Demand slumps for Singapore HR professionals

Comparing job vacancies posted online, there is a clear decline in the demand for HR practitioners. Why is this and what can HR do about it?

Overall demand for HR and admin professionals has continued to decrease in Singapore, with negative growth between January 2015 and 2016.
 
This data came from the latest Monster Employment Index (MEI) which looks at online recruitment activity in various industries and occupations.
 
Year-on-year growth for Singapore was -4% in January 2016 with the number of online posts for open HR & admin roles dropping from 91 to 87. This was a slight improvement from the -5% year-on-year rate found in December 2015 with posts decreasing from 100 to 95.
 
This means HR professionals may still struggle to find work if seeking to change jobs. However, the decrease in demand is not quite as bad as it was at the end of last year.
 
Sanjay Modi, managing director of Monster.com for India, Middle East, Southeast Asia & Hong Kong, told HRD that current economic conditions were causing this slump in demand.
 
“Feeling the pinch of the weak economic conditions, some employers have become more watchful over the output of company resources and would be prudent with their spending, especially on new hires,” he said.
 
He added that firms are also still likely to undergo restructuring with new measures to maximise resources by tapping into the existing workforce and equipping employees with skills to move along their career paths or even wear multiple hats on the job.
 
“As such, employers are not in a hurry to hire,” he stated.
 
For Singaporean HRD professionals seeking work, Modi advised remaining optimistic and readjusting expectations when looking for vacancies in these fields.
 
“On top of that, they will need to stay on top of any development or changes in the industry to remain relevant to the workforce,” he said.
 
Related stories:
 
How will demand affect your salary in HR?
 
Demand for HR professionals set to skyrocket
 
Hiring trends for 2016: Where does HR stand?

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