Strengthen Recruitment and Hiring Practices

11 Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan asked the Minister for Manpower (a) whether the Ministry will consider regulations to (i) strengthen recruitment and hiring practices by employers; (ii) ensure employers acknowledge and inform job applicants on whether they are successful in their job applications; and (b) whether the public sector can take the lead in this.

The Second Minister for Manpower (Mrs Josephine Teo) (for the Minister for Manpower): Mr Speaker, all employers are already expected to adhere to the principles of fair employment practices, as set out in the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices, and that includes recruitment and hiring. For example, the guidelines make it clear that job advertisements should not be discriminatory and interviewers should confine questions to those relevant to the job requirements. The Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) looks into complaints about unfair recruitment and hiring practices and works with non-compliant companies to improve their practices. Where warranted, cases are referred to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) for investigation.

To further encourage employers to adopt progressive workplace practices, the tripartite partners will develop a series of Tripartite Standards that companies can voluntarily adopt. The Standards detail verifiable progressive actions that companies commit to undertake. Jobseekers will also be able to identify progressive companies and organisations which publicly adopt the Standards. Therefore, employers have an incentive to adopt the Standards even if there are no regulations which require them to.

One of these Standards is on Recruitment Practices, and public sector agencies will take the lead in adopting the Standard when it is launched. One of the specifications in the Standard is for employers to inform all shortlisted applicants who attend their job interviews about the outcome. On the question of whether applicants should be notified even if they are not shortlisted for interviews, the tripartite partners assessed that it would place an onerous burden on some companies, particularly small and medium enterprises, which have not fully automated their recruitment processes to deal with the large volumes of online applicants. However, the tripartite partners agree that the Standard can be updated over time as companies make progress.

Mr Speaker: Mr Patrick Tay.

Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan (West Coast): I thank the Second Minister for that reply. For the acknowledgment of the application, I have received feedback, particularly for those who are taking up public sector positions through Careers@Gov and so on, one suggestion would be at least provide acknowledgement that they have received the application of the curriculum vitae. I have been meeting many of these interested Singaporeans who are wanting to take up public sector positions, applying through online platforms, such as Careers@Gov, and they say they do not get a formal reply whether they are even shortlisted for interviews or even rejected. So, I think it would be a good practice for the public sector to take the lead on this.

Mrs Josephine Teo: Mr Speaker, I thank the hon Member for his feedback and I agree with him that it is a matter of good practice and I do believe that employers who have automated their application systems are, indeed, able to do so. So, I think this is a matter of work in progress. We certainly encourage more employers to come on board.

Mr Speaker: Mr Saktiandi Supaat.

Mr Saktiandi Supaat (Bishan-Toa Payoh): I would like to ask a supplementary question with regard to the Second Minister's answer just now about TAFEP. In following up on this question, are there any specific plans to provide more teeth, such as regulations with regard to TAFEP, over the next five years? As the Second Minister mentioned, there might not be a need to have regulatory changes. I was wondering what are the plans for MOM in terms of teeth for TAFEP, enhancements of TAFEP, to have actually actions being taken by TAFEP, of course.

Mrs Josephine Teo: Mr Speaker, may I ask Mr Saktiandi whether he is talking specifically about recruitment practices or TAFEP's ability to enforce in general?

Mr Saktiandi Supaat: It is with regard to recruitment practices and TAFEP's ability to take action in future if there are any changes to regulations.

Mrs Josephine Teo: Mr Speaker, TAFEP is an organisation that relies on a number of methods to encourage and support employers who are able and willing to adopt progressive workplace practices. One of it, of course, is by making them more aware of the benefits of doing so. Another is that it is able to look into complaints that are levelled against certain employers and refer them to MOM for investigations if warranted. Through this process, TAFEP will either work with the employers to change their practices and, if the employers are not cooperative, to find other means of pushing the employers to change their practices.

There are tools within MOM's available resources. For example, if the companies truly are unwilling to comply, in some instances, we may blacklist them. If we blacklist them, then their work pass privileges may be curtailed. It is something that we will continue to explore better ways of doing.

But bear in mind that, firstly, there are laws in existence. In addition to the laws which employers must comply with, we also have tripartite guidelines and, over and above that, there are tripartite advisories. We are introducing the Tripartite Standards as an additional measure to make the adherence to progressive workplace practices more attractive for the employers to do. So, all of these measures are available to us. It is not always the case that you have to come down hard on the employers. In some cases, a combination of persuasion and finding the right incentives for them to do so may work better.