SINGAPORE: Companies in Singapore say there are long-term advantages to recruiting locals, but bringing foreigners in may still be necessary to plug gaps in manpower and skills.
These employees, who are Singaporeans or permanent residents , understand the local culture better than foreigners, he said, like its bilingual and intensive education system. On the other hand, foreign employees are vulnerable to sudden quota cuts, which are applicable to work permit and S Pass holders, he said.
“They say, ‘wow, I'm not just being posted there but I'm bringing Singapore pride’. represent our culture, our company, but the Singapore pride that go there with and try to set up the same standards of consistency in service and product," he said.
“When the staff see that there are professional opportunities in specialised areas they can excel in and possibly lead the industry in, obviously it gives rise to a lot of commitment and morale,” Mr Lee said. Being on a “growth trajectory” where Iron Chef F&B is opening a few new restaurants a year also helps to attract local workers, he said, as they believe that they are able to develop their career and rise up the ladder quickly if they joined the firm.However, Mr Ho acknowledged that attempts to draw locals to join the company mean making sure salaries paid to them are at or slightly above the F&B industry’s average, and making compromises over their rest days.
“The question, therefore, is how to accept foreigners in the workforce while protecting Singaporean interests, especially when Singaporeans compete with foreigners for desirable medium to high skill jobs. I think there is no simple answer to this,” said Assoc Prof Theseira, who is also a former nominated member of parliament.
“What we do need to remember is that Singapore's main disadvantage is size. Even if Singaporeans are more capable and better educated on average than those from many other countries, the sheer size of many economies produces more talents,” he said.