Singapore
Capital
City: Singapore City
Population: 5.3M
GDP (nominal) 2012
- Total US$270B
- Per capita US$50.3K
GDP: (PPP)
2008
- Total US$327B
- Per capita US$61.0K
Corruption
Perceptions Index (2012): 87
Rank: 5th
Currency:
Singapore dollar (SGD)
Dominant
Religion: mixed
Languages:
English (widely spoken), Malay, Chinese, Tamil
Government: Parliamentary Republic
Background:
Singapore
is considered a strong regional hub of Southeast Asia. It has
superb infrastructure, efficient government and the most
number of regional head-offices of multinational
companies.
Expatriates
often call Singapore "Asia for beginners" since it is so
easy to adapt to. People new to Asia think they are really in Asia
because Singaporeans use chop-sticks, speak Chinese and even look
Chinese. Don't be fooled, the rest of Asia is very
different.
It
used to be common for Singaporeans to refer to themselves as
"bananas" -- yellow-skinned but white on the
inside. Today, that self-deprecating comment is less common as
Singaporeans become more self-assured in their place as a leading
global power (although small in size).
Singaporeans
have had a remarkable success of building their small country from
a malarial swamp a few decades ago into a cocoon of efficiency and
opulence. Others in the region are learning from their
success and Singapore is finding itself under pressure from
countries like Malaysia and Philippines where costs are lower and
human resources more available.
Appraisal
of Management Talent
Available
Types:
Singapore
is considered a regional hub of Southeast Asia and, as a result, there are
a diverse range of Singaporean and international managers
available. It is common to group local managers into 3 ethnic groups:
Singaporean-Chinese, Singaporean-Malay and
Singaporean-Indian. There are various perceptions of
suitability among these groups.
Localized
expatriate managers are also widely available in Singapore. There
is virtually no cost differential between these people and local
Singaporean managers.
Education
Standards:
Singapore
has an ample supply of managers with international quality
education. In past years, the government and parents
encouraged young people to obtain degrees abroad to broaden their
skills. More recently, Singaporean universities have
developed to such an extent that there doesn't seem to be the same
focus on overseas education today.
Candidate
Experience:
Perceptions
are that local managers are able to perform at
international levels. The large number of multinational
companies with regional head-quarters in the country means that a
large number of professionals have been developed to staff these
organizations.
As well, Singapore has developed strong world-class companies. Organizations such SingTel, DBS,
Singapore Airlines, Keppel, Flextronics, among many others, operate
at international standards and have developed exceptional people.
Career
Stability:
Singapore has been a fast growth economy for many years and
it is brimming with well paid career opportunities. The
country’s superb transportation systems mean that changing jobs
is as easy as changing subway stops.
The result is that job stability has suffered.
European and Japanese managers, in particular, are often
dismayed that supposedly senior managers in Singapore have a history of
frequent job changes.
Language
Skills:
English
is widely spoken in Singapore. Most experienced Singaporean managers
have excellent international English communications skills as well
as Chinese and other Asian languages.
Candidate
Mobility:
Singaporean
managers are often interested to relocate to other so-called
advanced countries in Asia and the west. However, they can
be resistant to relocate to less developed emerging countries in
Southeast Asia such as Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam.
Most see such postings as a step backward in their career and will not be
interested without substantial financial incentives.
Candidate
Motivation:
Singaporeans
are career motivated professionals. They are not motivated
by empty promises or psychological techniques that pull on their
heart-strings. They are inspired by whatever will allow them
to expand their skills and earn a higher income.
Compensation:
Singaporean
managers are perhaps the highest paid in Southeast Asia.
Income levels are similar to other major
commercial centres. Singapore is already as expensive as leading cities such as
Sydney, Paris, Toronto and Atlanta and projected to reach cost
levels of
pre-crisis London or New York in the not-too-distant
future.
Hiring
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region with specific focus on Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos.
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Asia
CEO Forum
Asia
CEO Forum presented by PLDT ALPHA Enterprise is the largest
regular business event in Philippines and considered one of the
most important in the Southeast Asia region. The forum serves as a
hub for the spreading of ideas that help executive managers
overseeing enterprises across the Asia Pacific region.
Attendees are both expatriate and Asian management personnel
overseeing multinational and regional organizations. Held in
Philippines, presenters are leaders in their industries and
engaged in momentous pursuits of significance to the entire
region.
Asia
CEO Forum is operated as a CSR (Corporate Social
Responsibility) activity of Chalre Associates, one of Southeast
Asia's most prominent senior management executive search firms, to
promote Philippines as a premier business destination in the Asia
region.
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Asia
CEO Awards
Asia
CEO Awards presented by Aseana City represents the
grandest alliance of local and international business people ever
created to promote Philippines on the world stage. As one of the
largest events of its kind in the Asia Pacific region, it is
considered a must-attend occasion for business leaders active in
Southeast Asia.
The star-studded Board of Judges of Asia CEO Awards give
away 10 awards to many of the most accomplished leadership teams
and individuals currently operating in Philippines and the region.
The awards recognize extraordinary leaders who have demonstrated
outstanding achievement for their organizations and contributions
to others.
As one of the fastest growing nations on the planet, the world's
business leaders have their eyes on Philippines like never before.
The annual gala was established as a natural outgrowth of Asia
CEO Forum, the largest regular networking event for the
business community in Philippines.
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SPECIAL DOWNLOADS:
Media organizations
throughout the world call upon the Principals of Chalre Associates for thought leadership.
Below are some examples of published material written by our
consultants or international journalists who refer to them. For a complete list of published work,
Click Here.
Getting Ready For The
Deluge: Outsourcing in Philippines
by
Chalre Associates senior staff
Download
[PDF
file, 62KB]
The
Economist Intelligence Unit of the Economist magazine
asked Chalre Associates' Chairman, Richard Mills,
to write a chapter about the Philippine outsourcing sector
in its annual Business Guide Book. The material
provides a Executive Briefing on the progress and major
issues facing this industry that is certainly one of most
significant growth stories in the world.
more
Asia Pacific Mining
Conference 2007 - Report
by
Chalre Associates senior staff
Download
[PDF
file, 28KB]
The 7th Asia Pacific Mining Conference put on by the Asean
Federation of Mining Associations was perhaps the largest
such event in the region. Richard Mills, Chairman of Chalre Associates
gave this report on what was said by the prominent mining
people who presented.
more
The
State of BPO in Philippines: Dan Reyes Speaks
by
Chalre Associates senior staff
Download
[PDF
file, 31KB]
Richard
Mills, Chairman of Chalre Associates,
interviewed Dan Reyes of Sitel for ComputerWorld (US) recently to get
his views on the state of the BPO industry in Philippines. Dan
presented US readers with compelling information to support his view
that Philippines is currently seen as the "Number 1" option by global
companies sending BPO work to offshore destinations.
Dan Reyes is easily one of most experienced Business Process
Outsourcing (BPO) managers in the Asia Pacific region and the world. He
is head of the extremely successful Philippine operations of Sitel, the
world's largest call center organization. Among other things, he is a
founder and former president of the Business Processing Association of
the Philippines. more