1 in 3 Singapore businesses struggle to find AI talent in Singapore

Global hiring is seen as an answer to address this issue.

Over 1 in 3 businesses struggle to recruit artificial intelligence (AI) talent despite the anticipated demand for it in the next two to three years, according to Deel’s “Singapore Business Leader Pulse Check: Talent Landscape” survey.

Top challenges faced by hiring managers include high salary expectations (63%); accurately assessing a candidate’s AI capabilities (62%); and a lack of qualified candidates in the local job market (59%).

Nearly half of businesses said that they are open to hiring AI talent from both Singapore and abroad, which is in line with Singapore’s National AI Strategy 2.0 to triple its AI workforce to 15,000 by training local talent and attracting global talent.

Moreover, 3 in 5 large Singaporean organisations also believe that hiring talent outside of the country enables skills-transfer with local employees.

Despite the burgeoning talent gap, 87% of large organisations are optimistic about the talent landscape in Singapore, with 74% of respondentse attributing this to the country’s position as an international hub.

Furthermore, 62% of Singaporean organisations appreciate the feasibility of tapping into the global talent pool from Singapore.

Talent retention is the major factor in supporting remote work (80%) and attracting talent (62%), and 9 in 10 (90%) of Singaporean organisations find remote working still relevant to their company’s directions.Respondents also believe that remote work helps them reduce costs (61%).

AI integration
In terms of AI use, 98% of Singaporean organisations are considering or have already integrated AI in their organizations to enhance business and attract talent.

Over half (54%) said that they already use AI in their HR practices.

The most common types of AI tools being integrated into companies’ HR practices include generative AI (64%), AI recruitment and screening (63%), as well as virtual assistants and chatbots (60%).

The capability of enhancing accuracy and reducing human error in payroll processing and benefit administration is well received by those with AI integration into HR practices (62%).

Follow the link for more news on

Human Resources

Reaching the people who run Asia's businesses is harder than it used to be.

Inboxes are crowded. Attention is short. The executives you most want to reach — the founders, CFOs, and operators who actually move budgets — are the hardest to find through the usual channels. If you're building a company, a category, or a reputation, you already know this.

We've spent twenty years building the room they read. Singapore Business Review is where senior decision makers in Singapore and across Southeast Asia come for business coverage they can't get elsewhere — in print, online, and in person at the summits and roundtables we host across seven markets.

If you have something these readers should know about — a point of view worth publishing, a product worth their attention, an event worth their time — we'd like to hear what you're trying to do.

Book a meeting

| Or download the media kit (PDF)

240,000 senior readers quarterly in print Top 1,700 Singapore companies reached

7 markets across Southeast Asia