Ask any Singaporeans about their dream job and chances are, they would have dropped some familiar company names.
Well, Jobstreet Singapore seeks to quantify these opinions, and are once again back with their annual Top Companies Survey, where some 1,200 participants were involved to help the job portal in their search for the 10 companies that Singaporeans wish to work for.
Jobstreet Reveals The Top 10 Companies Singaporeans Want To Work For
In the search for the Top Companies of the Year, companies were pegged on three underlying factors that employees tend to consider when searching for their next job – career development opportunities and basic salary, calibre of management and leadership team, work environment as well as company culture.
Without further ado, here are the top 10 companies – in ascending order:
10. IBM
As expected, American tech companies are a recurring theme in the list.
First, we have IBM at the 10th spot. This multinational tech company replaces Keppel Corporation from last year’s list to round off the top companies of 2017.
While they are a name that consumers don’t identify with anymore, businesses all over the world are still dependent on their portfolio of products – hardware, software, infrastructure, and cloud computing solutions.
9. Procter & Gamble and DBS Bank
Making a comeback this year is American home and consumer hygiene manufacturer Procter & Gamble, which has successfully retained its spot from last year.
While they continue to have a strong presence as a preferred employer locally and overseas, they are joined by DBS Bank for joint 9th this year.
Being Euromoney’s world’s best digital bank and Aon Hewitt’s leading employer in Asia, DBS is changing the way we look at banks. Besides just empowering employees with fulfilling careers, they are on a mission to create an environment where employees feel connected and valued as they progress in their career within the bank.
They also have a holistic suite of people initiatives in place to help equip staff to be the best, and be the change and difference that they can be at every stage of their lives.
8. ExxonMobil
This oil and gas corporation has a long history in our little island – all 120 years of it. With more than S$20 billion worth of assets in Singapore alone, ExxonMobil is one of the country’s largest foreign investors.
Singapore is also home to the company’s largest integrated refining and petrochemical complex in the world, with a refinery that is churning out an amazing 592,000 barrels per day.
Unfortunately though, they slipped two places in the rankings from their place last year, dropping from 6th to 8th.
7. Changi Airport Group
We have the best airport in the world, so it’s no surprise that there’s an equally capable company running it behind the scenes.
Changi Airport Group comes a place higher in 2017, taking them to 7th from 8th spot.
They were also listed as the most attractive employer in 2016 by Randstad, which ranked them highly in areas like financial health, training, long-term job security, management, working atmosphere and environmental and social awareness.
6. Shell
Descending one spot from their placing last year is the other oil and gas giant.
Shell drops to 5th from 6th, but still retains its allure as one of the top companies that Singaporeans would want to work for. They were voted as the most attractive energy industry employer in 2015 in Asia by Universum.
If you’re a engineering or chemical engineering graduate, chances are, Shell is a company very familiar to you with their many initiatives with schools in Singapore.
Shell also has progressive policies in place to create an inclusive environment in and out of the workplace. They have a flexi-working scheme that provides a range of options like flexible hours, compressed workweeks, part-time work and job sharing.
5. Microsoft
We talked about Bill Gates just yesterday; and if you didn’t already know, here’s the company he co-founded.
Leaping two spots from 7th last year, Microsoft now occupies the 5th spot in 2017. The tech giant’s Windows operating system continues to be a driving force for the company, and under current CEO Satya Nadella, the company is also bringing their hardware game to the next level with their Surface line of computers.
If you have the opportunity to work at Microsoft, you’ll be able to develop new products that can eventually have a global influence.
4. Singapore Airlines
We are proud of our award-winning airport, and we are equally proud of our national airline as well.
Having been inducted into the Randstad Hall of Fame in 2015 (a distinction that only 3 companies worldwide have) after being voted the most attractive company in Singapore from 2012 and 2014, it’s no surprise that they’re on this list as well.
The airline was also named by Skytrax in 2016 as the best airline in Asia.
This is a company that has always ranked high among Singaporeans – many have dreamt to be the venerable Singapore Girl, or the pilots sitting in the cockpit.
3. Apple
Dropping from 2nd to 3rd, we have Apple, who are in the midst of preparing for the grand opening of their first-ever store in Singapore and Southeast Asia.
They are known for their excessive attention to detail and an obsession to guard its innovative secrets, but once you get past that, you will see why Apple ranks highly as the company anyone wants to work for anywhere in the world.
As an employee, you will work with like-minded individuals to create products that matter. It also helps that once you have the world’s most valuable company on your resume, you will not need to look long for a job should you decide to leave.
2. Facebook
Coming up two notches from last year’s ranking is Facebook.
There’s no running away from the Facebook site and app. Led by Mark Zuckerberg, the company is making inroads to take over the world.
Towards the end of 2016, Glassdoor ranked the company as the best place to work in tech.
If you’ve noticed with these tech companies, having employees involved in work that has wide-scale impact seems to come out tops each time. And with Facebook being one of the world’s most used app, you can be sure that you will have a hand at a global change.
In the office, the company focuses on the strengths of employees based on what they love doing, what they are great at, and what Facebook actually needs.
Their unique “Builder” culture helps to push the boundaries for positive change, where employees regularly gather to “hack” problems, create new ideas, and continuously improve the products they are building.
1. Google
Well, were you expecting someone else?
Retaining the top spot, Google now resides in a sprawling new Asia Pacific HQ in Singapore which opened just last year, and they are using the country as a hub to reach out to the region through research and development of existing and upcoming products.
If Google is at the top of your list, chances are, we don’t have to say much to convince you that the tech company is arguably one of the best places to carve out a career.
Aside from just looking for experienced individuals to join their Singapore team, they are also sowing the seeds for future generations with local initiatives like Code in the Community, where they sponsor free coding class for kids from underprivileged backgrounds.
Just In Time For Graduation Season
It’s no secret that Singaporean millennials are well-educated and discerning.
Not simply wanting a job, they seek a career that can help chart new milestones as their careers advance, all while feeling that the work they do carry a degree of impact and meaning.
As this year’s graduates prepare for their first big step into their future, having a dream company to work towards may just be enough motivation for them to carefully chart out their careers.
