Going Global

www.sw6associates.com | careers@sw6associates | 0207 993 3353

Working in Singapore.Singapore is one of the most popular destinations for British expats due to low tax ratesand consistently excellent weather. The recruitment market in Singapore is ever expandingand constantly on the lookout for great new recruiters to join the ranks. Having placed a number of recruiters in new roles over in Singapore we have put together this info sheet to help you begin the decision making process - to Singapore or not to Singapore?

VisasVisa Regulations have been tightenedbut are not impossible to get around.

Recruitment candidates generally need:- 2 years recruitment experience- A strong billing track record- Job consistency- A degree is preferable

Wages/Tax

The highest rate of income tax inSingapore is 20% compared to the UKat 45%.

Salaries for experienced recruiters inSingapore are generally in line with London base salaries.

2:1 Singapore Dollars to Pound Stirlingconversion rate.

A senior consultant on a £35,000 basiccan expect to command a salary of$70,000sgp.

Living CostsWhile benefitting from low income taxliving costs are quite expensive.

Rent for a decent, central place in a house share is c. $2000sgp per month

On your own is nearer $3000sgp

High tax on alcohol means a bottle ofbeer can cost around $8-10sgp

Life Style

Singapore has some quite strict laws:-no chewing gum- heavy littering fines

This means Singapore has quite a disciplined culturebut is also very safe.

Singapore has the lowest crime rates of any major Asian City.This is largely down to it also having an incredibly low unemp-loyment rate although not solely attributed to it.

The average working week in Singapore is 50 hours.

There is generally a good work/life balance for recruitersin Singapore.

Singapore is well connected to the rest of Asia; living inSingapore gives you the opportunity for short breaks toexotic locations such as Thailand, Sri Lanka, Malaysia andIndonesia.

The Recruitment Market

Singapore has not yet had the same explosion in the RPO/Internal Recruitment model that the UK has seen, but itis growing.

This means recruiters can still get access to key decisionmakers and big companies are less controlled by PSL’s.

Singapore is still a relatively small market so reputation iseverything. It is crucial to nurture client and candidate relationships.

Candidates are generally more open to moving and speakingto recruiters, but are also more difficult to manage.

Candidates are prone to securing offers then going out tomarket again to see if anyone will top it.

THE USAWe spoke with one of our Clients to find out more about the process of moving to “the Americas”.

What’s the process like for sorting out a Visa?

The employer does most of it. It’s quite easy for the employee. The employer should have an immigration lawyer who will send the employee the questionnaire and forms. As long as they don’t have a criminal record it should be fine. You need to have a degree and the relevant work history. If you are moving across internally with the company you need to have been with them for 12 months.

What’s the recruitment market like?

It’s very different. You can’t look at the US as one place. Comparing Texas to New York is like comparingthe UK to Spain. You have Houston for Oil and Gas, New York for Banking and Finance and San Francisco for Tech.

The one thing which is consistent is the make up of the recruitment market. There are two categories of company here. The very large corporate companies, then you have the smaller operations with 5/10/20people in them who have been established for a very long time.

You don’t have the category of companies that are high growth. The London recruitment market is moredynamic, more competitive, companies go from 0 to 500 in 7 years. You don’t have companies like that here.

What about the job?

When it comes to doing the job the biggest difference is that in London most consultants do the full 360º.America is different: sales is the clients side; recruitment is the candidate side. The market is very strong,it’s easier to make money here.It’s a lot more old fashioned here. You have the people who go out and win requisitions - taking clientsout for dinner/drinks. Then you have the people who are back in the office finding CVs.The fees tend to be higher; there is less competition; the market isn’t as saturated.

Why do people move to the US?

Opportunity? Personal thing? A lot of people want to live in the States when they are young.

You have to be careful when hiring. A lot of peoplethink they want to live in the US but haven’t thought it through, they don’t understand how different it is, then they don’t settle here.

What is the biggest challenge?

