Check out why companies want to hire non-Singaporeans

It isn't about the low cost of labor.

According to a recent JobStreet.com survey, it was revealed that employers and employees shared differing views with regards to the contributions of non-Singaporeans in the company.

Here's more from JobStreet.com:

Of the 1,400 Singaporean jobseekers and 200 employers who participated in the survey, 93% indicated that their companies hire non-Singaporeans, making up an average of 30% - 50% of the company’s workforce.

Interestingly, employers and employees did not share the same views with regards to foreign hire. Low cost of labor, which 66% of locals considered as the reason for hire, was in fact only a pull factor to 16% of employers. 40% of employers shared the sentiment that the flexibility of non-Singaporeans to take up jobs that locals avoid was the main reason for hire.

The survey further established that local employees felt strongest about wages being potentially depressed by lower-cost foreign labor. Another concern was losing employment and career advancement opportunities to non-Singaporeans.

Anthony Ung, Country Manager of JobStreet.com Singapore commented “Based on the over 35,000 job postings available on JobStreet.com every month, we do see many local employers adopting the “Singaporean-First” policy when hiring. It will be beneficial for local employees to focus on putting their best effort forward rather than speculating about the threats of a co-worker. Very often, these speculations are not reflective of what their employers may think.”

27% of locals surveyed expressed that they saw value in working with non-Singaporeans. Amongst the reasons cited, non-Singaporeans were thought to be less demanding at work and better skilled in their area of work compared to Singaporeans.

47% of the employers surveyed reaffirmed their decision to hire non-Singaporeans, citing lower employee turnover rate as the key benefit. Other benefits cited include non-Singaporeans having fewer demands at work and being more willing to put in longer hours at work.