According to the Economist Intelligence Unit Worldwide Cost of Living 2021 report, Singapore is the second-most expensive city in the world to live in – and the most expensive in all of Asia. Needless to say, given the country’s very high cost of living rate (especially when compared to the rest of the continent), having a great, well-paying job is essential for survival. For business owners in Singapore, this is a great time to start sourcing talent.
In this article, we’ll show you the steps necessary for hiring candidates, tips for recognizing great workers, and the best job search websites and platforms for bringing it all together for finding the best candidates in Singapore!
Tips for Hiring the Right Job Candidates in Singapore
Depending on the type of business model your company follows, and the specific parameters of your new employee’s role, you’ll need to follow a few steps to ensure that you are hiring correctly and effectively.
Before you hire, clearly define your job
Job analysis is essential. This kickoff step allows you to collect information from your internal organization about the roles, responsibilities, expectations, and necessary skills of a particular job. Once you have this information, you can communicate it to recruiters or directly with applicants in your posting.
Plan a recruitment strategy
Once you have a clearly defined job description, you should set up a recruiting planning meeting with your employees who will be in charge of hiring new staff. This step is usually facilitated by a hiring manager, who is crucial to the planning.
Put together a hiring checklist
Regardless of whether you are making your first hire, or your 500th, a checklist for hiring any employee helps you to keep track of all your recruiting efforts, saving time down the line.
Look for the right candidate for the role
It’s possible to be left with a strong impression of a potential candidate for reasons other than their skills or personality. Hiring the right candidate involves checking every “must” off of your list, not just a few.
Review applications carefully
A cohesive and well-written job description (from you) will make the act of reviewing resumes, cover letters, and job applications all the more effective. Comparing applicants against a list of qualifications, skills, experience, and characteristics means that you’ll be able to have qualified talent come in for interviews.
Save time by pre-screening applicants
Larger corporations typically have a full HR team who leads pre-screening interviews with candidates over the phone, but if it’s down to you, you’ll find that this step is critical for saving you time––and the time of the applicant. Plus, during pre-screens, you can determine whether their salary expectations align with your job. And if not, there is no need for a future interview.
Consider holding the job interview somewhere other than your desk
Chances are, you will find that candidates are much more at ease and natural when being interviewed outside of the imposing office environment. You don’t have to take them to lunch, but for a second or third interview, consider a non-conventional setting.
Be sure to ask the right questions
There’s no better step for gauging a potential hire’s qualifications than in the job interview. Depending on the needs of the role, and how potential answers will gibe with your office’s culture, posing the right question often means the difference between finding an average candidate and a great one.
Throw in a few curveballs.
Without getting too personal, try to think outside of the box––beyond the standard job interview questions. See how potential new hires react to and engage with an unconventional line of inquiry. You’ll usually find that they are more at ease talking about something other than their career.
Always perform background checks and follow up with references
One of the most crucial steps in the entire process is checking work references––including former managers––educational credentials, employment references, and the criminal history of your preferred candidates. Never skip this final step.
The Top Qualities of a Great Employee
- Strong communication
This includes a solid ability to write, speak, listen, and interpret non-verbal communication, including body language. Communication skills are essential for any professional because they impact how you share information and receive instructions.
- Leadership skills
Simply put, employees with strong leadership abilities are most likely to make effective team leaders over time. Leaders can anticipate and solve unforeseen problems alone without having to rely on direction from supervisors.
- Conflict management abilities
Employees must know how to handle disputes and disagreements with co-workers productively and effectively. Long-term issues and resentments between colleagues make for poor working relationships.
- Teamwork
Collaboration is key in just about any industry. Teamwork skills are vital in any workplace with multiple employees, and being able to work together means that work gets done better, and faster.
- Problem-solving skills
Being able to recognize work problems, understand what needs to be done to resolve them, and then execute them flawlessly––these are the marks of an employee with great problem-solving skills. Workers who are adept at problem-solving are highly valued by management and are also considered assets to co-workers.
- Confidence
Employees with confidence in their abilities and qualifications are essential to an active and productive workplace. Confidence allows people to be effective at individual work, as well as on teams because that means that they believe in not only their talents but those of their colleagues, too.
- Interpersonal skills
The types of skills refer to how you relate to and interact with people, whether your co-workers, customers, or clients. Possessing solid interpersonal skills often tends to contribute to an overall happier and healthier workplace culture. They also help employees better understand boundaries, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of their colleagues.
- Dedication
A dedicated employee is, typically, an employee for life. These are some of the most valued people to bring onto your team because they will always be up to the challenge and put the company first. However, it’s important to reward dedication appropriately when possible.