It’s a very different culture. A lot of people come here and even if they are average in London they come to a market which is stronger and they can make a lot of money and don’t look back. Others come out and they love the life style, they love the weather.There are a few that can’t stick it out though. The culture is very different, they miss their family, you also get the odd few who can’t make the money.Mostly it’s the culture. you have San Fran which is very international, very cosmopolitan. New York is bigger than London, faster than London and snowier than London. Then you have Houston which is like the WIld West; everyone carries a gun; everyone drives a truck.

www.sw6associates.com | careers@sw6associates | 0207 993 3353

Relocating to DubaiMoving abroad for work is often an appealing, if a little daunting option. Some people head overseas in search for bigger and better incomes and to advance careers; some people move abroad just for the fun of it. We have helped recruiters relocate to a wide variety of locations across the globe; Dubai being just one of them. Here is how, Lee, one of our recent placements into the Dubai Recruitment market found the big move.

How was finding accomodation?

I moved out with my partner so it was a little more difficult for me. The recruiter sat across from me right now came to Dubai on his own, it was more simple for him - he found a house share with a couple of other people who were also setting up over here, he pays monthly, it’s a lot slicker for a single lad.

There are no direct debits here, you have to doeverything by cheques. A lot of landlords will only want two cheques over the course of the year (some landlords are more flexible so you can work out qua-rterly cheques). This means you have to pay in the region of £10k upfront (for a decent apartment) for 6 month’s rent. A big selling point for me with the company I joined was that they offered me an interest free rental loan.

Is there a language barrier?

Not really, it’s very english speaking out here. I speak to a lot of candidates from different cultures, but you adapt to it very quickly - speaking slowly, listening harder! Everything is done in English really.

What it the standard of living like?

It’s a completely different life. The working week is Sunday to Thursday. The work culture is hardworking; we are all around 24-34 years; we have a laugh - weare all here to work hard and earn money though.

When you come out here you don’t really have a socialnetwork, work is your social network, but it’s really good.We’ve got a good group out here.

www.sw6associates.com | careers@sw6associates | 0207 993 3353

What is recruitment like in Dubai?

Everything is done through HR. It’s a little bit slower; you’re constantly trying to close; for example, you have three candidates you’ve sent across and you have to really chase feedback. It can be a little difficult tracking down line managers.

I don’t really need to meet candidates, I recruit across the Middle East, you wouldn’t get on a plane to meet a candidate in Qatar. I’ve been on a couple of meet-ings to Abu Dhabi.

Candidates are more receptive to headhunting. I’ve found they are generally open to hearing about opp-ortunities. It’s very package focused, if you can offer someone an extra £2k-3k they will normally want to hear about it.

What’s been the biggest challenge so far?

The initial set up. Getting a visa, having the medical, setting up a bank account - there is a lot of running around. I got set up in a hotel for the first week by the company, and my line manager was very good about letting me have a couple of hours off to sort various bits and accomodation out. The paper work though!

What about the cost of living?

Don’t be fooled by the tax free salary! Living costs areexpensive, alcohol is expensive. It’s about £6 a pint. Taxis are cheap, so is food. Everywhere delivers - whether you want KFC, Burger King, Pizza Hut, they all deliver.

What do you do at the weekend?

Friday brunches are a big thing here. We are all goingto one this Friday, you basically pay £70 and getunlimited, really nice food and drink - it’s a reallygood start to the weekend.

During the week you don’t really notice the weatheras much as you’re in the office. Finishing work for theweek, you feel like you’re on holiday! There is the beach, the pool - it’s very different from the UK.

How was the move?

Very stressful. My company did a lot of it for me, but there is a lot of paperwork! The process is quite slow, there is a lot of stamping and signat-ures. The first month or two are very stressful but should be plain sailing from here - all seems to be worth it at the moment!

SW6 Associates have placed candidates in Locations across the UK and overseas including: New York, Sydney, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and others.

We cover the entire spectrum right upto board level, including team moves;from Contingent to Search; and from Start Ups to Multinationals.

SW6 Associates aim to provide a simple,informative, consultative process ensuringcandidates and clients can focus on theimportant things: their businesses and theircareers.

www.sw6associates.com | careers@sw6associates | 0207 993 3353