The results of the highly anticipated 2021 Randstad Employer Brand Awards have been unveiled! It is not a stretch to say that most of us would have heard of these top commercial companies in Singapore. However, we bet everyone is excited to know what made these employers stand out, and how they made it to the list.
The most attractive employers list comes off the back of our Randstad Employer Brand Research. It is the only global independent study that comprehensively captures the workforce sentiments towards key employee value proposition factors from employees and job seekers. Through our research, employers will gain valuable insights to enhance their employer branding strategies, so that they can better attract and retain top talent.
Here’s all that you need to know about the best companies to work for in Singapore 2021.
get to know singapore’s top 10 most attractive employers
1. procter & gamble
The award-winning consumer goods giant is crowned Singapore’s top employer for 2021, and with good reason. Today, Procter & Gamble Singapore is powered by over 2,000 dedicated employees from more than 40 nationalities. An ardent believer in the vast potential of cutting-edge technology, Procter & Gamble plans to invest up to $50 million in total business expenditure in Singapore to further advance digital innovation in the country. Furthermore, it has signalled its intention to train at least 50 employees to embark on novel digital roles.
Long before the onset of the pandemic, the multinational corporation has been a proud champion of the world of flexible work through its flex@work initiative. To safeguard the health of its employees during the COVID-19 crisis, Procter & Gamble further stepped up its remote work arrangements and flexible work schedule policies. To help its employees better cope in these trying times, the company has proactively set up a helpline manned by trained professionals to offer their employees and loved ones greater access to psychosocial support.
2. changi airport group
The pandemic may have sent global aviation and air travel activity into a tailspin, but Changi Airport Group is determined to rise from the rubble. From the transformation of its F&B business with new food delivery service Changi Eats to the implementation of inbound travel insurance coverage for coronavirus-related expenses, the world-class leader has more than proven its resilience and business agility amid difficult circumstances. Changi Airport Group has also leveraged digital innovation to future-proof the airport’s leading status and prepare for a post-COVID-19 environment. Its DIVA (digital, innovation, ventures and analytics) digital factory was recently unveiled to re-invent the airport’s passenger experience and transform operations.
Home to more than 1,800 employees across its diverse business functions, Changi Airport Group is highly committed towards ensuring the welfare of its employees. It has trained and matched airport staff with available jobs within and outside the airport, wherever possible. Changi Airport Group has also worked closely with training providers from SkillsFuture to offer an expansive suite of more than 25 virtual training courses for its airport workers to deepen and broaden their skill-sets during this downtime.
3. sea limited
Regional internet giant Sea is more than just the poster child of Singaporean technology unicorns. Since the start of the pandemic, the 6,000-strong firm has been a key player in supporting the growth and recovery of sectors such as education and retail. Through the government-supported coalition Alliance on Facilitating Smart Commerce, Sea worked with real estate group Capitaland to drive sales and engagement for its malls using gamification. E-commerce platform Shopee, a subsidiary of Sea, also helped brands grow their online presence and optimise their performance with interactive features and data-driven tools, as they evolve to meet changing consumer preferences and shopping behaviour in a digital-first world.
Beyond retail, Sea has made concerted efforts to nurture and grow Singapore’s tech ecosystem, partnering with the National University of Singapore to advance talent development and innovation in key areas such as artificial intelligence(AI) and data science, and establishing its own research lab Sea AI Labs (SAIL). To this end, the company committed to training and hiring more than 500 Singaporeans in areas such as coding and data analytics by 2022.
4. singapore airlines
Not even a global crisis can clip the wings of Singapore Airlines. The local flag carrier airline continues to soar by redefining air travel through digital ingenuity and swiftly adapting to the tricky challenges engendered by the pandemic. For a start, a one-stop platform has been rolled out to streamline communications with employees on COVID-19-related matters. The airline is also looking to leverage revolutionary technology for flight piloting and planning in a post-COVID-19 era.
The world of air travel may have changed, but Singapore Airlines’s commitment to the well-being and development of its employees remains strong. The Enhanced Training Support Package and curation of a myriad of courses have been rolled out for staff to upgrade their skill-sets and increase their competitiveness in the post-pandemic economy. To ensure their safety, Singapore Airlines has ensured that at least 85% of its employees are working from home. The airline has also gone the extra mile to secure the livelihoods of its workers and provide ample opportunities for them to give back to the community or try out new career experiences.
5. DBS
Despite a difficult operating environment, DBS is thriving in the pandemic economy with mass hiring activities and expansion of new growth platforms. To quicken Singapore’s economic recovery and take advantage of global industry trends, Singapore’s largest lender plans to double its recruitment of financial planning advisers by hiring more than 650 wealth planning managers and insurance consultants in 2021.