The 15 Best Job Sites for Finding the Best Job Candidates in Singapore
Recruitment agencies and job search platforms are ideal areas for sourcing job seekers in Singapore.
GrabJobs is the best option for hiring workers in Singapore. It is a cost-effective recruitment solution that automates sourcing, screening, and interviewing of candidates––and includes over 5,000 companies using the job platform to simplify their hiring process. Auto-generated job seeker profiles mean that users can begin applying for new jobs in under a minute, making it great for employers looking to hire quickly and easily.
Subscription: Free for 14 days; pricing plans
Hiring Focus: All types of workers (blue collar, white collar, remote, entry-level, etc.)
My Careers Future is a recent government initiative that seeks to provide Singaporeans with a smarter way to find work. Employers seeking qualified job candidates create a posting, and MCF’s job matching partners scan potential matches from their talent pool based on skills, work experience, and education.
Subscription: Paid options
This popular and effective hiring platform allows business owners in Singapore to source, screen, and hire people looking for any type of job from around the globe. Employers can advertise their job position(s) for free by signing up for an account while gaining instant access to a talent pool that includes millions of candidates.
Subscription: Free & Paid options
Another popular global (and free) job search site, Indeed not only places qualified candidates in roles suited to their skills and experience––but also provide crucial tools for jobseekers like salary guides and company reviews. Simply upload your resume to Indeed’s platform and companies reach out to YOU, making the stress of finding work that much simpler.
Subscription: Paid options
This global online recruitment agency has been sourcing top-tier talent for businesses for over 40 years. Boasting nearly 200 offices worldwide, Michael Page and its team of talent acquisition specialists work just as hard on behalf of employers as they do for employees. And the results speak for themselves.
Subscription: Paid options
This popular search engine is a default source for many job seekers in the country––which makes it a great marketplace for employers looking for qualified candidates, fast. With JobsDB (affiliated with the popular Asia and Oceania platform, Jora), users can search through career opportunities, all sourced from many job sites from all over Singapore.
Subscription: Free & paid options
One of the planet’s most popular job search engines for job seekers and employers alike, LinkedIn is a perfect platform for finding full and part-time employees based on trusted connections. It also features numerous tools and subscription-based add-ons that make hiring so simple. As a LinkedIn user, you can either advertise a part-time vacancy with your company for free in your newsfeed or pay to have it reach more users.
Subscription: Free & paid options
Adecco has been a trusted name in workplace recruitment for decades, and they maintain their prestige by using expert job recruitment agents to pair candidates with positions perfect for them. Famed for their annually published Salary Guides, Adecco has cornered the market by connecting employers and employees in Singapore and providing staffing solutions.
Subscription: Paid options
Jobstore Singapore helps to connect employers and job seekers using a large base of trusted users from across some of the largest cities and markets in Asia. With offices in more than 10 countries, Jobstore is great for finding qualified talent to fill roles.
Subscription: Free & paid options
This global job search organization is highly popular in Singapore for candidates looking to enter or re-enter the workforce. Randstad’s team of qualified job search professionals helps connect employers with candidates looking for rewarding and relevant positions in a variety of different fields and industries.
Subscription: Paid Options
One of the top recruitment portals in Singapore, JobsCentral posts thousands of jobs across growing industries. Employers can create informative job descriptions, and qualified candidates can apply with one click. It’s that simple.
Subscription: Paid Options
A bona fide global phenomenon, Foundit (formerly Monster) is still an incredibly popular job search site in Singapore after all these years. Best of all, it’s an easy and (usually) free option for job posters looking to hire for all types of work.
Subscription: Free & Paid Options
Not only can Singaporeans use Trovit for finding new and used cars and apartment rentals, but they can also log on to find quick and easy full, part-time, and temporary work under the site’s JOBS category. Employers representing just about every field and industry can post an opportunity that seekers can find in minutes.
Subscription: Free & Paid Options
Called the world’s biggest job search engine, Jobrapido assembles a network of job seekers –– hundreds of thousands strong –– and connects them with enterprising employers who share their employment opportunities with the community.
Subscription: Paid options
This platform is perfect for hiring part-time talent in Singapore because it makes posting jobs easy. Employers can preview a host of qualified candidates all in one place while making shrewd hiring decisions that best align with their business plans.
Subscription: Free & paid options
Other great resources for employers looking to hire part-time job seekers:
Learn More About Where to Find the Best Job Candidates in Singapore
There you have it! A compact guide for business owners looking to hire great employees in Singapore. Now that you know the correct steps to take, the ultimate tips for hiring the right candidate, the qualities of great employees, and the best resources and platforms in the country for finding new staff, you’re ready to take that next step toward making the most of your entire organization.
