Singapore Third Most Popular Expat Location

Interesting article :

By: Lee Xieli, Singapore

EXPATRIATION    RELOCATION

Singapore – Singapore has risen to be the third most popular destination companies relocate their expatriates to globally over the past five years.

According to new data from global relocation services provider Cartus Corporation, the city leaped from seventh place in 2006 to third on the list of top 25 expat destinations last year. The 139% increase in relocation volume to Singapore within the past five years has placed the country just after the US and the UK, which are still the largest markets for international assignments.

A separate report by ECA last year found that Singapore was the most desirable Asian country for expatriate postings for the 11th year running. The city was also the fifth most expensive city to live in globally.

Lee Quane, regional director for ECA Asia, is confident that companies will continue to choose Singapore as the ideal location for expats because of its high quality of living.

Kenneth Kwek, head of Cartus’ Asia Pacific operations, added that Singapore’s high ranking is “no surprise” as the city has a reputation for attracting foreign investors, companies and professionals. “Schooling and health care have always been key factors that our assignees and their families find attractive about Singapore.”

The data which is compiled every five years also showed that top 10 relocation destinations have remained relatively consistent since 2006, despite the changing economic landscape.

Regionally, China remained at fourth spot and India jumped from ninth place in 2006 to sixth. A 77% international relocation volume increase moved Hong Kong from 11th to eighth place while Japan slipped three places to ninth last year.

Meanwhile, a few new locations have begun climbing the rankings as more companies start sending employees to “non-traditional relocation markets”. Among the countries whose relocation volume more than doubled are United Arab Emirates and Brazil at 13th and 14th positions.

Kwek said, "Companies will need to be well informed and positioned to take advantage of a broader array of countries, regions and cultures than ever before."

Top 10 in Cartus' rankings of top 25 relocation destinations last year (2006 ranking in brackets):

1. United States (1)

2. United Kingdom (2)

3. Singapore (7)

4. China (3)

5. Switzerland (4)

6. India (9)

7. Germany (5)

8. Hong Kong (11)

9. Japan (6)

10. Canada (8)

HR Falls Short At Recognising Staff

This is another pertinent and interesting article I came across. 

While HR leaders expect employee engagement to be a key challenge, they lack effective approaches to track engagement levels and the returns of staff recognition initiatives.

According to the Employee Recognition Tracker Survey 2011, nearly all 745 HR leaders (99%) polled agree that employee engagement will be a vital challenge in the next three to five years.

Yet, an alarming 71% of these HR leaders only track engagement levels through exit interviews, suggesting that engagement issues only surface when employees leave the firm. Some 65% linked engagement levels to staff retention rates.

Similarly, only 37% align employee recognition programmes to their corporate values, while 43% of HR practitioners reward staff based on performance linked to the firm's financial targets. Such low percentages are indicative of companies failing to implement strategic recognition schemes that can drive performance and manage the firm's culture. 

More than two thirds (69%) of HR leaders are convinced that their employees are dissatisfied with the recognition they receive at work, with 54% thinking that their managers and supervisors are ineffective in rewarding and appreciating employees. 

Perhaps more appalling would be that a third of CEOs do not invest any time at all on recognition schemes. One key reason would be that almost half of HR respondents (49%) track their schemes by unit or department, which makes it tedious for senior management to get a comprehensive company-wide overview of recognition efforts. 

Evaluating the success of their recognition schemes also proved to be elusive and difficult, with 87% of HR respondents failing to track the returns of investments (ROI) on their programmes.

HR leaders listed inconsistent metrics and the poor alignment of recognition schemes with other talent or performance management structures as top challenges behind measuring ROI (32%). 

Over one-fifth of leaders (22%) also said their current recognition programme is "not designed to deliver improvement in metrics" that the executive leadership finds valuable.

Eric Mosely, CEO of Globoforce, said, "Measuring recognition adds a level of accountability for all employees, and is ultimately how behaviours change and culture is managed." 

He added, "It's also how today's HR leaders can gain the much-needed support and investment from senior management for strategic engagement and recognition programmes."

The survey was conducted by employee recognition solutions provider Globoforce and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) earlier in May this year.  

Job Vacancies with the Largest Chilcare & Preschool

The largest and a state-of art Childcare Centre and Preschool

is opening in September 2011.

We are inviting dynamic, highly motivated and career orientated candidates to join the team:

Teachers  

·         Candidate should possess a Diploma in Early Years Education  or equivalent

 Assistant Teachers 

·         Candidate should possess at least SPM/"O" Level

For Position 1 & 2 – Graduates including those in nursing discipline and experience teachers are also encouraged to apply.  Intensive training will be provided.

                       

Finance Executive

·         Candidate should possess at least a Diploma in Accounting /LCCI/ Finance or its equivalent

·         Minimum 2 years of experience in the related field

Administrator 

·         Candidate should possess at least a Diploma or its equivalent

·         Minimum 3 years of experience in handling administrative functions

Centre Nurse  

·         Candidate should possess at least a Diploma or equivalent qualification in nursing

·         Must be a registered nurse with the Malaysian Board of Nursing

Interested applicants are invited to submit your resume to shazee77@yahoo.com or contact (Sha) at 03-20932586  (8am-4pm) for an immediate interview.

Those who are expats its a MUST to have a working permit.