Flexible staffing, employee upskilling seen as measures to address workforce gaps
Most employers in Singapore are reporting challenges in hiring tech talent, with many resorting to flexible staffing and upskilling employees to fill their workforce gaps.
This is according to the latest State of Tech Talent report from General Assembly, which for the first time looked into the trends specific to Singapore, particularly how HR leaders are closing skills gaps.
The report found that 95% of employers in Singapore are reporting at least some difficulty in hiring tech talent, including five per cent saying it has been "extremely difficult" this year.
More than half of employers (58%) said data analytics and data science positions are the hardest to fill, as demand for applied data skills outpaces supply.
Diversifying access to talent
To address their hiring challenges, HR leaders in Singapore are diversifying how they access talent, including tapping on freelancers or contingent workers (33%) and hiring full-time staff (33%).
There is also a shift towards cross-border talent models, where 74% of Singaporean employers are already outsourcing or planning to outsource their talent to avoid visa complications.
According to the report, 17% of employers have begun outsourcing talent, while 57% are planning to do so.
Upskilling also on the rise
Meanwhile, the report further found that upskilling is becoming more popular in workplaces, but the cost of doing so is continuing to hold employers back.
More than half (58%) of the respondents cited financial constraints as a key obstacle to employee training investment, while 37% cited time constraints.
"Employers want to train. The challenge is funding it at scale," the report read.
The findings come as employers in Singapore are found to be more likely to rely on internally developed training programmes (37%) and offer stipends for self-directed learning (34%).
"Upskilling in Singapore tends to happen inside the organisation rather than through external vendors," the report read.
It comes as 69% of employers believe that upskilling will play a major role in filling talent gaps this year.
When it comes to developing AI skills, half of the respondents believe that building these skills should be shared equally between employers and employees.
"The findings highlight a clear shift in how organisations and individuals are approaching AI skills, with growing recognition that upskilling must be a shared responsibility," said Sima Sadaat, Country Manager, General Assembly Singapore, in a statement.
"In Singapore's tech-driven economy, the ability to apply AI effectively is essential across roles, not just in technical functions."
