The pandemic has severely impacted economic activity and has led to job losses on a global scale. COVID-19 and the employment scene in Singapore are directly correlated as many companies need to downsize and alter their business models to cope with lockdowns. With many unemployed people looking for work, there is an increased need for job portals in Singapore.
The largest job portal in Singapore
As the leading job site in Asia, Monster has added several campaigns to help employees affected by the pandemic. One of these additions is a “COVID-19 Resources” tab on their homepage that provides helpful information for unemployed users. This webpage includes specific COVID-19 job support as well as work-from-home jobs in an effort to get Singaporeans back to work safely.
Job seekers can also click on a button that lets employers know the applicant’s work history. The users can share that their previous job was affected by the pandemic and that they are available for work immediately. In addition, Monster lists the top skills that are in demand as well as companies that are ramping up their hiring efforts.
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Monster also provides career advice and helps job-seekers to build stronger, more compelling resumes. Through these and other efforts, it is easy to see the commitment the company has for helping people find quick, alternate employment and get back to work in these difficult times.
Making seeking jobs easy
Monster saw a gap that needed addressing: matching job opportunities to job seekers and making finding employment during this trying time easier for everyone. It added thousands of new jobs and organised them into easily searchable terms. Job seekers using the platform can search for jobs by skills, title, function, industry, or company. In this way, not only is Monster now the largest job portal in Singapore, its search filters make it easy to find a good fit amongst the thousands of opportunities available.
The recruitment platform also offers unique solutions to enable virtual career fairs, college placement programs and added a virtual recruitment process to help both applicants and businesses have a safe and smooth method of finding each other.
Committed to creating job opportunities
With over 80 thousand new jobs on the platform, Monster has become the ‘go-to’ option for job seekers in Southeast Asia. John Sujo, Monster SEA Head, reinforced the firm’s commitment to recruitment when he stated, “At Monster, we have made it our priority to continuously support organizations as they try to restructure their hiring practices. Our expertise in providing a platform to match job seekers belonging to any industry and skill set with the right employer will aid organizations to hire the right local talent. Additionally, Monster’s huge database of local talent and a plethora of services help businesses to hire best-in-class employees for in-demand jobs. As an organization, we are committed to Singapore to accelerate job opportunities for every Singaporean.”
The draw of startups
One area in particular that stands to benefit from Monster’s COVID-19 initiatives are startup companies. Fast-growing startups are thriving in Singapore, and many see the need to upskill workers and are creating new job opportunities by heavily recruiting even during a global pandemic.
Most startups can quickly pivot their business model to fit new lockdown regulations and employ remote teams. They can also institute more virtual meetings and online events, and therefore can hire a more diverse range of people to fill open positions.
They can offer more flexibility and innovation with less bureaucracy in the workplace which are appealing aspects to recent graduates looking for work.
In these trying times, those who have recently lost work or are looking to change careers might also see the benefits of working at a startup. Local newspaper Today interviewed several “mid-career workers” to see if any would be willing to work for a startup in these uncertain economic times. Their responses were mixed, but some seemed to be willing to give it a shot: “If the opportunity arises, why not, it’s part of a career change. Right now, everyone is trying to look for a job, we are looking for whatever we can. In this situation, you cannot be so choosy.”
Despite all the unknowns, government bodies, businesses, and communities in the country have invested heavily in upskilling human resources and strengthening the local economy. There has been a major shift in the employment scene in Singapore due to COVID-19.
The shift has led to a rise in the usage of job portals in Singapore, allowing Monster to become a leading employment website in Asia. Startups are adding more job postings to Monster, which benefits both the unemployed seeking new work and the budding companies looking to grow. A win-win situation for all involved.