Singapore's Ministry of Manpower reminds employers to notify jobseekers of hiring outcomes
Singapore's Ministry of Manpower is encouraging employers to notify job candidates of their application status "within a reasonable timeframe" amid reports globally of ghosting.
MOM issued the encouragement in response to an inquiry in Parliament on how many complaints it received about employers failing to notify applicants of hiring outcomes.
While the ministry does not track such complaints, it urged employers to maintain communication with job candidates about their application status.
"We encourage employers to inform candidates who attend interviews on how results will be communicated, and to subsequently notify them of the outcome within a reasonable timeframe," MOM said.
"Employers can refer to guides such as the TSRP, the Fair Recruitment and Selection Handbook, and the Tripartite Guidelines for Fair Employment Practices (TGFEP) to strengthen their fair employment practices.
Tripartite Standard on Recruitment Practices
The TSRP refers to Singapore's Tripartite Standard on Recruitment Practices, which encourages employers to implement fair hiring processes, including during job interviews.
"A proper record of the interview, assessment process, test (if any) and job offer made is kept for at least one year," the TSRP reads.
"Unsuccessful candidates are informed of the outcome of the interview."
A total of 6,620 entities, including government agencies, have adopted the TSRP as of May 2026, according to MOM. Signing up for the tripartite standards is voluntary, and there is no penalty due to non-adherence.
The Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP), however, said that in cases of reported non-adherence, it will work with the company and its HR personnel to advise and assist the employer in realigning their policies or system to the TS specifications.
Ghosting job candidates
The inquiry over notifying candidates about hiring outcomes came in the backdrop of research overseas about employers ghosting job candidates.
Recent findings from Resume Genius revealed that 86% of employers have ghosted a candidate because they have too many applicants to respond to.
There are also employers who are revealed to be posting job ads despite not having an immediate intention to fill the vacancies.
The report warned that these practices undermine trust in the hiring system, and may lead to reputational harm for the employer and loss of talent.
