In the past year 54 per cent of employers across Singapore have used flexible staffing arrangements with temporary/contractors the most popular option, according to the 2016 Hays Asia Salary Guide. This is up eight per cent on the year prior, showing employers are more commonly looking for innovative staffing solutions.

The Guide, based on a survey of more than 3,000 employers across China, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia and Singapore representing over six million employees, shows 18 per cent of organisations in Singapore plan to increase their use of temporary and contract staff this year.

Nearly a quarter (22 per cent) of the employers in Singapore now use temporary/contract staff on a regular, ongoing basis – up four per cent compared to the previous Hays survey. A further 36 per cent of employers use temporary and contract staff on special projects as needed.

Looking ahead and around the region, a significant 66 per cent of employers across Asia intend to continue their use of temporary staffing solutions this year.

Flexible work options are also gaining popularity across Asia with 70 per cent of the employers surveyed offering flexible work hours and 49 per cent allowing some employees to work from home known as “flex-place”.

A further 29 per cent of employers offer part-time employment opportunities; 19 per cent increased maternity/paternity leave, 16 per cent career breaks, 13 per cent flexible leave options, 10 per cent job sharing and two per cent phased retirement.

“Given the speed of change most organisations have to navigate in today’s global business environment, being able to tap into a flexible workforce is vital to staying competitive,” says Christine Wright, Managing Director of Hays in Asia.

See: Benefits, Hiring and Salary Increase Plans of Employers in Singapore for 2016

“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.”

“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,” said Christine.

With employers expecting skills shortage to be a challenge in 2016 with increasing salary pressures, employers in Singapore are now realigning their efforts to focus on strategies such as developing their pipeline of female talent and remaining open to recruiting from overseas.

The Hays Asia Salary Guide shows that 11 per cent of employers in Singapore plan to increase salaries this year by six to 10 per cent. A further seven per cent plan increases above 10 per cent while seven per cent do not plan any increases.

Looking at the next review period by country, China leads the salary field with 60 per cent of employers planning to increase salaries by six to 10 per cent. Conversely 63 per cent of employers in Japan plan increases of only up to three per cent. Like Singapore, the majority of employers in Hong Kong and Malaysia plan salary increases of between three and six per cent.

Also read: Global Opportunities and Disruptions Impacting the World of Work in Future

Image credit: sg.jobsdb.com