The person every hiring manager wants does not exist
Singapore has more vacancies than job seekers, yet employers say they cannot find the right people. But some of that shortage is of their own making.
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When employers say they cannot find anyone with the right skills, it is fair to ask if they are simply being picky, says the writer.
PHOTO: ST FILE
Timo Gunia
Not long ago, I was helping a Singapore-based investment firm find someone for a specialist role. The job description called for investment experience, knowledge of small and medium-sized enterprises in a particular sector, and experience working with European clients.
On paper, these requirements sounded reasonable, and the salary range seemed sufficiently competitive to attract strong candidates. The trouble was the firm expected the new hire to walk through the door possessing the kind of bespoke institutional knowledge the departing employee had spent years acquiring. And to do this for a package pegged to what that employee had earned years earlier when they joined the firm.