Job redesign might just be the solution to Singapore’s talent crunch

AMID Singapore’s decreasing birth rate, ageing population and the need to re-balance the reliance on foreign labour, it’s time employers explore the “blue ocean” of non-traditional talent segments – but that’s just the half of it. For this to work, businesses will need to provide compelling job propositions to attract and retain these talent segments. Meanwhile, the existing workforce must not be overlooked. They too must be re-engaged in the fight to retain them in Singapore’s workforce.

This is where job redesign becomes imperative. While the concept is easily understood, like any change management (for example, digital and ESG transformations), specialised expertise is required to transform successfully. To facilitate real change, a tripartite collaborative approach involving governmental support, business will, and cooperation of the population is critical. Here, we zoom in on some considerations targeted at these three talent segments:

Caregivers looking to return to the workforce

According to the Labour Force in Singapore 2021 report, there are more than 250,000 family caregivers, of whom close to 240,000 are women, who are looking to re-enter the workforce. The way their job roles are redesigned must suit their season of life. That said, many will need workforce assimilation assistance as they make their re-entry. Employers will need to reimagine how they can strike a balance between driving productivity and building a culture that embraces non-traditional work arrangements. Work should evolve from the traditional “9 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday in the office”, and the real proxy of how well a person is doing at work should be their performance and achievements.