectors – manufacturing, consumer, professional services and supply chain, the report offers a regional view of how work and workforce priorities are evolving: 

Automation, sustainability regulation and demographic change are redefining the labour market across the region. Employers continue to face widespread skills shortages, with demand for digital, analytical and hybrid capabilities outpacing supply in most major markets. Environment, social and governance (ESG) awareness and compliance literacy are also becoming essential hiring criteria as organisations respond to growing sustainability expectations.

The report highlights that Gen Z and Millennial professionals are reshaping what they value at work, prioritising flexibility, purpose and development opportunities over pay alone. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), Asia and the Pacific remains the world’s fastest-growing employment region, underscoring the need for businesses to evolve workforce strategies in line with these shifting expectations.

Elvin Tan, Regional Director and Head of Operations APAC at PERSOL said, “The region’s talent economy is at a crossroads. Workforce gaps are no longer just about headcount. They are about adaptability. Employers who balance technology investment with cultural intelligence and purpose-led hiring will emerge stronger in the next cycle.”

In Singapore, these shifts are even more pronounced, PERSOL said. Employers are seeing strong demand for talent in e-commerce operations, data analytics, sustainability reporting and supply chain optimisation. Foreign manpower controls and expanding ESG reporting requirements are intensifying competition for hybrid digital-ESG talent, the report found. Meanwhile, local professionals increasingly prioritise purpose, flexibility and career progression over compensation alone, prompting organisations to rethink how they attract and retain talent.

The report identified several shifts in how employers hire, engage and compete for talent across Asia Pacific.

At the heart of this transformation is the rise of hybrid skills, where digital fluency and human capability increasingly go hand in hand - employers are now seeking professionals who can navigate technology and strategy in equal measure.

Closely linked to this is the growing importance of sustainability and compliance literacy. As ESG expectations become more deeply embedded in business strategy, roles once limited to sustainability teams are now expanding across finance, operations and supply chain functions.

The study also points to a significant shift in the employer-employee dynamic, with candidates behaving more like consumers. Jobseekers expect transparency, mobile-first communication and a sense of purpose from the hiring process. In Singapore’s highly-competitive market, digitally-skilled and sustainability-focused candidates actively assess employers for clear values, culture and long-term growth pathways.

These evolving expectations are most visible among younger professionals, particularly Gen Z and millennials, who prioritise flexibility, belonging and personal growth. For many, meaningful work and supportive leadership now matter more than salary alone.

The report concluded with a call for deeper collaboration across business, education and government to bridge the widening skills gap. This includes strengthening partnerships that align workforce development with national priorities in digital transformation, sustainability and advanced manufacturing.

Details

Read the PERSOL Industry Insight Report 2025 at www.persolapac.com/industry-insights-2025

Skilled jobs in Singapore on the rise: Indeed

Higher-skilled jobs related to scientific research and generative AI (gen AI) are growing in demand in Singapore, though the total number of job postings on Indeed declined by 3.7%.

Source: Indeed. Change in Singapore job postings, percentage change. Scientific research and development job vacancies led the pack over the past three months as of end-February 2025.

According to Indeed’s latest Hiring Lab Singapore’s job postings are 50% above pre-pandemic levels, with growth mainly seen in higher-skilled roles like scientific research and development, which rose by 35%. Job postings for security and public safety (+31%) and production and manufacturing (+16%) roles also saw some of the highest gains in the past three months.

As of February 2025, job postings related to gen AI have doubled over the past year. Key gen AI-related roles in demand come from data analytics, scientific research, and software development. Indeed said the growth in such roles shows promise for Singapore’s ambitions to become a regional gen AI hub. The share of Singapore job ads referencing gen AI is now 1.2%, which is 4x higher than countries like the US, UK, Canada, and Australia.

Indeed’s data also highlighted that job postings for cleaning and sanitation (-33%), childcare (-19%), and retail (-18%) roles saw the highest decline in terms of job postings. Such jobs are considered those which require fewer skills. The Ministry of Manpower’s Q4 labour report observed a “notable decline” in employment for workers in lower-skilled sectors, such as those in the administrative and support services.

Callam Pickering, APAC Senior Economist at Indeed, commented: “There’s reason to be optimistic about Singapore’s employment outlook despite the month’s mixed results. Higher-skilled roles remain in high demand, with Singapore standing out globally, especially in gen AI and data-related roles. An exciting challenge now is helping workers integrate gen AI capabilities into their skillsets.”

“While more support and service-oriented roles have seen a dip, it’s not necessarily a cause for alarm. With the labour market set to expand, the focus should be on continuous skills development to stay resilient and competitive.”

Positive outlook for Singapore employment in 2025

Source: Randstad Singapore's 2025 Job Market Outlook and Salary Guide. Hiring managers are prioritising those with sales and business development skills.

Singapore’s job economy is set to see improvements in 2025, with services sectors leading growth, said Randstad. The trend is supported by AI adoption and a strong focus on revenue and cost management, the company said.

Randstad Singapore's 2025 Job Market Outlook and Salary Guide highlights the demand for skilled professionals across finance, technology, and professional services as companies navigate digital transformation and growing skills gaps in the workforce.

David Blasco, Country Director at Randstad Singapore said: “Singapore's digital transformation journey is creating unprecedented opportunities and challenges across sectors. As employers grapple with talent scarcity, we're witnessing greater demand for professionals skilled in AI, data analytics and digital infrastructure, alongside a strong focus on revenue generation and business development capabilities.

“The evolution is reshaping traditional corporate roles, with functions from banking and finance to human resources now expected to contribute to business growth and adapt to new technologies. The dual pressures of technical advancement and commercial expectations are elevating hiring requirements for both technical expertise and business acumen, presenting new challenges in talent acquisition and development.”

A recent survey by Randstad Singapore revealed that 49% of employers plan to increase their headcount in 2025, while 40% aim to maintain their current workforce. In addition, 43% of companies are projecting average salary increases of 3% to 5% in 2025. These findings signal positive business sentiment, with organisations regaining their confidence to expand their teams in 2025. 

The results also indicate that revenue generation is a key priority for businesses, with 45% of employers expecting the highest hiring activity in sales and business development. Technology remains a crucial focus, with 23% of employers prioritising tech talent acquisition, followed by 13% planning to invest in digital transformation and AI professionals.

Despite optimistic growth plans, employers face significant challenges. Two thirds cite a shortage of candidates with required skills as their primary hiring challenge, while 38% report intense market competition for talent. In response, 38% of organisations plan to increase their budgets for technical roles, while 30% will focus on internal promotions.

