askST Jobs: Is your job vulnerable to offshoring?

In this series, manpower correspondent Tay Hong Yi offers practical answers to questions on navigating workplace challenges and getting ahead in your career. Get more tips by signing up to

The Straits Times’ Headstart newsletter.

Q: How do I preserve my job prospects against offshoring?

A: Offshoring is the practice of shifting work from one country to another, usually for reasons such as cost or greater availability of the required skills in another market.

Workers caught up in the shift may be at risk of retrenchment if there is no more work of the sort they have been doing where they are based and there are no clear-cut alternative roles to transfer them to.

To discern how vulnerable you are to offshoring, and hence decide on your next steps, you need to first understand the nature of your role.

Jobs with repetitive work performed through digital tools and driven by highly standardised, formal processes tend to be more vulnerable to offshoring, says Mr Ravi Nippani, head of regional industries and solutions at Mercer Asia.

These roles involve tasks that can be more readily standardised and scaled up at pace with new hiring, he notes.

Examples of such roles include transactional finance, information technology (IT) support, data entry or data processing, and IT testing and maintenance, Mr Nippani says.

“Because these tasks can be easily documented and transferred, and do not require deep business context or physical presence, they are often the first to be considered for offshoring, especially in situations where cost optimisation is a priority,” say Mr Lyon Poh and Mr James Wilson of professional services firm KPMG, in a joint response.

Mr Poh is partner and head of corporate transformation for KPMG in Singapore, and Mr Wilson is partner in technology consulting.

“Roles with high variability, strategic decision-making, deep domain expertise, or strong customer-facing responsibilities remain harder to offshore and are typically more resilient,” Mr Nippani says.

If it is any consolation, cost is not the only consideration for successful offshoring, so companies might not offshore simply for the sake of lowering cost.

Successful offshoring is also about maintaining quality and continuity of work, as well as alignment with the prevailing company culture, say the two KPMG partners.

Moreover, offshoring is becoming less attractive as labour costs rise in traditional offshore markets, and as younger generations globally show less interest in taking on such roles for the long term, they say.

“It is increasingly important for organisations to carefully consider whether offshoring is the right strategy, as the trade-offs in culture, quality, and long-term workforce sustainability can outweigh the initial cost benefits.”

The rise of artificial intelligence may also prompt leaders to look towards reworking job tasks to be augmented by the technology, instead of shifting the role away, they add.

If your work still feels vulnerable to offshoring, Mr Nippani suggests identifying higher-value activities such as those involving integrating different systems together, or managing artificial intelligence (AI) technology. Then, find ways to gain these skills for yourself, such as through formal training.

It is also a good idea to seek opportunities to contribute to cross-functional or strategic projects, he adds.

“Be open to change and to roles in managing, training, or integrating offshore teams,” Mr Nippani says.

Dealing with offshoring risk does not always mean making a drastic career shift, say Mr Nippani and the KPMG experts.

“Rather than viewing this as a need to change careers entirely, individuals should consider how they can evolve their existing role by embracing new tools and responsibilities that AI complements rather than replaces,” say Mr Poh and Mr Wilson.

“Seeking more job security doesn’t always mean making a drastic career shift. Often, it’s about deepening expertise, broadening capabilities, and positioning oneself in areas that are more resilient to change.”

Learning how to work alongside AI or taking on responsibilities that involve decision-making, innovation or stakeholder engagement can significantly reduce vulnerability, they say.

If these are available, you may also consider shifting to similar roles that are more anchored to physical infrastructure, such as a production plant or data centre, in a fixed location, either at another employer or with the same employer.

Such roles tend to be more resilient since the physical presence cannot be as readily moved away.

Still, doing so in isolation does not completely make you immune to offshoring, as the job can still be more gradually automated or relocated, Mr Nippani notes.

If you do pivot to another career entirely, he suggests you seek opportunities that offer leverage for your strengths in related fields and clearer growth paths within the same organisation or industry.

Mr Nippani also encourages workers to proactively discuss career pathways with their current managers.

This can include outlining a staged plan to transition within the company, or to adjacent roles, rather than waiting for a layoff, he says.

Similarly, Mr Poh and Mr Wilson say it is wise for workers who are concerned about offshoring to raise the topic with their managers, but to do so constructively.

“Framing the conversation around how they can better support the team’s future direction or contribute to innovation shows initiative and adaptability, rather than fear and resistance.

“This approach not only helps the individual gain clarity on their role’s trajectory, but also positions them as a valuable contributor in a transforming workplace.”

Have a question? Send it to

askst@sph.com.sg