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 costliest in all of Asia. Needless to say, having a job is essential for survival. However, for those whose schedules do not allow for full-time employment (students, for example), or for those who are contemplating slowly re-entering the workforce after time off, then part-time work is key.
For business owners in Singapore, this is a great time to hire from this group. In this article, we’ll show you the steps necessary for hiring part-time workers, the benefits (and the downsides) of bringing on part-time employees, and the best job search websites and platforms for hiring part-time workers in Singapore.
How to Hire Part-time Workers in Singapore?
In Singapore, except for people who work in domestic service, or seamen, a part-time employee is someone who performs under a contract of employment to work under 35 hours per week.
This is covered by the Employment Act––Singapore’s main labor law––which provides definitions of various forms of work hierarchies within certain industries.
Depending on the type of business model your company follows, and the specific parameters of your part-time employee’s role, you’ll need to follow a few steps to ensure that you are hiring correctly and effectively.
STEP 1: Determine whether you can afford the potential cost of a part-time employee.
Assess your business needs and know whether you can support a part-time employee and all of the potential costs associated with them: including, wages, allowances, taxes, and overtime pay––part-time employees throughout Singapore are entitled to overtime pay depending on whether their hours exceed the normal working hours of a full-time employee).
STEP 2: Recruit a part-time employee.
Advertise your vacancy on job search platforms and with recruitment agents (usually for a fee). Be prepared to evaluate applications, interview candidates and negotiate terms and offers.
STEP 3: Hire and prepare your part-time employee for work.
In addition to preparing them for the task(s) at hand, this is the time to induct your part-timer into company culture (if they are working in an office), as well as provide them with the necessary forms standard for working in Singapore and committing to an agreed upon schedule of hours and responsibilities.
STEP 4: Keep track of all documentation concerning your part-time employee.
Hanging on to ALL employment and tax forms while keeping meticulous records per employee for the duration of their terms is vital for protecting yourself if a worker quits or sues you.
STEP 5: Ensure you know the terms for ending your part-timer’s employment.
Because part-time employees are more likely to have job contracts end abruptly based on the workflow then compared to full-timers, knowing the fair and legal way to dismiss an employee––including serving ample notice and providing their final paycheck––is crucial.
The Pros and Cons of Hiring Part-time Workers in Singapore
As with any job-hiring experience, there are benefits for and against choosing to bring on a part-time candidate to do the work –– especially if you are looking for someone to fulfill duties on a long-term basis. Here are some of the pros and cons of hiring part-timers to fill the role:
PROS
- Increased flexibility: Hiring part-timers allows you to utilize your staff according to your specific needs. For companies with slow periods, it might not be beneficial to hire more full-time workers when the work is temporarily not there (and avoid painful lay-offs). Incorporating Temporary, part-time employees can help shoulder the workload, while giving your full-timers additional support. Part-timers can also stand in for employees who take long-term leaves or find themselves out sick for days.
- Keeps costs down: Hiring part-timers over full-time employees provides significant cost savings in the long run –– especially if your company only provides health care benefits, sick leave, and retirement plans to full-time staff. Part-timers understand and accept that their role is temporary and that they don’t typically qualify for perks.
- Provides needed support when it counts: Many companies require specialized work help for very specific amounts of time––especially around holidays. Hiring part-time employees mean that you can bring on staff with the qualifications you require, without committing to a long-term contract. Once the busy season is over, you and your part-timers can amicably part ways.
- Broader candidate pool: When hiring part-time employees, you are inviting specialized candidates with unique skills that you might not come across when hiring full-time. For example, new mothers who are softly re-entering the workforce, or students looking to prove themselves in a first-time role. Casting this wider net opens up a world of qualified job seekers.
CONS
- Part-time employees can feel less invested in the company: Part-timers tend to adopt the attitude that they don’t owe your company loyalty because they don’t receive health benefits or full-time pay or because they don’t feel as appreciated as their full-time coworkers. It’s difficult to establish a true connection with a role, and an organization when only hired on a part-time basis. Part-timers also have less time and opportunity to learn the inner workings of the company and can occasionally feel undervalued and unappreciated––even if this is not true.
- Less connected: Simply, part-timers aren’t on the job or at their desks long enough to really connect with and engage with management and co-workers. As a result, it’s difficult for other employees to get to know them and work with them as a team.
- In-office workload conflicts: Part-timers work fewer hours than their full-time co-workers. Yet the workload for the entire team tends to stay the same. As a result of this disparity, resentments can crop up from the full-timers who feel that they contribute more work in less time. What can further complicate matters is when part-timers have fewer responsibilities and, therefore, more downtime, which can lead to discord and hurt feelings from overwhelmed and overworked full-timers.
- Work can be inconsistent: Working part-time hours means that employees can often feel unattached and disassociated from their company’s guidelines and deliverables, resulting in an output that seems off-balance or inconsistent.
20 Best Job Sites for Hiring Part-timers in Singapore
Recruitment agencies and job search platforms are ideal areas for sourcing part-time job seekers in Singapore. Many of these agencies post full and part-time candidates, but others specialize in representing those looking for temporary, short-term, and/or part-time employment.
GrabJobs is the best option for hiring part-time 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 and Paid Options
My Careers Future is a recent government initiative that seeks to provide Singaporeans with a smarter way to find part-time 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 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 and 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 and 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 and 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 and 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 part-time and full-time 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 temporary and part-time work.
Subscription: Free and 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 part-time 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 and 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 popular and effective hiring platform allows business owners in Singapore to source, screen, and hire people looking for part-time or remote jobs 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 and Paid Options
Other great resources for employers looking to hire part-time job seekers:
Subscription: Paid Options
Subscription: Paid Options
Subscription: Paid Options
Subscription: Paid Options
Subscription: Free and Paid Options
Hire Part-Timers in Singapore Today!
There you have it! A comprehensive guide for business owners looking to hire part-time employees in Singapore. Now that you know the correct steps to take, the pros and cons of hiring part-timers, and the best resources and platforms in the country for finding temporary staff, you’re ready to take that next step toward making the most of your entire organization.
