MNCs avidly chase IT candidates with sound communication and presentation skills

Information technology professionals with sound communication and presentation skills will have an abundance of forthcoming opportunities in Singapore as multinational companies increasingly set up support sites in the country.

This is one key finding from the Hays Quarterly Report, for the October to December quarter, which gives insight into the recruitment market in Singapore.

One of the reasons why MNCs are placing greater focus on an IT candidate's soft skills is that adequate communication and presentation skills are needed for the process of driving global roll-outs with their US and European partners. As a result, MNCs are increasingly looking towards candidates with global or regional exposure who will have developed those skills in those markets.

The report also found the role of Singapore as a regional economic centre will remain unchanged despite a slowdown, with companies in various industries looking for capable engineers and managers to sustain their growth.

The slowdown has had a profound impact on candidates who are now looking for some sort of stability in their next role. This is making it difficult for employers to secure the right people to bolster their business development. In some cases, high-skilled candidates are likely to be presented with more than one job offer at a time which has meant employers are having to move fast to secure their preferred choices.

With a number of new projects occurring in Singapore, this has opened up a number of temporary contract roles on packages that permanent staff would usually receive.

Another new trend we are likely to see in this quarter is that some employers will be seeking new hires from outside of Singapore in the face of a candidate-short market. Foreign professionals in the sectors of healthcare, cold chain logistics, and e-commerce will likely be the top beneficiaries of an active hiring spree by Singaporean companies.