Do employers seek your skills in Singapore?

Employers in Singapore are creating new permanent positions in a number of areas this quarter due to continued business expansion. Momentum is also building in the temporary/contract jobs market as more organisations and employees are seeing the value that these positions can add.

There is a growing trend for companies in Singapore to opt for hiring new employees on a temporary-to-permanent basis instead of committing directly to a permanent hire. This enables them to first trial employees on a temporary contract before offering a permanent full-time position.

Meanwhile, candidates are also becoming more willing to accept these kinds of assignments, indicating a high level of candidate confidence in Singapore's tight talent market. So what skills will be needed in the third quarter of this year?

In accountancy & finance we continue to see many new roles in commerce with employers recruiting candidates with strong SAP skills. Big 4 trained CPA qualified Accountants are particularly sought after at multinational corporations (MNCs). Meanwhile, a high turnover rate at Finance Manager level is creating new openings in mid-level roles.

Within professional services firms, management consulting continues to be a growth area. Candidates that have experience advising financial services clients or working in larger strategy houses are in especially high demand. Experienced Internal Auditors, Compliance professionals, and Indirect Tax professionals are also sought after.

We expect this quarter to be a busy period for banking recruitment in Singapore. As commodity firms are now strengthening their risk teams, we're seeing a high demand for Credit Analysts due to a few high profile fraud cases within the sector in the last year.

Banks are also underpinning their financial crime teams as sanctions have become a key area due to the global nature of banking. Other areas of demand include trade finance in the shipping industry and client onboarding at global banks.

In construction, we’re continuing to see a high demand for Senior Quantity Surveyors with local pre- and post-contracts experience as these professionals can have a major impact on a company's ability to secure projects.

Project or Construction Managers are needed for fit out contracts as existing buildings across Singapore are going through upgrades and refurbishment. When the high volume of rail work resumes again in the coming months, Tunnel Managers are also expected to be in demand.

We're also seeing a steady flow of both new and replacement roles in Singapore's insurance jobs market which are creating demand for candidates with specialised skills.

An increase in interest from high-net-worth individuals in purchasing universal life policies from companies licensed in Singapore has seen strong demand emerge for Universal Life Insurance Brokers. Also, Reinsurance Brokers are highly sought.

The ongoing shortage of skilled and experienced professionals in Singapore's life sciences industry continues with Field Service Engineers, Category Managers, and Salespeople among the candidates topping the list of skills in demand.

Even though restrictions have been placed on companies looking to employ foreign workers, opportunities still exist for people from abroad who are looking for life sciences opportunities in Singapore.

There are many more skills currently sought by employers in Singapore. Jobs are also available in architecture, IT, contact centres, human resources, office professionals, engineering, procurement, property, sales & marketing, supply chain and oil & gas.

To see the full list of skills in demand and trends for your industry, visit the Hays Quarterly Report.