About 1 of 4 employers in Singapore use temporary staff regularly: survey

It’s up by 4% since last year.

The economic downturn has led Singaporean employers to become more creative with their employment strategies, with 54% saying they have used flexible staffing arrangements with temporary/contractors on the top of their lists.

According to a survey from Hays, the number is up by 8% from the year prior, showing employers are constantly on the hunt for innovative staffing solutions.

Hays added that 18% of organisations in Singapore plan to increase their use of temporary and contract staff this year, while 36% use temporary or contractual staff on special projects depending on necessity.

According to Christine Wright, managing director of Hays in Asia, with the speed of change in today’s global weakness, a flexible workforce is needed to stay competitive.

“Job tenures are decreasing and careers develop by moving organisations to gather additional experience rather than staying with one or two employers for an entire career, making temporary and contract assignments an ideal way to do this,” Wright said.

“At the same time, Asian employers are focusing more attention on the way people want to work. Our research shows work-life balance is increasingly important to candidates across Asia making policies such as flexible hours and leave options a great way for employers to stand out,” she added.