LinkedIn: Top companies in SG to work for

LinkedIn has identified a list of companies which it deems are best placed to help employees grow their professional careers. The 2021 LinkedIn top companies list currently has many companies hiring, with more than 1,700 roles available in Singapore right now. This is the first time the list is being published in Singapore.

LinkedIn's Top Companies list has identified the 15 best workplaces for employees to grow their career. According to LinkedIn, the companies that made the list were effective in offering stability in the "ever-changing world of work". They were also successful in not only attracting employees, but retaining them as well, amidst unprecedented rates of professionals moving jobs in 2021. The companies were ranked based on LinkedIn's data across seven aspects that contribute to career progression: ability to advance, skills growth, company stability, external opportunity, company affinity, gender diversity and spread of educational backgrounds. 

Coming in first was Unilever, which, according to LinkedIn, is driven by its commitment to helping employees thrive through comprehensive upskilling schemes and flexible working. Financial services also dominated the list, filling six spots in the top 15 list. Furthermore, aside from Unilever, the top five spots were dominated by financial institutions such as Standard Chartered Bank (StanChart), Prudential, OCBC and DBS. 

Meanwhile, this year also saw six companies make the list for the first time, including Alphabet, Abbott, Grab, Micron Technology, AIA and JPMorgan Chase. 

2022 Singapore top companies:

1. Unilever
2. Standard Chartered Bank
3. Prudential
4. OCBC Bank
5. DBS Bank
6. Alphabet
7. Abbott
8. Accenture
9. Sea
10. Grab
11. IBM
12. AIA
13. EY
14. Roche
15. JPMorgan Chase & Co

Additionally, two key trends were spotted among the top companies: flexible work and upskilling opportunities. According to LinkedIn, there were 2.3 times more job postings in Singapore offering remote work in 2021, compared to a year ago. This also led to companies receiving 1.35 times more applications. Companies have also been adapting to accommodate flexible work arrangements.

For instance, Unilever Singapore transformed its workplace to a permanent hybrid working arrangement in November 2021, and redesigned its office space to include quiet "focus zones" with height-adjustable desks and open collaboration spaces. Meanwhile, DBS implemented a permanent hybrid work model in 2020 to give employees the option to work remotely up to 40% of the time.

As for upskilling opportunities, StanChart invested SG$5 million in diSCover Lab in 2020, a global learning hub and aims to train and upskill 8,000 employees by 2022. Meanwhile, Prudential Singapore partnered with Ngee Ann Polytechnic last year to offer employees the opportunity to learn in-demand digital skill sets such as “Machine Learning for Humans” and “AI in Finance”. OCBC is also accelerating its OCBC Future Smart Programme to focus on digitalisation for its employees and new trainees, and has created more than 50 sustainability-related jobs over the last two years, and launhched about 1,900 sustainability training programs for 30,000 employees.

Satoshi Ebitani, senior managing editor at LinkedIn News said employee engagement and support is now more important than ever, as companies continue to navigate the challenging realities of today’s world. "Our Top Companies list celebrates companies who are invested in the growth and well-being of the most important resource in the workplace – people. With dedicated programs and initiatives to support career progression and the growing need for work-life balance, these companies are leading the charge for long-term success in the workforce," he added.

Photo courtesy: 123RF

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