[SINGAPORE] Recruiters in Singapore revealed that less than half of job applications met the necessary qualifications for roles over the past year, based on surveys conducted by LinkedIn.
The surveys found that one in two Singapore hiring professionals said it became increasingly challenging to locate qualified talent. The most prominent hiring roadblock was difficulty in finding candidates with the right soft skills for a role, with 50 per cent of respondents describing it as a top challenge, while 44 per cent indicated that candidates’ lack of technical skills for a role ranked among the largest obstacles.
LinkedIn surveyed more than 8,000 human resources (HR) professionals globally in 2024, including respondents in Singapore, to capture hiring and talent trends, the professional networking site said in a report on Thursday (May 8).
Evolving global trends appeared to have shaped the nature of role requirements, with talent gaps for technical capabilities most frequently observed in artificial intelligence, information technology, and environmental and sustainability skills.
Additionally, 40 per cent of the hiring professionals indicated that they observed an increase in the amount of applications that were unsuitable for the role.
Simultaneously, LinkedIn’s data revealed that labour markets tightened for job seekers, with the number of job postings per applicant in Singapore falling 8 per cent over the last year. “This means stiffer competition, with more graduates chasing fewer roles today,” said the company.
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This is not a trend isolated to Singapore – globally, 55 per cent of Gen Z job seekers said finding employment in the last year has become more difficult, the report stated.
While attracting talent remains a challenge, retaining existing employees may prove critical for employers in the year ahead, with 69 per cent of employees revealing that internal career growth opportunities would incline them to remain with their current employer. These opportunities include learning and development support, job rotations or transfers, as well as lateral mobility, LinkedIn said.
“This serves as a signal for HR and talent teams to adjust their strategies, placing a stronger emphasis on skills to better attract, hire and retain top talent within their organisations,” a spokesperson said.
HR teams have not taken this for granted, with the highest number of respondents describing upskilling and reskilling (33 per cent) as their largest focus over talent acquisition (22 per cent). As hiring slows in a period of economic strain, 78 per cent of respondents agreed that their businesses should continue to build talent pipelines.
In April, Manpower Minister Tan See Leng commented that fresh graduates and mature workers may face employment struggles due to a global economic slowdown, as trade uncertainty continues.
Dr Tan co-leads one of three workstreams on the Singapore economic resilience task force, focusing on identifying challenges faced by workers and businesses due to US President Donald Trump’s tariffs and providing support. He said the workstream would explore measures to support the upcoming cohort of fresh graduates to “start their careers on good footing”.