Blasco said: "The convergence of AI adoption, sustainable finance and digital transformation is fundamentally reshaping Singapore's business landscape. Success will hinge on organisations' ability to bridge the skills gap, particularly in high-demand areas like AI, sustainability and digital transformation where competition for talent is most intense. As we enter 2025, more companies will seek support from industry experts to secure top professionals while building inclusive, driven and flexible work cultures that attract and retain exceptional talent.”

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Randstad Singapore's 2025 Job Market Outlook and Salary Guide serves as a strategic resource for employers navigating talent acquisition in high-competition areas, providing insights into in-demand skills, talent expectations and salary data for 2025. This year's report features detailed salary benchmarks across nine key industries in Singapore. The report is available on https://www.randstad.com.sg

Jobstreet by SEEK introduces AI-based employment platform

Jobstreet by SEEK, the career and talent partner, has revamped its employment platform with parent company SEEK’s AI technology to offer better job matches, new experiences and deeper insights for both job seekers and employers.

The move is part of SEEK’s unification of its online employment marketplaces in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region, namely SEEK in Australia and New Zealand, Jobstreet in Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia, and JobsDB in Hong Kong and Thailand.

“We are excited to facilitate seamless connections between jobseekers and employers, anticipating the opportunity to match them based on specific skills, job roles, and career aspirations effortlessly. This is particularly crucial given the highly dynamic employment landscape. 

"The integration of SEEK’s cutting-edge AI technology is set to improve intuitive matching and elevate the Jobstreet platform, playing a pivotal role in achieving this goal," said Chew Siew Mee, MD, Jobstreet by SEEK (Singapore).

The new platform employs AI to assess talent suitability, shortlist applications, and provide personalised recommendations based on data from sources such as the talent’s resume, job ad descriptions, and the employer’s past behaviour.

Talent will see a Top Applicant badge if they are a strong applicant for the position, which increases the chance of them applying for the role. This also benefits employers who will receive more qualified applications for their job vacancies. 

Employers can also choose to include AI-recommended screening questions for their job posts as part of the job application process.

The platform also introduces "predictive approachability". Predictive technology allows Jobstreet by SEEK to identify talent that may be amenable to discussing new job opportunities even before the vacancy has been advertised.

Source: Jobstreet by SEEK. A new employment platform uses AI to match job seekers with employers more effectively.

Job seekers, on the other hand, can also indicate if they are open to job opportunities even if they are not actively applying for jobs.

Jobstreet draws on SEEK’s over 25 years of APAC-wide data, optimising it for Singapore based on local insights drawn on over two decades of operation in the market. This is driven by SEEK’s data and AI team of over 200 people, who are completely focused on the APAC region.

“At SEEK, we are committed to leveraging data and technology to provide the most effective, efficient and fair recruitment solutions for talent and employers. We have been investing heavily in data and AI for over a decade with strong results and will continue to do so as we aspire to make our products more effortless, personalised and trusted for our customers,” said Grant Wright, GM of Marketplace and AI Products at SEEK.

Randstad names the top employers in Singapore for 2023

Singapore Airlines (SIA) has been voted the Most Attractive Employer in 2023 by 2,753 locally-based respondents in an independent survey commissioned by Randstad Singapore.

This is the 6th time the company won over the hearts of employees and job seekers in Singapore in 12 years of employer brand research in Singapore. The last time SIA claimed pole position was in 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic, Randstad said.

SIA is also the first and only employer to be inducted into the Randstad Employer Brand Hall of Fame for being the most-voted company consecutively from 2012 to 2014. The company returned to the Most Attractive Employer ranking from 2018 onwards.

Jaya Dass, MD of Permanent Recruitment at Randstad Asia Pacific said: "We would like to congratulate all the winners for being the most attractive companies to work for in Singapore. No matter your ranking this year, it is a remarkable achievement that reflects your hard work and dedication in creating work that feels good for your employees and the workforce at large. These companies have set a high standard, especially amid a competitive hiring environment, where employers have to constantly innovate and adapt to the evolving market conditions and changing talent expectations.

"This year’s winners have demonstrated what it takes to stand out and appeal to the best and brightest in a dynamic environment. We commend them for their employer branding excellence and look forward to partnering with them to engage and attract talent.”

2023 Randstad Employer Brand Awards

- Singapore Airlines

- Danaher Corporation

- Changi Airport Group

- Pratt & Whitney

- Edwards Lifesciences

- Marina Bay Sands

- Procter & Gamble

- Dyson

- DBS

- ExxonMobil

Goh Choon Phong, CEO, Singapore Airlines said, “We are grateful for our outstanding colleagues, who dedicate themselves to offering the best possible travel experience to our customers every single day. This recognition from Randstad validates the SIA Group’s longstanding commitment to attract and retain talent in Singapore and around the world. We know that the SIA Group can only remain competitive and resilient in a dynamic operating environment by offering our people a meaningful and rewarding career, taking care of their wellbeing, and prioritising their growth and development.”

Companies in the survey were rated on their relative employer brand awareness and attractiveness. The top attractiveness score was 69.15 out of a maximum of 100, which is 9.49 higher than the previous year.Compared to 2022, Danaher Corporation improved the most in attractiveness score, gaining 13.05 points in a year. Two other companies that have recorded more than 10-point gain in a year are Changi Airport Group and ExxonMobil, increasing their scores by 10.84 and 10.86 respectively.

Both Danaher Corporation and ExxonMobil are the new entrants in this year’s top 10 most attractive companies to work for in Singapore. Jai S. Krishnan, President for High Growth Markets at Danaher said, “We are truly humbled by this recognition, which reflects the passion and commitment of Danaher colleagues in Singapore and the region to serve our customer needs. Our success also would not be possible without the world-class innovation, science and business ecosystem that Singapore provides. At Danaher, our associates (employees) are inspired every day to constantly improve our work and fulfil our purpose of Helping Realize Life’s Potential.”

The relative employer brand awareness and attractiveness scores are also measured at the industry level. Out of the 10 industries in the voting, the life sciences sector was ranked top with 59.2 points out of a maximum of 100, making it the most attractive sector to work for in Singapore. The industry recorded a 6.4 point increase from 2022.

The top three most attractive industries to work for in Singapore this year are life sciences, hospitality and recreation, and services, which includes security, facilities and catering. The semiconductor manufacturing sector recorded the best improvement, as their year-on-year attractiveness score increased from 39.2 to 49.3.

