Singapore-based employers are increasingly embracing remote workers. This article will focus on the considerations involved in hiring remote workers from Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, and Vietnam from the perspective of Singapore employers.
Malaysia
Population: 33 million
Major Cities: Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Johor Bahru
English Fluency: Malaysians generally have a good command of English, making communication with Singapore-based employers seamless. The cultural similarities with Singapore also make it easier to outsource roles where cultural context is important e.g. customer service, media/content creation, marketing.
Average Salary for University Graduates: The average starting salary for a Malaysian university graduate is approximately SGD 800 per month
Legal and Financial system:Malaysia’s legal systems is based on the British common law system, which has a high degree of similarity to Singapore. This makes it easier to outsource roles in finance and compliance to Malaysia:
Potentially suitable Industries for outsourcing to Malaysia: IT, customer service, finance, compliance, content creation, marketing.
Top Universities by Field of Study include:
- Engineering: Universiti Malaya, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Universiti Putra Malaysia
- Business: Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Universiti Utara Malaysia, Universiti Putra Malaysia
- IT: Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Multimedia University, Universiti Sains Malaysia
Examples of Companies Outsourcing to Malaysia: HSBC, Dell, and IBM have established significant remote work operations in Malaysia.
The Philippines
Population:116 million
Major Cities:Manila, Cebu City, Davao City
English Fluency:The Philippines boasts a high level of English proficiency. With this advantage, many companies have set up call center/customer-facing operations in the Philippines. The mature BPO industry provides a large talent pool.
Average Salary for University Graduates: The average starting salary for a university graduate in the Philippines is approximately SGD 450 per month
Potentially suitable industries for outsourcing to The Philippines: Customer service, IT support, content creation, and back-office operations.
Top Universities by Field of Study include:
- Engineering: University of the Philippines, De La Salle University, Mapua University
- Business: Ateneo de Manila University, University of Santo Tomas, De La Salle University
- IT: Mapua University, University of the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila University
Similarity of Legal System to Singapore:The Philippine legal system is a mix of civil law and common law, which may require Singapore-based employers to familiarize themselves with some differences in employment laws and regulations.
Examples of Companies Outsourcing to the Philippines:Accenture, JPMorgan Chase, Coca-Cola, and Google have established significant remote work operations in the Philippi the
Indonesia
Population: 276 million
Major Cities: Jakarta, Surabaya, Bandung, Batam. Batam is an especially interesting choice for Singapore employers due to the proximity to Singapore by a short ferry ride – numerous companies have setup tech developmental centers in Batam
English Fluency:English proficiency varies in Indonesia, with workers in major cities generally having better language skills. English is widely used among professionals and in business settings.
Average Salary for fresh University Graduates: Fresh graduates from Indonesian universities typically earn around SGD 400 per month
Suitable Industries for outsourcing to Indonesia:Indonesian remote workers are well-suited for roles in IT, digital marketing, graphic design, and e-commerce. The Bandung Institut of Teknologi is one of the top technical universities in Asia with very strong demand for its graduates for technology roles.
Top Universities by Field of Study:
- Engineering: Institut Teknologi Bandung, Universitas Indonesia, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember
- Business: Universitas Indonesia, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Institut Teknologi Bandung
- IT: Institut Teknologi Bandung, Universitas Indonesia, Universitas Bina Nusantara
Examples of Companies Outsourcing to Indonesia:Microsoft and Amazon have established significant remote work operations in Indonesia.
Vietnam
Population: 98 million
Major Cities: Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Da Nang
English Fluency:English proficiency in Vietnam has been improving, particularly among the younger generation in urban areas, but at a relatively lower level compared to Malaysia or the Philippines.
Average Salary for University Graduates:Fresh graduates from universities in Vietnam typically earn around SGD 550 per month
Suitable Industries for outsourcing to Vietnam: Vietnamese remote workers skills include IT, software development, data processing, and digital content creation. Vietnam traditionally has a strong focus on STEM education, making it easy to hire workers for technical and digital roles.
Top Universities by Field of Study:
- Engineering: Vietnam National University - Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, Hanoi University of Science and Technology
- Business: Foreign Trade University, National Economics University, Vietnam National University - Ho Chi Minh City
- IT: Vietnam National University - Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, FPT University
Examples of Companies Outsourcing to Vietnam: Intel, Samsung, LG, and Unilever have established significant remote work operations in Vietnam.