Overseas Singaporeans with IT expertise in high demand in 2016

Employers need to meet the Fair Consideration Framework.

Singaporean IT professionals overseas should start considering returning back to the city-state, as the demand for Singaporean talent with their kind of expertise is likely to spike in 2016.

According to recruitment firm Robert Walters’ annual Global Salary Survey, the interest in developing a home-grown workforce and the Fair Consideration Framework are driving hiring managers to consider the viability of overseas local talent to ease the talent crunch.

Moreover, companies are defending themselves from online themselves from online threats, so the technology sector will see a boom in recruitment as Singaporean specialists in data protection and cyber security will be in high demand.

However, the survey notes that businesses on the prowl for these kinds of professionals will have to face a limited talent pool as well as a skills gap.

The survey also revealed that while salaries will likely remain flat in 2016, candidates whose skills are in high demand can look forward to salary hikes of 10 to 20% when switching jobs.

“As organisations vie for the best Singaporean professionals, the hiring landscape in 2016 will be candidate driven. To gain an edge in talent attraction and retention, companies need to look beyond offering attractive salary packages. It is essential to constantly assess interview processes as well as training and development programs for stronger employer branding," commented Toby Fowlston, Managing Director of Robert Walters Southeast Asia.