The 2023 Randstad Employer Brand Research provides employers with a unique opportunity to uncover new insights and validate their assumptions of employees and job seekers. Randstad said this independent research is the most representative employer brand study in the world, reaching out to 163,000 respondents across 32 markets, including 2,753 who are based in Singapore in January 2023.

Sixty-five percent of Singapore employees plan to switch roles in 2023: LinkedIn

Despite hiring in Singapore declining 34% year-on-year in December 2022 as compared to December 2021* and uncertain economic times ahead, professionals are taking a long term view of their career by investing in their skills as well as proactively seeking opportunities to progress. According to research from LinkedIn**, almost two in three professionals (65%) are considering changing roles in 2023.

According to LinkedIn, the search for a new job seems to be driven by the need for greater financial security as the cost of living soars, with demand for higher salaries as the biggest motivator for employees wanting to leave a current role (46%). Not only is salary the leading factor in driving employees to look for other opportunities, but an increase in salary is the biggest factor (58%) that would influence them to stay. Nearly one in four (24%) also said they feel more confident in their abilities and think they can find a better role.

Despite uncertain economic times ahead, employees are putting their career in the driver seat. Close to half (46%) say they are now more confident in pushing for a promotion or new opportunity in 2023, as compared to the start of last year. To cushion themselves against the challenging economic climate, more than half (54%) of Singaporeans are learning new skills and deepening their knowledge in areas that are in-demand, building their professional brand (41%), and proactively seeking feedback to improve their work performance (38%).

Out of the rest of the workforce, Millennial employees said they have gone into the office more (20%), and over a quarter in this age group also said they are more focused on development in their current role in response to increasing global uncertainty.

LinkedIn has also published its latest Jobs on the Rise list***, which identifies the fastest-growing jobs on LinkedIn in Singapore. The data reveals that the need to drive business growth in an uncertain economic environment, continued focus on digitalisation, disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence and cybersecurity are creating opportunities for professionals in 2023. It offers a glimpse into emerging trends in the workforce and where companies will compete for top talent.

To support job seekers, LinkedIn is hosting a live session for its Singapore members, offering practical career advice and job seeking tips from voices in the know. LinkedIn is also unlocking free LinkedIn Learning courses to support professionals in their next career move.

Pooja Chhabria, LinkedIn’s Career Expert says: “Despite tough economic conditions, the Singapore workforce is relying on their own abilities to grow their skills and push forward in their careers. Since the pandemic, it’s clear that professionals have built up a bank of resilience and we’re seeing this in their confidence to tackle the year ahead. They are striving for the ideal role that offers the right wage and provides work-life balance.

"Job seekers are also being more intentional in their search, whereas others are taking steps to recession-proof their current roles by learning new skills or brushing up on existing ones. In fact, there has been a 43% year-on-year increase in members worldwide adding skills to their LinkedIn profile - 35 million have been added in the last 12 months. Building transferable skills will help professionals be more versatile and adaptable to different roles which is valuable in an uncertain economic climate.” 

Details

Singapore’s fastest-growing jobs** 

1. Sales Development Representative
2. Cloud Engineer
3. Enterprise Account Executive
4. Healthcare Assistant
5. Cyber Security Engineer
6. Site Reliability Engineer
7. Back-End Developer
8. Cyber Security Consultant
9. Technical Account Manager
10. Customer Success Specialist
11. Machine Learning Engineer
12. Artificial Intelligence Engineer
13. DevOps Engineer
14. Investment Associate
15. Product Owner

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LinkedIn has also provided some tips on how to invest in your career in 2023:

Create a standout profile

Be sure your LinkedIn profile is up to date to stand out to recruiters. LinkedIn members with a profile photo have 21 times more views and up to nine times more connection requests than members who don’t. Be sure to include a short summary of your background and highlight your key skills. You can also let recruiters and your network know you’re open to new opportunities by enabling the Open to Work feature on your profile. 

Look for in-demand roles

Whilst the job market as a whole is tightening, LinkedIn's Jobs on the Rise data shows roles in areas such as cybersecurity, sales and sustainability are among the fastest-growing jobs.

Stay on top of the latest updates

In a shifting, competitive job market, the latest information could give you the advantage you need. LinkedIn’s Get Hired newsletter provides timely job search advice and shows which companies are currently hiring and the top voices to follow to stay in the know.

Get interview-ready

Employers will be looking for the best fit, so before each application, think - why is this role for you? How can you demonstrate that? Why should they hire you over someone else? By using tools like LinkedIn interview prep, you can prepare yourself for any interview.

Invest in yourself

Online courses can bridge the gap when learning new skills or brushing up on existing ones. For job seekers, it's vital to understand the skills that are in demand, what skills you have that are transferable and what skills you need to learn. Over 40% of companies globally rely on skills to identify candidates, so think about the five most relevant skills for the job you want and add them to your profile.  

LinkedIn Learning has over 17,000 courses available, for anyone looking to upskill, including free access to Build a Career You Love No Matter the Market, A Career Strategist's Guide to Getting a Job, Mel Robbins on Confidence and A Bold New Approach to Goal Setting with Michael Bungay Stanier to help job seekers prepare for their next career move.

*LinkedIn Economic Graph researchers looked at the year-over-year percentage change in hiring rate, which is a measure of hires in a given time period divided by LinkedIn membership. If the change is less than 0%, this means that hiring activity is lower than it was at the same time in the previous year, and vice versa. 

**Research conducted by Censuswide and based on 22,985 workers aged 18+ from the US, UK, Germany, France, India, KSA, Singapore, Netherlands, Brazil, Australia, Mexico, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Japan, UAE, and Sweden between 9 and 19 December 2022.  

***In Singapore, investing in learning and development opportunities to upskill current employees is one of the top two priorities for bosses looking to increase resilience amongst their workforce during times of uncertainty, while 69% admit it’s challenging to attract top talent. LinkedIn commissioned YouGov to survey 2,929 C-level executives across the globe from organisations with 1,000+ employees and annual turnover of £250+ million during 27 September to 19 October 2022. The survey was conducted online.

Digitalisation to drive Singapore recruitment in 2021

Randstad Singapore has released its 2021 Market Outlook Report, which discusses the economic climate and recruitment landscape in 2021.

Jaya Dass, MD for Randstad Malaysia and Singapore said, “The increasing focus on digital transformation will no doubt drive talent demand and shape the local workforce in 2021. There will be higher demand for technologists and digitally-adept professionals skilled across all functions and industries.

