FOR small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the key to success is to be 'agile', says JobsDB chairman Samuel Sung, whose company provides a platform for business recruitment online.
Mr Sung should know, having grown his company from a 'zero employee' business to the largest online recruitment network in Asia-Pacific today.
Speaking at his company's first job fair in Singapore last week, Mr Sung said that SMEs can benefit by participating in similar job fairs.
Unlike the online portal where people tend to be drawn only to the big names, Mr Sung said that the lesser-known SMEs can 'get more mileage' out of job fairs.
'Here, they can actually put up a physical presence and meet with the candidates and able to persuade the candidates to join them,' he said.
Mr Sung felt that SMEs have the flexibility to change things and should also reinvent themselves.
'If you see a successful model, you offer something complementary but not the same.'
Mr Sung also gave some tips to SMEs in competing with the bigger multinational companies (MNCs).
'Of course, for a lot of the bigger companies, they have made their first move, they already have their market share.
'But you have to offer something different, better service, a more unique approach. So the key word is 'agile'. Be flexible, be competitive. And make your investment stretch, last longer, don't outburn yourself.'
Indeed, Mr Sung is practising what he preaches.
88DB.com, the sister website of JobsDB.com, was launched six months ago.
'In the past 10 years, we have been servicing the companies looking for talent,' said Mr Sung. 'But we have nine million job seeker members, some of whom are also service providers.
'They are freelancers. In the downmarket, poor economy, they cannot find jobs.'
So JobsDB created 88DB.com which is a portal providing classified advertisements for service. It also ties in with JobsDB.com. Jobs posted on JobsDB.com get posted on 88DB.com too.
Mr Sung felt that SMEs can still compete with MNCs by establishing a good track record and by providing a better service.
He said: 'For large corporations, it is difficult to control their service standards because it becomes quite faceless.
'It's like fighting a real warfare. Offer better service, better value for money, in order to establish a good track record. Then you earn your premium later through good service.'
With a good track record, SMEs can also build up their clients' confidence and the client base.
In terms of attracting talent, Mr Sung felt that SMEs do not necessarily lose out to the bigger companies.
Candidates usually want to have ownership of their jobs and a sense of fulfilment.
They tend to get more fulfilment working in SMEs because of the 'tighter working environment'.
Mr Sung said: 'Because the team is smaller, so if the candidates work well, they get promoted faster. Typically, for smaller companies, the titles appears to be much more senior.
'(In a MNC), you have to take years to work to the same level.'
Mr Sung felt that SMEs will be able to provide more for employees in terms of job satisfaction.
JobsDB's strategy in differentiating itself from other online recruitment portals is to invest in areas like above-the-line marketing, public relations and information technology.
It helps that Hong Kong-headquartered JobsDB operates in nine countries, allowing them to learn more from mistakes made in different countries compared with other players who operate in only one country.
JobsDB.com Career Expo ran from Jan 18-20. But the jobs on offer at the fair are still available for application one month after the fair.
