5 reasons why ICT professionals are rejecting their job offers

About 41% cited negative impressions towards the hiring manager as their reason.

Randstad’s Tech Talent Expectation Survey for 2021 revealed that there are five reasons why information and communications technology (ICT) professionals in Singapore are rejecting their jobs.

The top reason selected by 59% of those surveyed was the mismatch between the advertised job scope and the actual job requirements.

Apart from the mismatch, job opportunities are also being turned down during the interview process by two in five or 41% of the tech talents surveyed due to negative impressions towards the hiring manager.

This was more evident amongst tech workers aged 18 to 24, with 64% citing the same reason.

Meanwhile, 39% dropped out of the interview because the interviewer did not understand the job they were hiring for.

Other reasons stated by those surveyed were negative employee or candidate reviews (38%) and that they are comfortable at their current company (36%).

Tech candidates are also “highly selective” in accepting job interviews, with about 38% accepting less than a quarter of interview requests they receive, and 46% taking on half or more.

Forty-eight per cent (48%) of the respondents said they receive interview requests at least once a month or more often.

Daljit Sall, senior director of the Information Technology recruitment team at Randstad Singapore, said companies seeking tech talents must provide them candidates with “exceptionally compelling” job opportunities.

“Strong motivating factors for job seekers include working for companies that are at the forefront of innovation and having abundant opportunities to trial new technologies,” Sall said.

The study said ICT professionals, particularly those belonging to Gen Z (57%), would accept interview requisitions if the company offers “an interesting project scope and/or opportunity to upskill.”

About 96% of professionals are looking into switching their specialisation if given the choice, according to the study.

Twenty-one per cent (21%) of ICT professionals said they are eyeing to specialise in  “cybersecurity,” which 53% of them also ranked as the top specialisation which is lacking in tech talent.

In terms of the type of organisation they wish to work for, ICT professionals prefer working in Western (57%) and Asian (43%) global enterprises.

Younger tech talents, on the other hand, picked unicorn start-ups (43%) as their top choice.

“Younger tech candidates are likely more keen to work at unicorns because of the perceived benefits such as working with peers of a similar age, or the opportunity to be at the forefront of exciting consumer tech,” Sall said.