“The fear of uncertainty due to the virus outbreak has very much dictated the climate in 2020, and businesses are likely to remain cautiously optimistic in 2021, depending on the rate of market recovery. With change and innovation as a constant, companies must stay agile and find new pockets of growth in 2021. As a global talent recruitment agency with a strong local market focus, it is important for us to start putting people to work so that we can achieve recovery and growth together.”

Randstad expects most firms in Singapore to further tighten budgets and re-allocate their resources accordingly, with the majority going to digital initiatives. These areas of focus will also be where there will be more hiring, the company said.

Companies in industries that are driven by growth and consumption, like banking and financial services, e-commerce, healthcare, logistics and technology are likely to remain robust in Singapore, with some even looking to expand. The growth in these industries is largely driven by the increasing use of digital technology by both businesses and consumers.

As organisations strengthen their capabilities to capitalise on the growing digital economy, the talent demand for technologists and digitally-adept professionals will increase exponentially in 2021.

However, companies in industries such as aviation, hospitality, tourism and construction are expected to undergo further business restructuring in the near future. They should remain conservative when it comes to hiring, and will likely re-engineer some roles within the organisation to meet new or additional demands, Randstad said.

Explore:

Download the report

Glassdoor shares 10 best places to work in Singapore

Glassdoor, the job and recruiting site, has announced the winners of its annual Employees’ Choice Awards, including a category for Singapore for the first time.

The awards honour the Best Places to Work in 2020 in Singapore and eight other countries, and are based on the input of employees who voluntarily provide anonymous feedback by completing a company review about their job, work environment and employer over the past year.

The Glassdoor Employees’ Choice Awards for Singapore feature the 10 Best Places to Work, honouring employers with 1,000 or more employees. Winners are ranked based on their overall rating* achieved during the past year.

The Top 10 Best Places to Work in Singapore for 2020 are:

Google (rating 4.5)

Facebook (rating 4.4)

Shell (rating 4.3)

Amazon (rating 4.3)

Microsoft (rating 4.3)

Visa (rating 4.2)

AIA (rating 4.2)

Hubspot (rating 4.2)

JP Morgan (rating 4.2)

HP (rating 4.2)

“The Employees’ Choice Awards for the Best Places to Work in 2020 mark the start of a culture-first decade,” said Glassdoor President and COO Christian Sutherland-Wong.

“Gone are the days when company culture could be considered a fluffy or non-essential business metric. In today’s age of workplace transparency, the mission, culture and values of a company are crucial when it comes to employers’ ability to recruit and retain top talent. We’re proud to celebrate exceptional employers who stand out in the eyes of their employees.”

“Workers are increasingly prioritising culture over cash and research consistently shows that culture is the leading driver of long-term employee satisfaction,” said Dr Andrew Chamberlain, Glassdoor Chief Economist.

“That said, business leaders have quantifiable proof that culture is one of the smartest investments they could make for the success and longevity of their companies. However, being a culture-first organisation isn’t about expensive perks, but about articulating a clearly-stated mission that resonates with employees’ own aspirations and fuels their best performance.”

Glassdoor’s 10 Singapore Best Places to Work in 2020 list features winning employers hiring across a range of industries, with technology dominating but oil & gas, insurance and finance also appearing on the list. Google claims the top spot with a 4.5 rating; also topping the list in the UK with the same rating. Eight out of the 10 companies are headquartered in the US, while Shell is headquartered in the Netherlands and AIA is a Hong Kong-based pan-Asia company.

Eight out of the 10 Singapore winners are also winners in multiple countries, with AIA and Visa being the only two winners which did not appear on other international lists. Microsoft appears on seven lists (US, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Brazil and Singapore).

*Ratings based on a five-point scale: 1.0=very dissatisfied, 3.0=OK, 5.0=very satisfied. Actual calculations extend beyond the thousandth decimal place.

Hilton is one of the top three hospitality employers in Greater China

Source: Hilton. Hilton won the Best Hospitality Company to Work For award in Greater China.

Hilton has been named one of the top three companies to work for in Greater China by global research and consulting firm Great Place To Work Institute, for the second consecutive year. Hilton is also the top-ranking hospitality company on the 2016 list. In addition, 51job Inc, an integrated HR solutions provider, has named Hilton one of China's top 100 employers and also honoured Hilton with an Excellent Campus Recruitment Strategy award.

"We work hard to be an employer of choice that fosters a high performance culture and creates meaningful opportunities for our team members," said Brendan Toomey, VP, Human Resource, Asia Pacific, Hilton "By offering great careers, great rewards and a great environment, we have been able to support our expansion in China by continuing to attract, develop and retain top talent. We recognize that our team members are the heart of Hilton, who provide the world-class service for which Hilton is known and who help achieve our goal of being the most hospitable company in the world."

Great Place to Work Institute's annual list of Best Companies to Work For identifies the best workplaces and celebrates the companies with the best talent management programmes and workplace cultures. As part of its rigorous methodology, Great Place to Work evaluates the programmes and practices of participating companies, while gathering employee feedback through an in-depth survey, focusing on the credibility of the management, the respect that employees feel they are given, the extent to which employees expect to be treated fairly, the level of pride employees have in what they do, as well as the camaraderie they experience at work. This year, 137 companies in Greater China were evaluated. Only 30 made it to the shortlist.

51job Inc's Employer Excellence awards recognise the top 100 companies in China whose HR practices have contributed significantly to their development. After an initial screening of hundreds of thousands of companies, 206 were selected for further evaluation. 51job Inc's criteria included the companies' growth plans, financial results, HR strategy, and the proportion of Millennials in their workforce, as well as wages and promotions, achievements in talent attraction and development, corporate social responsibility practices and reputation.

Hilton was lauded for its best practices in recruitment, training, retention, and corporate social responsibility, which have helped to reinforce the company's position in the market. In 2014 and 2015, Hilton was included in 51job Inc's list of 100 Best Human Resource Management Companies. Hilton also won the Best e-Learning Development award in 2014 and the Best Human Resource Management Team award in 2015.

The top 10 companies Singaporeans want to work for

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.

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 

“...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.

Four in five overseas Singaporeans are keen to work back home

Source: Robert Walters.

According to the latest annual Global Salary Survey* from specialist professional recruitment firm Robert Walters, the competition for Singaporean talent is set to further intensify in 2016. This will drive more demand for attracting returning overseas Singaporeans. In the interest of developing a home-grown workforce and the Fair Consideration Framework**, hiring managers have recognised the viability of local talent who are currently overseas to ease the talent crunch.

