Career Advice

By Razlan Shariff
       
The signs are in – the employment trend in Singapore is picking up again.

As the republic continues to do well economically and register better-than-expected growth, investors’ confidence will climb and business will expand.

Good news for job seekers, especially those who have just graduated – companies are hiring again.

It will then be inevitable for employers to fight for the top talent around, as they are essential for the company’s success.

While hiring and retaining best talent is as tough as it’s ever been, it is still possible to attract more talent than your company needs.

A typical EnergySkills’ job advertisement attracts more than 200 applicants! Your strike rate will depend on a number of factors – the number one factor being your employment branding. Here’s what you can do:

“My staff are my greatest asset” – live by it!

The best way to attract top talent wanting to work for your company is rather straightforward.

The best employees want to work in an environment where they are respected for who they are and they are rewarded for what they achieve.

This company culture stems from an “employee-first” attitude by the employer.

Be considerate to your staff and reward them when appropriate. A great company culture is like a magnet to top performers in your industry – even from your competitors!

Empowering your best staff

In our experience in the recruitment industry, EnergySkills knows that it is impossible for all positions to be filled with the right candidate or even anyone at all.

Leveraging on your existing staff becomes more important, and putting your top talents in influential positions will have a great impact on your company performance.

For example, your sales personnel have direct impact on your company’s bottom line, so greater hiring emphasis should be given to hiring the best people to take up sales roles.

Then, empower them with the right environment to excel in what they do. Having the best people in these important jobs will greatly enhance your company’s performance.

Be involved in your hiring process

If your people are your best asset, it will be wise for you to be involved in the entire recruitment cycle.

In assisting our clients fulfilling their staffing requirements, we find that the best job-fit can be found with full involvement of managers that the selected candidate will be reporting to.

By clearly expressing what you require in the candidate, and interviewing potential candidates yourselves, not only are you maximizing your recruitment dollars but you also minimize the chances of hiring failure.

The last thing you need is a hired candidate that is unable to fit into the organization and the job role.

Your best employees are your best recruiters

Satisfied employees are your company ambassadors – they will speak of good things about your company to their friends and relatives.

Naturally, your staff will also be the best people who fully understand your company culture and what kind of people you seek to hire.

This kind of “referral” works in top companies and staff are rewarded for every successful referral that their companies hire.

Having an effective company culture in hiring, empowering and rewarding your staff will spare your company from the inevitable hunt for top talent as the job market becomes more competitive. Building company culture takes times – so start early and invest in your future employment branding.