44% of employers struggle to fill vacancies

May 21, 2011

Up to 44 per cent of employers have found it difficult to fill critical positions, said ManpowerGroup in a press release on Friday. -- PHOTO BLOOMBERG

ALMOST half of employers in Singapore have problems filling vacancies in their companies, according to a survey conducted by a human resource firm.
Up to 44 per cent of employers have found it difficult to fill critical positions, said ManpowerGroup in a press release on Friday.
Sales representatives and engineering talents were the hardest to recruit, and have topped the list for at least five years. They are followed by technicians and drivers.
Out of all employers interviewed, one-third felt that applicants tend to lack the skills and experience necessary for the job.
This signals an imbalance between the number of available workers in the workforce and the number of qualified workers.
When asked what strategies employers were pursuing to overcome their difficulties filling positions, the most common responses in Singapore were to enhance benefits packages, focusing more on staff retention and broadening recruitment outside of Singapore .
Close to 40,000 employers across 39 countries and territories were questioned in the survey.
Jobs most in demand in 2011 in Singapore
1. Sales Representative
2. Engineers
3. Technicians
4. Drivers
5. Accounting & Finance Staff
6. IT Staff
7. Skilled Trades
8. Customer Service Representatives & Customer Support
9. Labourers
10. Management / Executive (Management / Corporate)

Jobs most in demand in 2010 in Singapore

1. Sales Representative
2. Engineers
3. Production Operators
4. Teachers
5. Customer Service representatives & Customer Support
6. Drivers
7. Management/Executive (Management/Corporate)
8. IT staff
9. Sales Manager
10. Skilled Trades

Ref;Straitstimes

One in three employers worldwide hit by talent shortage

Recruitment firm Manpower Group's sixth annual talent shortage survey reveals
one in three employers worldwide struggling to fill key vacancies.

It
polled nearly 40,000 employers across 39 countries and territories in the first
quarter of 2011 to determine the extent to which talent shortages are affecting
global labour markets.

The results of the survey released on Friday also
show 44 per cent of employers in Singapore experiencing difficulty filling
critical positions within their organizations. In Singapore, the jobs employers
have most difficulty filling are sales representatives, engineers and
technicians.

Since 2006, when Manpower Singapore started conducting the
survey, the roles of sales representatives and engineers have consistently been
in the top two of the list as difficult positions to fill.

Mr Peter
Haglund, country manager of Manpower Singapore, said businesses need to adopt a
long-term approach to ensuring they have the talent they need to achieve their
business objectives.
09:25 PM May 20, 2011-todayonline