Returning Singaporeans are an attractive talent pool as they typically have international exposure and expanded skillsets compared to Singaporeans who have not worked outside the country. Nearly a quarter (23%) say they have the ability to contribute a global mindset and understanding of the Singapore market. They are also likely to have multilingual skillsets and the ability to work cross culturally, Robert Walters notes.

This pool of talent will be a particular focus within the key areas of recruitment such as digital, cyber security, e-commerce and corporate governance. Firms looking to attract these professionals with specialist experience are likely to face the challenges of a limited talent pool and skills gap, the company said.

Robert Walters' Ivy Low, International Candidate Manager, said the Balik Kampung (a local term meaning to return to where you grew up) programme has been ramping up in the past few months. The initiative only began hiring activities in earnest in June 2015, she said, with awareness building prior to that. The company originally had 2,500 names in its database but added more when they began asking 'inactive' members in their lists globally if they would like to return to Singapore.

Many of those whom Robert Walters had reached out to said that they were either interested to return immediately, or that they were planning for it after several years, Low said. "There are a good handful who want to come back because of ageing parents, or for their children's education, " Low said, pegging this group as couples in their 30s or 40s who have parents in their 60s or 70s. "They see Singapore as home and want to come back home."

Potential employers have been very interested, especially those which have tried to conduct similar recruitment activities. Robert Walters has the advantage of dedicated resources to the programme, Low noted.

Clients want people who are sincere about coming back, Low said. On the other hand, many who want to come back may not find a match. "It is all about timing," Low said.

Data from the report suggests that salaries are expected to remain relatively flat in 2016, though candidates with the skills that are in demand can anticipate an average salary increment of 10 – 20% when switching jobs.

Fowlston delivers a presentation on the key results from the Salary Survey.

Toby Fowlston, MD, Robert Walters Southeast Asia, commented: “Singapore remains a crucial economic hub for Southeast Asia and will continue to be for the foreseeable future, with a dynamic recruitment market to match. As organisations vie for the best Singaporean professionals, the hiring landscape in 2016 will be candidate driven. To gain an edge in talent attraction and retention, companies need to look beyond offering attractive salary packages. It is essential to constantly assess interview processes as well as training and development programs for stronger employer branding.”

Three out of four overseas Singaporeans will not return without first securing a job, however. Several benefits are rated by overseas Singaporeans as top sweeteners to a package, Fowlston added. One out of two returning Singaporeans expect a 15% increment over their existing salary, he shared. However, only one out of five companies are willing to give a new hire that 15% increment. "The reality in Singapore is that we have some wage inflation," he said.

Flexitime is another popular benefit, but many have found that they end up working longer hours than on a standard package, and have asked to switch later on, he said. A clear career progression, flexible working hours, and a relocation allowance, including for housing and transport, are also deal-makers.

According to Fowlston, nine out of 10 employers would be happy to hire returning Singaporeans, and 46% have already done so.

Other highlights for Singapore in 2016:

 There will be vacancies for secretaries who can support whole divisions, as well as for top-tier executive secretaries and office managers who can run an office independently

 Singapore’s position as an arbitration hub will boost hiring levels within private practice. Lawyers with proven track records and familiarity with the Singapore market will be sought after for in-house legal teams

 In the accounting field, employers offering training and development, flexible working hours and overseas work opportunities are likely to retain professionals. Specialists skilled in niche areas such as treasury, tax and internal audit are in high demand due to the limited talent pool
 Continued offshoring and cost management measures within financial services, particularly investment banking, will fuel market uncertainty, but professionals in cash management, trade finance sales and structured trade will see job opportunities

 Strong recruitment demand within technology, particularly for specialists in data protection and cyber security as firms defend themselves from online threats, driving up salaries by as much as 20% for job movers

 Perception shifts in the market on contracting has created a healthy pool of highly-qualified professionals becoming 'career contractors' in search of better work-life balance

 Despite moves to a business-partnering HR function, continuous restructuring will result in leaner HR operations. Therefore HR professionals will still be expected to be more hands-on, regardless of seniority

According to the recruitment firm, the banking sector continued to experience difficulties in 2015, feeling the impact of further cost cutting and increased offshoring. While uncertainty following the China slowdown made financial companies reluctant to increase their permanent headcount, the contract market saw a boost.

IT professionals experienced strong demand for their skills in 2015. There was particularly high demand for those with specialist skills in cyber security and e-commerce.

The company advises employers to be specific about role requirements and the career opportunities on offer, and provide clear timelines for their interview processes to secure the best talent. "Hiring teams need to be in agreement about what they are looking for, to avoid sending mixed messages to candidates. It is also imperative that all stakeholders are agreed on salary budget at the beginning of the recruitment process," the company noted in the Singapore pages for its Salary Survey 2016.

Recruitment in Malaysia is likely to remain cautious in the first half of 2016 due to pressures from the weak ringgit as well as falling crude oil prices. Across sectors, hiring is only anticipated either for replacement positions or within critical business units, Robert Walters said.

With a slowdown in recruitment, employers are turning their efforts towards upskilling their existing professionals. This strategic move is expected to assist companies with retaining their top talent in preparation for the economy's recovery. Hiring is anticipated to rise in the latter half of 2016 as the Malaysian economy is expected to stabilise.

Published figures suggested that qualified job movers with in-demand skills such as IT and corporate governance can expect an average overall salary package increment of 20-25% in 2016.

Sally Raj, MD, Robert Walters Malaysia, comments: "In times of market uncertainty, companies need to see the long-term value of investing in their employees. Staff retention is now more crucial than ever as Malaysian professionals are highly motivated by training and development initiatives as well as leadership opportunities. Despite this general slowdown, growth is still forecasted within IT, corporate governance and Islamic banking, all of which are driving recruitment of top-tier skilled specialists."

Other highlights for Malaysia in 2016:

 Demand for accounting and finance professionals experienced in project management and the shared services businesses environment as more multinational corporations migrate their functions to Malaysia

 Malaysia remains the biggest player in the global Islamic banking industry which will drive more opportunities for relevant professionals, particularly in Islamic asset management

 As the technology space experiences rapid growth, more firms are likely to utilise digital channels to boost revenue. This will increase positions for IT specialists skilled in big data and e-commerce

 Penang has been earmarked as a hub for semiconductor and electrical and electronics (E&E)  manufacturing as more foreign direct investments enter the state

Robert Walters focuses on placing high-calibre professionals into permanent, contract and temporary positions at all levels of seniority. The Singapore business recruits across the accounting, banking, business support, compliance, financial services, HR, legal, IT, risk, sales, supply chain, marketing, procurement and supply chain fields. The Malaysia business recruits across the accountancy and finance, banking, business support, compliance, financial services, HR, legal, IT, sales, supply chain, marketing, procurement and supply chain fields.

