<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR>Hiring local
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->'Hard when Singaporeans are choosy.'
MR KANG KEE BENG: 'I am a human resource executive for a cleaning company. When we advertised for local cleaners, the response was tremendous. We received more than 100 calls, but not a single candidate took up our job offer. The common reasons were: their homes were too far from the workplace, they had to change bus and train routes, the working hours were too long, the pay was low, the job scope was unacceptable, and they wanted to work only for an employer of a specific religion. They rejected offers even though my company is located at four different places and has three different schedules of working hours, as well as a flexi part-time working schedule. We are more than willing to answer the call to go local in filling vacancies, but it is hard when Singaporeans are choosy. Employing foreigners is not easy either, especially after the Ministry of Manpower raised the criteria for standards, quality and productivity and tightened the foreign worker quota.'
Staffing dilemma
'We are stuck.'
MR RICHARD WONG: 'Our food and beverage company has advertised for service staff for the past three months and not a single Singaporean has responded. Instead, foreigners have responded to our ads but we do not have the requisite quota. It is impossible to operate a food outlet without sufficient manpower. Small and medium-sized F&B outlets face a staffing crunch. It is impossible to expand our business because it is so hard to find local workers. But if Singaporeans do not accept our job offers, we are stuck because of the strict Ministry of Manpower quota.'
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->'Hard when Singaporeans are choosy.'
MR KANG KEE BENG: 'I am a human resource executive for a cleaning company. When we advertised for local cleaners, the response was tremendous. We received more than 100 calls, but not a single candidate took up our job offer. The common reasons were: their homes were too far from the workplace, they had to change bus and train routes, the working hours were too long, the pay was low, the job scope was unacceptable, and they wanted to work only for an employer of a specific religion. They rejected offers even though my company is located at four different places and has three different schedules of working hours, as well as a flexi part-time working schedule. We are more than willing to answer the call to go local in filling vacancies, but it is hard when Singaporeans are choosy. Employing foreigners is not easy either, especially after the Ministry of Manpower raised the criteria for standards, quality and productivity and tightened the foreign worker quota.'
Staffing dilemma
'We are stuck.'
MR RICHARD WONG: 'Our food and beverage company has advertised for service staff for the past three months and not a single Singaporean has responded. Instead, foreigners have responded to our ads but we do not have the requisite quota. It is impossible to operate a food outlet without sufficient manpower. Small and medium-sized F&B outlets face a staffing crunch. It is impossible to expand our business because it is so hard to find local workers. But if Singaporeans do not accept our job offers, we are stuck because of the strict Ministry of Manpower quota.'
