Singapore, like many of the world’s countries, is facing a serious tech talent shortage with saying they cannot fill open jobs. This shortage is in part a result of the rising demand for tech talent due to technological advancement, the need for businesses to move online to remain competitive, the rise of remote work, and increased funding into Singaporean tech start-ups.
With such a talent shortage, tech recruiting has become more difficult, forcing employers to develop better IT recruitment strategies for companies in Singapore if they hope to fill IT positions in their organizations. To remain ahead of the talent game, businesses have to understand certain employee trends and develop solid strategies around these trends to attract the right talent into their organizations. Let’s dig in and explore!
1. Focus on Employer Branding
Most job seekers will consider the employer’s reputation before they accept a job offer. Therefore, employer branding is as important as the compensation benefits you offer a job seeker. Employer branding is especially critical for small businesses and young start-ups that most job seekers know little about.
Employer branding goes beyond benefits such as free lunch. It focuses on aspects such as the culture in your business, what your brand stands for, and the message you intend to pass to the community you serve.
Potential employers should know the value they derive from working for your brand. They will consider career growth opportunities, work-life balance, collaboration, and the ability to work on challenging projects.
Some of the steps you can take to improve your employer brand include:
- Have a social media profile that reflects your business brand and culture to give potential employees a feel of what your company is like
- Have an employee advocacy program that allows your employees to voice their experience at the company and ideas they might have. This sends the message to job seekers that their input counts. This, however, should not be a censored platform where employees talk about positive things; job seekers also want to know how your company deals with adversity situations.
- Have an executive strategy
A good employer brand should make it easier even for your current team to recommend friends and acquaintances who might meet the skills gap in your business.
2. Focus on Candidate Experience
The interactions a candidate has with your company or business during the recruitment process will influence their decision to work with you.
Providing candidates with a positive experience can improve your business’ tech talent recruitment results offers several benefits, including:
- You attract more applicants by providing a seamless application process
- You can compete for top tech talent
- Your hire quality increases
- Your brand awareness grows
A negative candidate experience is likely to affect your company’s ability to attract the right talent since most candidates are likely to talk about their negative experiences and discourage others from applying for jobs in your organization.
So how do you create a positive candidate experience throughout the recruitment process?
- Provide a clear job description, including clear and accurate responsibilities, salary range, benefits, and your company’s values.
- Be transparent about the tech talent recruitment process. Let candidates know what they are up against. Include details of the time it takes for every recruitment step.
- Improve your business’ career site so job seekers can find the information they need. You should use the career site or page to showcase your company’s values, branding, and relevant information for job seekers.
- Have an easy application process. Most job seekers will quit if your application process is hours long. Take time to test the application process. Look at how long it takes and whether your website is accessible across different devices.
- Respect the candidate’s time and respond as soon as possible. If you are in an in-demand field like tech, you might want to hurry your hiring process along. Leaving your candidates waiting for two to three months won’t cut it, and 57% of job seekers will lose interest in a position if you have a lengthy hiring process. Your best option is to communicate in three to five business days. Keep communications lines open and offer status updates to job seekers.
- Improve your interview experience to increase the chances of candidates embracing the role you are interviewing for. You can improve their interview experience by asking great interview questions and including other aspects such as a company tour outside the interview room.
- Give and ask for feedback for all candidates, including those you did not hire after an interview. Instead of just telling the candidate that they failed to make the cut, offer constructive feedback about the steps they can take to improve their chances at future interviews. Candidates who receive constructive feedback are more likely to apply for a position at your company in the future.
- Take your post-feedback interview further by maintaining a candidate relationship with those you did not hire. Maintaining engagement with high-quality candidates reduces the stress the next time you have a position that needs filling.
Most job seekers today are searching and completing applications using mobile devices. Therefore, your recruitment strategy should focus on developing a mobile-friendly platform that makes it convenient for mobile users to apply for a job offer.
3. Offer Measurable Rewards
While most candidates value working with a reputable company with the right culture, message, and values, they also value the measurable rewards that come with their position. These benefits should encourage potential candidates to apply for the position and promote the retention of tech talent.
State the compensation the candidate can expect in the position. In addition to salaries, you should also state other benefits that come with the position, including health benefits, housing, commuting, and other allowances available. You can determine the rewards candidates expect at certain job levels and match these when calling for applications.
4. Use a Technology Recruitment Agency
As IT recruitment in Singapore becomes a more complicated activity, businesses have to find means to adjust and find the right talent amidst high competition for these experts. Working with a tech recruitment agency is one way to get and retain the best tech talent for an organization.
What makes a recruiting agency so important?
These agencies are in the business of helping businesses find the best candidates for the positions they have. They understand industry trends, best practices, and are motivated to help these businesses. The motivation to find new talent means they are more likely to represent your business better.
Recruiters are independent actors and more likely to ask direct and specific questions for candidates. They also have the time and resources to find candidates you would otherwise not find. They also bring a wider perspective to the hiring process and could help your business weed out candidates not suited to the position.
Given the shortage of tech talent globally, having as much exposure for a job position increases the chances of finding the right talent faster. However, few companies have access to a wide audience of job seekers. Relying on a recruitment agency, in this case, makes sense, as they present the job offer to a wider group from which you could find the right talent for your organization.
5. Focus on Candidate Value
Often, employers will screen potential employees based on metrics such as their college education. This limits the talent you could acquire, especially when the candidate does not check certain boxes, such as having a tech degree from a recognized institution.
Hiring managers should focus on the value the employee brings to the company when looking for the right person for the position. For instance, the additional skills, certifications, projects, and achievements the candidate has had in their respective tech field, even if they do not have an academic degree.
You can identify what value you need from candidates by setting goals on the ideal candidate’s skills, experience, or characteristics. Your organization’s mission, core values, and vision will help you define the most suitable candidates.
Another vital aspect when recruiting candidates is to find those who are agile and teachable. Tech is a fast-evolving industry thus; employees have to keep updating their skills, and sometimes reskilling to remain competitive and valuable in their industry.
In some cases, you might have to hire a candidate who has the potential to bring long-term value to the business. Instead of looking for a candidate who matches or your skills, experience, and education requirements, you may work with a less experienced candidate who has the passion, courage, and grit to improve themselves in the job and offer more value to your organization.
Final Thoughts
As the war for the best tech talent wages in Singapore, you can remain ahead of the pack by taking critical steps that help you acquire and retain top technology talent. Work on developing a compelling employer branding to meet the growing need of candidates to find an environment that matches their values.
Rewards, benefits, and candidate value are also critical factors in developing an IT recruitment strategy that works. Lastly, work with an IT recruitment agency in Singapore to simplify your talent acquisition process.
Working with an IT recruitment company might just be the best way to hire great tech talents. Find out more information about BGC Group’s services here.
