86% of Singapore employees open to hearing from a headhunter

Despite 65% of Singapore's workforce being passive in their job hunt, more than four in every five employees are open to hearing about a possible new job from recruiter.

Employees in India (45%) and Malaysia (36%) top Asia Pacific in actively exploring new job opportunities however, with Singapore coming third at 35%.

According to the 2015 Talent Trends study, close to half of those in Singapore actively in pursuit of a new job are currently satisfied in their jobs, compared to a 76% satisfaction rate amongst passive candidates.

So what does this mean for hiring managers?

The top finding is that social professionals networks, such as LinkedIn, would be the best bet to nab these candidates, as they are used by 63% of Singaporeans, the highest percentage in APAC.

Malaysia came in second, at 59%, followed by India at 57%. Indonesia ranked fourth at 56%.

ALSO READ:

60% of job seekers in Malaysia use social media Why HR is still struggling with social media

The survey added that online job boards were the second most-popular channel (60%) that local talent rely on to find new job opportunities.

More than half (55%) of Singapore professionals also stated they rely on word-of-mouth for information regarding new positions.

“With the sheer talent in the work force and a robust job market in Singapore, companies may not have trouble in hiring. The bigger question is how companies can attract the best talent and hire the right person for the job,” said Feon Ang, head of talent Solutions, Asia Pacific and Japan at LinkedIn.

The report also stressed that employers should also place more value on the interview process if they wish to hire the right talent.

READ MORE: Would you ask these 10 questions in a job interview?

Globally, 87% of professionals said that a positive interview experience can change their mind about a role or company they doubted, and likewise, a negative experience can reverse that perception (83%).

During an interview, 74% of professionals in Singapore stated would like to meet their prospective managers. The percentage was higher than in Malaysia (62%) and in Indonesia (44%).

10% of Singapore professionals also said they would like to meet a team member during an interview.

Image: Shutterstock