Interested?

Read the WorkSmart Asia blog post about the launch of the Balik Kampung programme

WorkSmart Asia also covered how Singapore fared in the Robert Walters Asia Jobs Index

*Compiled by Robert Walters' dedicated research division, the Salary Survey is based on an analysis of placements made across the company's network of offices and specialist disciplines during the course of 2015. Now in its 17th year, the Survey is used by employers, HR managers and employees for benchmarking salary levels within their industry. 

**The Fair Consideration Framework, launched in 2014, legislates on local employment quotas.

posted from Bloggeroid

Kelly Services names Foo See Yang as VP and Country GM for Singapore

Source: Kelly Services.
Foo.

Kelly Services has promoted Foo See Yang to Vice President and Country General Manager for Singapore, effective from 1 January this year. Foo has over 15 years of experience in the recruitment industry and will oversee the operations of more than 150 consultants for the global workforce solutions and recruitment agency in Singapore.

“See Yang has been with Kelly Services for over 13 years and as a Singaporean with deep expertise in this market, he has brought to the table good local insights on the dynamic talent landscape in Singapore, and has proven to be an effective and well-respected leader,” said Natalia Shuman, Senior Vice President and General Manager for Kelly Services, EMEA and APAC regions. She continued, “Singapore, a world-class talent hub, is an important market for Kelly Services and it is also where our APAC headquarter resides; I am proud to see See Yang as the new Country General Manager leading our business here.”

“The recruitment industry has greatly evolved since I first started over 15 years ago where we now need to take a more holistic approach to recruiting and retaining talent,” said Foo. "I am excited to help lead the Singapore team, deliver on our growth plans, provide strong workforce solutions to the challenges faced by our clients and maintain our market leadership in this market.”

Foo started his career with Kelly Services in 2000 as a Staffing Consultant specialising in technical recruitment. Prior to his current role, he served as Kelly Services Director of Commercial Operations where he was responsible for the growth and profitability of the commercial business. In 2015, he took on an additional role as the Head of IT Contracting team, which is now one of the top performing teams in the organisation.

Foo holds a Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Economics and Management from University of London and a Diploma in Electronics Engineering from Nanyang Polytechnic.

Marketing professionals warn of turnover in 2016

A majority of marketing professionals across Asia Pacific plan to switch jobs this year. According to specialist recruiter font talent, which surveyed industry professionals across Hong Kong, Malaysia, New Zealand and Singapore, local talent said the main reason for wanting a new role is the desire for better pay and benefits (32%), followed by more professional development opportunities (23%) and shorter working hours (20%).

Come early 2016, 57% of professionals across the marketing, digital and creative sector said they plan to leave their current job. Even more talent (74%) said they would use the Christmas 2015 cto take stock of their career and decide what their next move should be.

Said Jacqui Barratt, Director at font: “From an employment perspective, it is worrying that such a high number of marketing professionals are planning to job hop in the new year. This reiterates a very real need for employers to focus on their long-term retention efforts, and for talent to speak up to their managers about their career goals and direction. Open communication is key to ensuring talent stay motivated and engaged as we move into 2016.”

While fixing job dissatisfaction requires a long-term strategy, the study revealed talent could be perked up over the Christmas period with company gifts such as cash (36%), a nice Christmas meal on the company (27%) or an extra day off (22%). Surveyed in late 2015, more than half (56%) of respondents said their company would be swapping presents or partaking in a Secret Santa activity.

More than a third of the APAC working population are free agents

Kelly Services’ 2015 Free Agent Survey, the first-ever global survey by the company, finds that nearly one in three workers globally is a free agent.

The survey further reveals that in Asia-Pacific (APAC), 34% of the region’s working population is considered a free agent. This is slightly ahead of the global average of 31%. Free agents are defined as individuals who consult; perform temporary, freelance or independent contract work; or have their own business.

“The findings of the 2015 Free Agent Survey provide some interesting insights into the talent’s mindset of wanting a workstyle which provides greater freedom, flexibility and entrepreneurial benefits,” said Natalia Shuman, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Kelly Services for EMEA and APAC.

“Employers should capitalise on this trend and look to free agents as a solution to managing their talent supply chain in the face of continual pressure to attract and retain skilled talent,” she added.

posted from Bloggeroid

Getting people with disabilities off the training treadmill and into real jobs

People with disabilities should not be trained for the sake of training, with no jobs in sight, but placed where they can learn on-the-job. In a speech titled Best Practices of Employers in Supported Employment for Persons with Disabilities, Christy Lynch, Chief Executive Officer, KARE Ireland, an organisation which provides support to people who have an intellectual disability and their families, advocated working with people with disabilities and employers to ensure that there is real empowerment.

Speaking at Towards an Inclusive Workforce 2015, an event jointly organised by SPD, and supported by SG Enable and the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA), Lynch noted that the reality of people with disabilities is that they are disconnected from the labour market and typically do not get the opportunity to go to work. Regular supported employment is attainable, he said.

"The problem is – not was – that lots of people do lots of training and never get to the labour market," he noted, pointing out that many people with disabilities are still stuck in less desirable options of sheltered workshops - a daily programme - and vocational training centres.

While many believe that the severely disabled cannot work, Lynch gave real-life examples of people who have done just that with regular supported employment, with job responsibilities matched to their abilities. "Employers don't hear the success stories," he said.

Supported employment enables individuals with disabilities to be employed in real jobs in regular settings where training and other supports are provided on an ongoing basis, Lynch explained. Kare negotiates with employers on what a disabled person may need to learn to fulfil the requirements of the job, and assigns a job coach to work with the person to ensure that he or she can do the job to the standard that the employer requires.

There may be physical adaptations required for the workplace, and the disabled person may need to learn social skills appropriate for the corporate culture, Lynch noted. Many people may fit the job requirements, but need help on the logistics, such as how to get to the workplace, he added.

Misconceptions with the practice are that employers may think disabled people are a source of cheap labour, or that they create a token job that would not have existed otherwise, Lynch cautioned. "It's about real wages and benefits," he said.

Another misconception is that the support for supported employment stops once the disabled person has been successfully placed in the job. Problems can crop up years later, requiring the support organisation to step in again, Lynch said.

"No two people are the same so no support package is the same," he said. "You have to tailor this to the individual."

