Employers can now screen job applicants faster on portal

A resume preview feature on the MyCareersFuture.sg job portal makes for more efficient screening of job applicants. PHOTO: WORKFORCE SINGAPORE
A resume preview feature on the MyCareersFuture.sg job portal makes for more efficient screening of job applicants. PHOTO: WORKFORCE SINGAPORE

It used to take human resources manager Julie Angelin at least 20 minutes to download resumes and 20 to 25 minutes more to screen those who had responded to her online job advertisements.

But thanks to a new preview feature for employers on the MyCareersFuture.sg portal, it now takes only about 10 minutes to screen relevant candidates. The feature allows her to see at a glance the key skills and work experience of applicants before deciding which resumes to download.

The portal also recommends other candidates whose skills match the job description posted even if they have not applied for that particular post, so long as they have indicated they are open to other career opportunities.

"This helps us to find more candidates based on our requirements," said Ms Angelin, 29, who works at safety training provider August International.

Yesterday, Workforce Singapore (WSG) officially launched the employers segment of the portal, which replaces the Jobs Bank and adds several features based on feedback from companies.

Besides the candidate recommendation and resume preview, another feature allows employers to sort applicants based on how well their skills or experience fit the description in the job post.

These new features aim to help employers save time in identifying suitable and potential candidates, said WSG.

  • 540,000

  • Number of unique users who had registered on the site for job search needs, as of July.

MyCareersFuture.sg uses machine learning tech and aims to match applicants to jobs that best fit their skill sets, as well as highlight jobs that qualify for government support - such as training or wage subsidies - under Adapt and Grow programmes.

As of July, more than 540,000 unique users had registered on the site for job search needs, said WSG in a statement.

WSG chief executive Tan Choon Shian said: "In this digital age where new technology and emerging skills are changing the hiring landscape, it is critical for us to keep pace with the changes to better match job seekers to employers."

Enhancements for the portal will continue to be developed and released. "We will also... conduct regular sessions to gather sentiments on how we can make job matching even more intuitive for job seekers and employers," he said.

Job seekers have been able to look for jobs on the portal since it was launched in April last year, but employers still had to post jobs on the Jobs Bank. The posts were then displayed in MyCareersFuture.sg.

Since last month, employers have been able to post directly on the newer portal, though the Jobs Bank will continue to operate for now, said WSG.

Companies with at least 10 workers have to post ads for positions paying under $15,000 a month on the portal for at least two weeks before they can apply for an Employment Pass for the job.

While working on the employer segment of the site, WSG gathered feedback from more than 200 local employers from January to May, and tested new features created by job-matching technology providers WCC and JobKred.

One of the employers' main requests was for better and more relevant matches through the portal, WSG said.

August International has hired two safety coordinators through MyCareersFuture.sg so far, and Ms Angelin said the portal has helped her in her work, especially in replacing staff who leave suddenly.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on September 09, 2019, with the headline Employers can now screen job applicants faster on portal. Subscribe