In today’s competitive world, there are thousands of people vying for the same job with hundreds of others, where the margin of success is razor thin.
A Singaporean recruiter recently stirred fierce debate online after she said that Singaporean companies are now ditching locals in favour of foreigners due to their lack of “hunger”.
Not ‘hungry’ enough
The debate stemmed from a podcast episode on CNA, which featured guest speakers Shulin Lee, an ex-lawyer turned recruiter and founder of Aslant Legal, and Edwin Tan, Centre Director at the Institute for Adult Learning Singapore.
The episode was a discussion on why younger workers opt to walk away from their stable careers after spending just a few years in it.
When asked what advice she had for younger Singaporean workers, Lee said they should be “a little more paranoid” of the future.
The companies that I now work with are letting go of Singaporeans in favour of hiring people from Malaysia, Vietnam, and the Philippines.
“It’s not because they’re necessarily more skilled, but because they’re a lot hungrier. And that hunger is now irreplaceable.”
Lee also urged others to “double down on their relationship-building skills”, adding that “no amount of enrichment classes will make my children smarter than AI.”
She also expressed concern over young candidates’ inability to hold a proper conversation during job interviews.
“The terrifying thing is now a lot of Gen-Zers…they cannot carry a conversation or explain what they do to a stranger. That scares me.”
As for Tan, he advised employers to understand their employees’ aspirations and skill sets.
Backlash
Lee’s remarks didn’t sit well with a handful of netizens, who criticised her for playing further into the “toxic” culture of overworking and underpaying employees.
Lee herself later addressed the critcism in an Instagram video, saying that the backlash occurred due to her “hitting a nerve” and some being unwilling to “face the truth”.
She added that she personally had witnessed employees from not only developing countries, but also countries like New Zealand, Hong Kong, and China being favoured over Singaporeans.
“We should all be a little bit more paranoid given that the entire world’s going through disruption. What makes you so special that you think your job, business, or career will not be disrupted?
“I’m worried about my livelihood, and so should you. And if you’re so triggered, ask yourself: is it because I hit a nerve? You didn’t want to face facts? Maybe one day, you’ll thank me,” she concluded.
Watch the podcast here:
What do you think of Lee’s observations? Share your thoughts with us!
READ ALSO:
