This guide outlines how to hire overseas employees when you set up in Singapore.
Every established business owner knows that the secret to success is hiring good people. A business does best when its staff members understand the role they have to play and when they are motivated to work hard and contribute their talents.
But staffing a whole business with reliable overseas employees is also easier said than done, even if the entrepreneur is going through the process in their own hometown. What more if they choose to set up shop in a foreign country like Singapore?
Luckily, since the Lion City already provides plenty of incentives to entrepreneurs and investors who want to do business in the city-state, the government has also made it easier for them to find qualified overseas employees to staff their companies.
Hiring overseas employees in Singapore
There are various mechanisms in place to support productive and equitable work environments—both for the employer and the employee—and solutions that the former can turn to in order to grow their business.
Clear this part of your business registration Singapore process by heeding the tips below. These should help you come closer to finding the Singapore-based talents that you want in your ranks.
Register Your New Company in Singapore
Before anything else, you must lay out the groundwork of your new business in Singapore by making sure it’s ready to accommodate new employees. Among the things that you should accomplish while you’re setting up shop are the following:
- Choosing a business structure according to the classification system of Singapore’s Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA)
- Registering your unique business name with ACRA
- Applying for a Central Provident Fund (CPF) Submission Number for your CPF contributions as a Singapore employer
- Finding out how much you need to pay for your employees’ Skills Development Levy, which is collected by the Central Provident Fund Board (CPFB) for the SkillsFuture Singapore Agency’s (SSG) Skills Development Fund
- Drafting your employee contracts
- Looking for insurance packages for your employees
In addition to checking off on the items listed above, you should also study Singapore’s labour laws and guidelines for hiring new staff. Foremost among these is Singapore’s Employment Act.
You will need to comply with the Employment Act’s stipulations on maximum hours and days of work per week, CPF contributions, leaves, benefits, insurance, probations, and terminations, among other things, when you’re preparing your company’s employee contracts.
Itemise Your Most Important Positions
Next on your to-do list as a new employer is the task of itemising the job positions you will offer to Singapore-based employees. You will need to decide on which positions you’ll need most given your business structure and the nature of the work you do.
Your final roster of items will also depend on how many employees you need to work at a brick-and-mortar establishment versus employees who will be expected to do remote work, as well as how many employees will work full-time, on a part-time basis, or on a contractual basis.
Determine how many positions you’ll open to Singapore’s labour force and what salary range you can offer them. When you’ve arrived at your list of final items, it will be time to headhunt and to recruit skilled staff.
Recommendations from the Singaporean Government
If you need additional assistance looking for staff for general services or staff who can handle family office operations, you can turn to recruitment networks and manpower providers in Singapore. Moreover, government agencies like Singapore’s Economic Development Board (EDB) will be able to recommend the names of trusted providers that you can contact for recruitment and human resources (HR) services.
EDB’s recommendations span from recruitment and HR to accounting and taxation, incorporation and corporate secretarial services, and even startup consulting. Tap these networks to have an easier time populating your business and getting your company name out there.
Devise and Implement an Interview and Onboarding Process
On your end, you and your management team should devise an interviewing process that will help you screen the best Singapore-based candidates and onboard your new talents seamlessly into your company.
Decide on the basic qualifications that would make someone eligible for a job with your company—especially for higher-level positions—and draft interview questions that will help you find out about their character and what they can contribute to your company.
When you’ve found candidates who’ve shown you enough promise, ensure that they are properly oriented and enrolled into your company’s HR and payroll system. By this time, you should also have an idea of what kind of company culture you want to initiate in your office in Singapore; the only thing left to do is to set it in motion and to lead your employees in your company’s overall vision.
Final Words
This guide should help you get the ball rolling in your recruitment of competent and trustworthy people who can be part of your new Singapore-based business. However, you should remember that this is just the first step towards success in a business environment that’s as competitive as Singapore’s.
After you’ve done the work of hiring new talent, be sure to take care of your people and to encourage their own personal and professional growth. That approach will motivate them to stay with you and to fight for your long-term success as a part of the burgeoning economy of this Southeast Asian powerhouse.