The fifth Towards an Inclusive Workforce 2015 was held in conjunction with the 2015 Microsoft YouthSpark Scholarship Award Ceremony, which offers financial support to students with disabilities studying in IT-related disciplines. Over 100 participants comprising employers and representatives from institutes of higher learning attended the event at the NTUC Business Centre.

“People with disabilities have work potential. When given the opportunity, job accommodation and support, they too can contribute to the economic growth of Singapore. We are encouraged by the help of Microsoft Singapore in supporting the IT-related aspirations of students with disabilities, and our partners SG Enable and WDA in advancing the employment of people with disabilities, and hope that inclusive hiring will become second nature, and not initiated as a corporate social responsibility exercise,” said Abhimanyau Pal, Executive Director, SPD.

Interested?

Read the TechTrade Asia blog post about the Microsoft YouthSpark Scholarships for 2015

ManpowerGroup forecasts hiring demand upturn in Q415 for Singapore

Job seekers in Singapore can expect an upturn in opportunities during the October to December period as Singapore employers report steady hiring prospects for 4Q 2015, says ManpowerGroup, which provides workforce solutions.

Of the 665 employers surveyed, 16% forecast an increase in staffing levels, 3% anticipate a decrease, and 69% expect no change. Once the data is adjusted to allow for seasonal variation, the Net Employment Outlook stands at +12%. However, while the forecast remains relatively stable when compared with the previous quarter, it declined by 4% year-on-year.

Linda Teo, Country Manager, ManpowerGroup Singapore says: “The year-on-year Outlook decline, from 16% to 12%, indicates that while employers expect the hiring pace to remain positive, uncertainties such as weak global demand for exports and China’s sluggish economy have dampened real hiring intentions in our trade-dependent economy.”

Employers in all seven industry sectors surveyed - Finance, Insurance & Real Estate; Manufacturing; Mining & Construction; Public Administration & Education; Services; Transportation & Utilities; and Wholesale & Retail Trades - anticipate an increase in staffing levels during the October-December period. The strongest labour markets are expected in both the Finance, Insurance & Real Estate sector and the Public Administration & Education sector, with outlooks of 18% growth.

Respectable job gains are also forecast by employers in the Transportation & Utilities sector and the Services sector, who report positive outlooks of 16% and 14%, respectively, while the Mining & Construction sector outlook is a rise of 12%. Meanwhile, Wholesale Trade & Retail Trade sector employers report the weakest sector outlook for the second consecutive quarter, standing at an increase of 4%. 

Despite the cautious outlook for the wholesale and retail trade sectors, some additional hiring is still expected. Says Teo: “The year end is traditionally a busy period for retailers who have to cope with more demand from shoppers. So, more hiring of contingent workers in particular can be expected.”

When compared with the previous quarter, outlooks improved in four of the seven industry sectors, most notably by 5 percentage points in both the Transportation & Utilities sector and the Wholesale Trade & Retail Trade sector. Quarter-on-quarter, hiring prospects weakened in three sectors, including a decrease of 10 percentage points in the Services sector.

Hiring prospects weakened in six of the seven industry sectors when compared with 4Q of 2014. Considerable declines of 14 and 12 percentage points are reported in the Services sector and the Finance, Insurance & Real Estate sector, respectively, while Mining & Construction sector employers report a decrease by 5 percentage points. However, the outlook for the Manufacturing sector is 5 percentage points stronger.

More than 15,200 employers were interviewed in the Asia Pacific region. The strongest hiring plans in the region are reported by employers in India, Taiwan and Japan. Employers in India report bullish hiring intentions for the coming quarter, with a seasonally adjusted positive outlook of 41% – the strongest in the Asia Pacific region.

The weakest hiring climate is forecast in China. Based on seasonally adjusted figures, Chinese employers anticipate modest growth in staffing levels during the coming quarter, reporting an outlook of 5% more. The figure is the weakest reported by Chinese employers since 3Q 2009.

Interested?

The Manpower Employment Outlook Survey is available free of charge to the public through their local Manpower representative in participating countries. To receive an e-mail notification when the survey is available each quarter, register for a subscription online

China's Zhaopin adds chat function to Highpin recruitment site

Source: Highpin.cn website.

Zhaopin, a career platform in China, has launched Highpin Chat, a PC-based real-time text chat for its high-end recruitment platform Highpin.cn.

Highpin Chat is expected to increase the efficiency of recruitment on Highpin.cn. Headhunters and employers will be able to directly communicate with job seekers through the new chat function, allowing them to effectively evaluate job applicants and efficiently recommend suitable positions to job seekers. Job seekers will also be able to inquire directly with headhunters and employers about certain positions and track the progress of their job applications in real-time.

"Highpin.cn is an important part of our strategy to build the leading career development platform that caters to the needs of job seekers throughout their entire career lifecycle," commented Evan Guo, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Zhaopin. 

"Highpin Chat will increase interactions among job seekers, headhunters and employers. Highpin's chat functionality is highly complementary to the Highpin.cn platform which facilities all the stages required in the recruitment process as it enables recruiters to send job invitations to job seekers, allows job seekers to accept or reject the invitations, holds real-time communication and more importantly, allows recruiters and job seekers to post reviews on each other upon completion of the recruitment process."

Zhaopin has over 100.8 million registered users. In the fiscal year ended June 30, 2015, approximately 25.6 million job postings* were placed on Zhaopin's platform by 418,423 unique customers including multinational corporations, small and medium-sized enterprises and state-owned entities.

*Zhaopin calculates the number of job postings by counting the number of newly placed job postings during each respective period. Job postings that were placed prior to a specified period - even if available during such period - are not counted as job postings for such period. Any particular job posting placed on the Company's website may include more than one job opening or position.

Digitisation drives job demand in Singapore: Robert Walters

Source: Robert Walters. Click on the
image to view a larger version.

Robert Walters, the international recruitment consultancy, has found that recruitment in Q2'15 was led by digitisation in Singapore. The findings were part of its Asia Job Index* for Q2 2015.

Said Toby Fowlston, Managing Director, Robert Walters Southeast Asia: "The annual dip in job advertising this quarter did not come as a surprise. What we have seen is a softening in the investment banking market, which has resulted in some banks downsizing and off-shoring to cheaper locations."

Fowlston added that the atmosphere in industries such as marketing and IT remains positive. "Due to the surge in e-commerce and mobile applications, candidates with the relevant skill sets are seeing multiple job opportunities. Hence, senior decision makers need to be more involved in the recruitment process to ensure they make swift assessments to secure the best professionals. Singapore remains the gateway to businesses in Southeast Asia due to its sound infrastructure and will continue to attract multinationals in the commerce industry.”

