The last 12 months saw Asia’s working professionals face substantial challenges, as the global pandemic sparked unparalleled adversity and uncertainty. 

The impact of COVID-19 on hiring within supply chain and procurement in Singapore has been mixed. While sectors like Oil & Gas have turned cautious and paused their hiring and expansion plans, others like e-commerce have seen a boom and continue to expand aggressively. Overall, as companies resume work, demand for goods and services has gradually started to pick up alongside accelerated digital transformation, resulting in more hiring opportunities.

The COVID-19 crisis has had a profound impact on the vast majority of industries in Singapore, and this is particularly true of the tech space, says Grant Torrens, Regional Director of Hays in Singapore.

As organisations in Singapore continue to standby for phase three of circuit breaker measures, it is vital they understand that expectations of professionals and their perceptions of organisations have been transformed by the COVID-19 crisis.

The shift of focus to COVID-19 related products and services coupled with significant disruptions to supply chain and logistics has put many life sciences organisations in Singapore on the backfoot amidst ongoing economic uncertainty.

The ongoing remote working revolution is not only changing the way organisations function, but also the way they hire. Many organisations in Singapore are now interviewing remotely, which has led to faster and more efficient hiring processes.

As lockdown restrictions continue to be eased and plans to transition back into the workplace begin in Singapore, a new hybrid working model will emerge with workforces split between those in the office and those working remotely.

The COVID-19 crisis has ushered in a new era in the world of work that is impacting both jobseekers and hiring organisations.

As Singapore continues to ease its circuit breaker restriction in phases, many businesses are now preparing to resume their operations in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis. According to Luca Pozzi, General Manager of global manufacturing firm Manuli Hydraulics in China and Southeast Asia, strategic staff management plays a critical role in how quickly businesses can return to pre-crisis levels of productivity.

With more companies in Singapore moving to ramp up their digital capabilities in the wake of COVID-19, cybersecurity has never been more essential than now. This has kept the previously booming cybersecurity job market buoyant despite a cautious climate and sustained the need for front-line defence roles such as IT security operations, incident response, penetration testers, and ethical hackers (red team). This buoyancy is further aided by the ongoing talent crunch in the sector and the niche nature of the roles that leave candidates with a leading advantage.

The global COVID-19 crisis has already transformed the world of work, with much of its impact still unfolding. As the situation continues to develop and the road to recovery is expected to be a long one, business leaders and professionals must adapt and be agile to the challenges that are presented to them on a daily basis, with valuable lessons to be learned along the way.

Recruiting experts, Hays, has conducted a poll of over 1,400 people globally to find out their concerns around returning to their place of work following the end of lockdown restrictions and the changes they expect to happen in the world of work as a direct result of the pandemic.

As Singapore’s circuit breaker measures continue to ensure that staff who can work from home continue to do so, for managers, looking after a team remotely can prove challenging.

Lessons from China: What the rest of the world can learn from how Manuli Hydraulics resumed business operations amidst the COVID-19 crisis

Hays, the leading recruiting expert, has launched a free online training portal designed to help employers and teams in Singapore grow the skills they need to function effectively and thrive in the current working environment.

The current world of work in Singapore is operating more remotely than it ever has before; and while this is crucial to maintaining the health and safety of employees, adjusting to this way of working may result in employers facing certain challenges which need to be managed, says recruiting experts, Hays.

Uncertainty in the current world of work is posing a challenge to established hiring practices, particularly when it comes to interviewing potential candidates for a new role.

Great Place to Work®, the global authority on workplace culture, ranked Hays fourth on the 2020 Best Workplaces in Asia list under the category of ‘Best Multinational Workplaces in Asia’. More than 2.2 million employees participated in the survey studies that covered eight 8 Asia-regions and countries where Great Place to Work is represented.

Interviewing for a new role via video is only increasing, according to recruiting experts Hays, as our world of work evolves in rapidly changing times.

As the rate of technological change advances, it’s becoming increasingly important for professionals to learn coding to future proof their careers and plug existing skills gaps, says recruiting experts Hays.

While organisations in Singapore are increasingly confident about having and hiring talent with the right skills, they are still more willing to hire expatriates for skill-short areas than most other Asian regions, finds the latest Asia Salary Guide report by leading recruitment experts Hays.

Less than half of organisations in Singapore have formal diversity policies and practices in place – a significant drop from last year, finds the latest Asia Salary Guide report by leading recruitment experts Hays.

For the second year running, a global survey by recruiting experts Hays has revealed that men are more likely than women to believe their employer is committed to achieving gender equality in the workplace.

While jobseekers in Singapore have realistic expectations for increments in 2020, they are increasingly uncertain about the relevancy of their skills, finds the latest Asia Salary Guide report by leading recruitment experts Hays.

Despite looming wage stagnation, employees in Singapore remain among the most satisfied with their current compensation packages in the region, finds the latest Asia Salary Guide report by leading recruitment experts Hays. However, pay and benefits remain a high priority for those seeking new jobs, but are of lower importance when it comes to staying with their current employer.

While 2019 began as a promising year for recruitment in Asia, the ripple effect of a slowing global economy has seeded uncertainty within the region. This has contributed to a more conservative outlook for hiring and compensation in 2020, finds the latest Asia Salary Guide report by leading recruitment experts Hays.

Alistair Cox, CEO of recruiting experts Hays, has identified three important questions business leaders should be asking themselves to prepare their organisations and workforces for the new decade ahead.

Pressure on productivity has seen many businesses try to squeeze more output per hour – but according to recruiting experts Hays, now is the time to explore other approaches.

Gamification has the potential to help organisations with employee participation and motivation, but some businesses are struggling to put it into effect, says recruiting experts Hays.

While other Asian countries are quickly catching up, Singapore leads the brigade as one of the most-developed landscapes for Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) services in the region.

A recent survey by recruiting experts Hays has revealed 80% of respondents intend to look for a new job in 2020.

Would you rather your boss praised your successes or offered you unwanted perks? According to recruiting experts Hays, most employees prefer the former, which is why organisations could forgo headline-grabbing perks in favour of a simple ‘thank you’ and recognition for a job well done.

Marked by continued digital innovation, business transformation and a slowing global economy, 2020 is lining up to be a year that will be as full of challenges as it will opportunities.

Marked by continuous digital transformation and automation, Singapore’s job market is geared for significant evolution in the coming year, says recruiting experts Hays, as part of the country’s top 10 talent trends for 2020.

The average working age is increasing across the globe and as a result, employers should embrace the benefits of a more mature workforce, says recruiting experts Hays.