S'pore workers in big demand for key jobs abroad

Headhunters from India, Vietnam, Middle East and China wooing them


SINGAPOREANS are emerging as the 'foreign talent' of choice among employers in Asia and the Middle East, say headhunters seeking top managers.

'Singapore has traditionally been known as an importer of talent, but it has now gained a reputation for being a talent source itself,' said Mr Mark Ellwood, managing director of executive recruitment agency Robert Walters.

Singapore Human Resource Institute executive director David Ang said that generally, regional demand for Singaporean managers has gone up by between 30 per cent and 40 per cent in the past two years. Hundreds are being sought after in the wealth management industry alone, Mr Ang said.

The popularity of Singaporeans has risen in recent years, surging ahead of Hong Kongers and Malaysians.

Five headhunting companies The Straits Times spoke to said Singaporeans are wanted for middle to senior positions in areas that Singapore enjoys a strong international reputation, namely finance, IT, manufacturing, pharmaceutical and health care.

While China and India used to be the key destinations, Vietnam and the Middle East have now joined the search for talent from Singapore, headhunters told The Straits Times.

These trends are in line with an observation made by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the Administrative Service Dinner two weeks ago, when he noted that Singaporeans are being talent-hunted in Asia because of the Singapore brand name.

He said that in China, for example, many chief financial officers are Singaporeans because of their reputation for 'competence and integrity'.

Headhunters listed three other reasons for the popularity of Singaporeans: strong language skills, lower wages and diverse cross-cultural work experience.

Mr Declan O'Sullivan of Kerry Consulting said: 'Someone from, say, Illinois who wants to set up a business in China will need bilingual people with experience working in a MNC. This is where the Singapore play becomes quite strong.'

Singaporean managers are also cheaper. Back home, they draw pay that is, on average, between 20 per cent and 30 per cent lower than their Hong Kong counterparts, said Ms Florence Ng of Michael Page International (Singapore).

But Singaporeans' single biggest asset is their cross-cultural experience.

According to the latest Perc Comparative Country Risk Report, Singapore-based managers were rated the best out of 14 global economies, including the United States, Hong Kong and Australia, in terms of their cultural bridging skills.

'With so many MNCs in Singapore, companies understand the training and experience that people get here is potentially as good as that in the US or UK,' said Mr Ellwood.

Headhunters agree that as Asia continues to grow and prosper, Singaporeans will have an even bigger role. Some, like Hudson's Mr Mark Sparrow, are confident that they will soon become the global CEOs of tomorrow.

He said: 'The unique blend of exposure to international techniques and processes and a very well-educated workforce can only enhance their potential abilities.'

One of those who has been headhunted for a top job abroad is Mr William Chua, 31. He was approached by his former boss to join Qatar Airways' head office in Doha.

He jumped ship, leaving his Singapore-based airline. Now, the airline reservations manager draws an annual pay package of about $100,000 - twice what he got back home.