The key findings of the report for Singapore include:

· More companies have started to increase their investment in digital technology in a bid to stay connected with their clients. As a result, IT job advertisement volumes saw a 10% year-on-year increase with the corresponding demand for skilled IT professionals.

· The growth in the digital space has also increased job advertising by 3% annually for marketing professionals. Talent with sound online experience in e-commerce, social media and consumer media consumption were specifically sought after.

· The decline in investment banking activity has also affected traditionally strong sectors such as accounting and finance as well as legal and compliance. These industries saw a weaker quarter compared to 2014 as seen by the 7% and 8% dip in annual job advertising.

Interested?

View more findings from the Robert Walters Asia Job Index Q2 2015. 

Read the WorkSmart Asia blog post about Robert Walters' views on contracting

*Asia Job Index tracks job advertising volumes for professional positions across the leading job boards and national newspapers in mainland China, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia and Singapore. 

Contract positions an ideal solution for Singapore companies

The latest Singapore Contracting Survey from international recruiter Robert Walters shows that contract employment is on the rise as hiring managers utilise dynamic specialist professionals to address challenges in permanent headcount approvals. A majority of headcount freezes are often directed by head offices which leave hiring managers in Singapore searching for a flexible interim workforce solution.

The survey - completed by over 300 professionals in Singapore who are contracting or have been in a contract position - aimed to examine the benefits and challenges of working as a contractor, and provide insights to employers on how they could better leverage the contract workforce.

Joel Hides, Director, Robert Walters Singapore comments: “The reality of the current employment market across sectors is that permanent headcount restrictions exist. When news around a hiring freeze is released, this usually results in an increase in contracting opportunities. Hence, specialist contractors in Singapore are now seeing a higher percentage of jobs available for short-term employment. These opportunities are excellent chances of gaining experience in varied industries.”

Employers have the option of accessibility to specialist skills when needed for project-based assignments, maternity cover or filling in for permanent headcount freezes. In addition, line managers are also able to trial the contractor for skill sets, cultural fit and soft skills before deciding if they would like to convert the position to a permanent role.

Other findings:

• Eight in 10 contractors prefer employment contracts which exceed six months.

• More than half (55%) saw monetary incentives as a motivation for contracting positions.

• Nearly half (46%) felt that key benefits of working as a contractor include the opportunity to gain exposure to different industries.

• The lack of job security (42%) ranks as the largest challenge of taking up a contracting position.

• Almost three quarters (72%) of contractors chose recruitment agencies to secure their last contracting position.

Interested?

Read more about the study

posted from Bloggeroid

Social professional networks figure highly in Singapore job searches

Professionals in Singapore rely most on social professional networks to find their next job compared with their peers in Asia-Pacific, according to the 2015 Talent Trends study* conducted by LinkedIn, the online professional network.

Nearly two thirds (63%) of them cited social professional networks such as LinkedIn as the main avenue to access job opportunities, ranking no. 1 amongst the nine Asia-Pacific countries surveyed. Malaysia came in second, at 59%, followed by India at 57%. Indonesia, the third Southeast Asian country in this survey, ranked fourth in Asia-Pacific at 56%. Globally, Singapore professionals share the third place with Brazil in this regard, and are behind Spain (70%) and Chile (68%).

Given that Singapore has one of the world’s highest mobile penetration rates, the second most-popular channel for new job opportunities is online job boards (60%). Companies should not discount the influence of friends and colleagues either, as 55% of Singapore professionals rely on word-of-mouth for information.

“With the sheer talent in the workforce and a robust job market in Singapore, companies may not have trouble in hiring. The bigger question is how companies can attract the best talent and hire the right person for the job,” said Feon Ang, Head of Talent Solutions, Asia Pacific and Japan at LinkedIn.

“Our research shows there is a wide talent pool to be tapped. Not only is active talent on the rise in Singapore, passive talent – comprising 65% of the pool - is also open to opportunities. A strong employer brand is more critical than ever for companies in the war for talent. One way for companies to stand out is to marry social professional networks and word-of-mouth recommendation by encouraging their employees to be their ambassadors in today’s digital age.”

Singapore professionals are also more open to new job opportunities, with 35% actively exploring new jobs, against the global average of 30%. In Asia-Pacific, they rank third, behind India (at 45%) and Malaysia (36%). This year’s figure in Singapore is also higher than the 27% in 2014, when the survey was first conducted. Whether passive or active talent, 86% in Singapore are open to hearing from a recruiter or headhunter, compared with 78% globally.

While many workplaces recognise the increased demand for work-life balance, talent in Singapore still rated compensation as the key factor in evaluating a job opportunity. Money matters, and professionals surveyed in Singapore say that it tops the list of other factors that they will consider in a job, increasing from 29% in 2014 to 51% in 2015. This year’s figure is the same in Indonesia, and in line with Malaysia, at 52%.

Coming in a distant second is work-life balance, with only 32% in Singapore considering it a top priority. It should be highlighted however that the importance of work-life balance has increased from 22% in 2014. Still, the 2015 figure is the lowest in Southeast Asia, as 45% of professionals in Malaysia and 35% in Indonesia cite this as an important factor in deciding whether to accept a new job.

LinkedIn’s research also shows that organisations and employers should place more value on the interview process. While it is used to assess the suitability of a candidate, potential employees also form their perceptions of the company through their interview experience. Globally, 87% of professionals say that a positive interview experience can change their mind about a role or company they doubted, and likewise, a negative experience can reverse that perception (83%).

During an interview, almost three quarters (74%) of professionals in Singapore would like to meet their prospective managers, compared with 62% in Malaysia and 44% in Indonesia. At a distant second, 10% of Singapore professionals would most like to meet a team member during an interview.

The 2015 Talent Trends report includes new ideas that recruiters and organisations can incorporate into their recruiting strategy to ensure that they find the best possible candidate for the job, and vice versa. It concludes that the best way to discover what the talent wants, is to simply ask.

Interested?

More information on the study can be found on LinkedIn’s Talent Trends page and Talent blog

*The study is LinkedIn’s second annual Talent Trends report. Over 20,000 professionals in 29 countries were surveyed to better understand their attitudes and behaviours at each stage of the job search. With this data, the report hopes to provide a blueprint for organisations, employers and recruiters to successfully attract, engage and hire talent.

posted from Bloggeroid