Lost time, rather than financial loss, is the primary impact of fake or suspicious job opportunities on Singapore jobseekers, according to a recent survey by Indeed. The survey, which involved 1,000 participants, found that 40% of respondents cited wasted time as the most significant personal impact, followed by emotional stress (24%) and lost trust (18%).
The survey highlights that suspicious job opportunities are a common experience, with 72% of respondents encountering at least one fake or suspicious job offer. Notably, 49% reported experiencing this issue multiple times. Shannon Peter Pang, Sales Team Lead at Indeed for Asia, noted, “Job scams are often discussed in terms of money lost, but our findings show the impact on the job search starts much earlier.”
Doubt often arises at the initial recruiter contact, with 39% of respondents questioning the authenticity of a job opportunity at this stage, compared to 27% at the job-posting stage. Confidence in identifying genuine opportunities is mixed; only 21% of respondents felt very confident in their ability to discern authenticity upon first contact with a recruiter.
Clear verification signals, such as official company emails and job postings on the company’s website, were identified by 37% of respondents as confidence builders. Pang emphasised the importance of trust in the hiring process, stating, “Trust is built throughout the hiring process. For employers, something as simple as using official company communication… can give candidates greater confidence.”
The findings underscore the need for employers to foster trust and transparency in their hiring processes to reduce unnecessary doubt and help jobseekers focus on genuine opportunities.
