Opinion: Good candidates are still getting snapped up

We are 4 weeks into Singapore’s circuit breaker and at first glance, things seem bleak. We have seen companies going through layoffs, employees put on unpaid leave, and it feels like every company is going through a global hiring freeze. However, every cloud has a silver lining (there are still companies that are continuing to hire, seemingly unaffected and focusing on growing their talent within their organisation such as FinTech, MarTech, MedTech and eCommerce sectors. The digital sector remains a candidate-driven market as strong profiles are undeniably sought after even during a global crisis like this.

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In a challenging time like this, hiring has slowed down, and roles have evolved slightly to adapt to the ever-changing situation. Sitting in the digital space, we are lucky to be working with some amazing businesses seizing this opportunity amidst the pandemic to build a strong team behind them.

While hiring has indeed taken a backseat in most companies, others are on their front foot and moving interview processes along – the roles that I am working on reminds me of this. I am still consistently in touch and connecting with talents during this period.

Interestingly, at least half of the candidates I caught up with last week were presented with compelling offers and are now getting ready to start their new exciting roles.  

Although in general people tend to be conservative about switching jobs in uncertain times, my phone keeps lighting up with notifications from LinkedIn prompting me to congratulate people who have just started their new roles. 

Clients and companies that are continuing to hire should focus on keeping the hiring process ongoing and to minimize delays if possible. Candidates should focus on preparing for video interviews, work through their relevant skillset and experience for the roles they applied for, conduct thorough research about the organisations before interviews and follow up closely after each interview.

As we move towards the end of circuit breaker, I am confident of a better time ahead and continue to look forward to helping businesses ramp up their hiring processes with the right individuals for their teams.

Ultimate Asset are a leading global digital recruitment agency servicing sectors that include Digital Media, AdTech, Media Planning, Media Buying, Digital Marketing, Creative, Digital Sales and Tech/Data & Analytics.