A game-changer in its own right, DBS has paved the way for novel work practices as it openly embraces new ways of work brought about by the pandemic. It is set to offer its 29,000-strong workforce the option to work remotely up to 40% of the time. In a move to make hybrid work arrangements a permanent fixture for its staff, it has also instituted a two-day work-from-home policy post COVID-19.
6. dyson
The British electric appliance firm employs approximately 1,200 people in Singapore, of whom 350 are engineers and scientists.
To increase its sustainability and stay ahead of the curve, Dyson is set to dive deeper into the realms of artificial intelligence and advanced machine learning. In a bid to double its product portfolio by 2025, Dyson will ramp up its expansion plans in the country and invest nearly $5 billion in new technology such as energy storage, robotics and software. The esteemed maker of bagless vacuum cleaners has also recently announced its intention to create a new global cybersecurity centre and hire 250 engineers and scientists in Singapore over the next five years.
Besides contributing to the local employment and economy, Dyson also encourages young people to pitch in new ideas to solve problems. Run by the James Dyson Foundation, the James Dyson Award encourages and inspires the next generation of design engineers to think creatively and differently to sustainable designs that have the potential to make the world a better place to live in. In 2020, two young engineers in Singapore received the award in their outstanding design to treat knee osteoarthritis.
7. UBS AG
UBS AG, which employs nearly 3,000 people in Singapore, aims to create the financial workforce of the future, and their efforts to achieve this mission have only accelerated amid the pandemic.
To support its staff during the COVID-19 crisis, the Swiss wealth manager has announced its commitment to pay an additional week’s worth of salary to 25,000 employees in less senior positions. The Singapore UBS Programme for Employability and Resilience was also launched mid 2020 to train and help workers gain in-demand skills for the financial services sector. The global investment banking firm, whose Asia-Pacific business posted its best-ever quarterly performance in 2021, is also looking to create over 300 jobs for fresh graduates and mid-career professionals in Singapore.
8. unilever
The consumer goods company stood out during the pandemic with its purpose-driven endeavours and ardent commitment to a diverse and inclusive workplace. Not only is it a key leader in sustainability, it also achieved its gender equality goal - 50/50 gender balance across all managerial roles globally last year - a year ahead of its target.
The world’s biggest soap company has also reiterated its responsibility to help its consumers amid the global pandemic. Unilever had made good on its promise to safeguard lives and livelihoods via its partnership with the National Environment Agency to provide 14,000 care packages to every stallholder in local hawker centres. Not forgetting the ones who have powered their well-loved brands, Unilever has also given its employees a day off as a way of appreciating their hard work during turbulent times.
9. IBM
When the pandemic pushed industries to digitalise and keep pace with innovation, IBM led the charge in supporting front-line industries such as healthcare and life sciences. The company offered high-performance computing resources to advance COVID-19 research and cloud systems that enable healthcare providers to create individualised care plans for patients. The tech giant was also quick to help companies transition to become intelligent enterprises, with a range of services and products aimed at improving workplace productivity and safety using AI and hybrid cloud.
Besides stepping forward with business solutions, IBM focused its efforts on education and reskilling. The firm partnered with schools to implement distance learning tools and curricula, and connected more than 100,000 people to free digital classes and events. On home ground, the US multinational has teamed up with the Infocomm Media Development Authority to train and recruit 300 Singaporeans for positions with emerging technologies such as AI, blockchain and the Internet of Things (IoT).
10. resorts world sentosa
The integrated resort operator is home to Universal Studios Singapore, celebrity chef restaurants and world-class hotels.
The COVID-19 pandemic has hit the tourism sector hard, but this Asia’s premium lifestyle destination resort has rolled with the punches and adeptly redesigned their business operations to cope with the ramifications of the crisis. Besides putting in place enhanced and stringent safe distancing measures for its guests and team members, the global brand legal also sought to continue providing a memorable customer experience to Singaporeans when we stay safe at home. A collection of home exercises, virtual backgrounds, recipes, and edutainment has been curated for their guests to relieve their Resorts World Sentosa memories as they hunker down.
RSW offers free annual health screening, shuttle service, duty meals as well as free attraction tickets and discounts for retail and restaurants within Resorts World for them to bring their family and friends to.
strengthen your employer brand
Navigating a business amid a raging pandemic is no easy feat. Yet the top 10 companies in Singapore have risen to the challenge by devising new brand and HR strategies to sustain their business growth and committing themselves to their employees’ growth and well-being.
If you want to learn more about how you can strengthen your employer brand and make it to the list of Randstad’s Most Attractive Commercial Companies, we have just the right resources for you. Our Employer Branding Research provides you with the latest trends, observations and a clear vision on what having a strong employer brand can do for your business.
Find out more about our HR services and let’s take your employer brand up a notch together.
access the 2021 randstad singapore employer brand research report
The Employer Brand Research is the most representative employer brand study in the world, reaching out to more than 190,000 respondents across 34 markets, including 3,003 who are based in Singapore in January 2021.
