Singapore’s Renowned Government Agency's Transformational Talent Acquisition Journey with Morgan McKinley

This Government Agency is one of Singapore's largest employers of technology talent. With a mission to drive innovation and digital transformation across the country, they leverage the latest technology to cater to citizens, businesses, and public sector employees, driving Singapore's Smart Nation agenda forward.

Despite the client’s strong presence in Singapore's technology landscape, attracting and sourcing top talent for their specialised roles remains a significant challenge. The agency sought to optimise its talent acquisition processes to meet the demands of over-committed projects while reducing reliance on external agencies.

They also faced challenges in controlling costs and maintaining a consistent employer brand message in the recruitment process. The organisation aimed to streamline its hiring efforts, ensuring alignment with its brand image and values while scaling up to handle a substantial volume of hires, approximately 1100 per year. Additionally, the government agency sought to future-proof its workforce by creating a talent pool and focusing on hiring for roles in AI, cybersecurity, infrastructure, DevOps, and product technology management.

The highly competitive market for skilled tech professionals makes it difficult to identify and recruit the right individuals with the unique expertise required for the client’s innovative projects. They required a trusted Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) partner for sourcing exclusive roles to overcome this challenge.

The government agency partnered with Morgan McKinley to source for exclusive roles, using our experience in the market to hire for sectors like Data Science, Cybersecurity, Infrastructure, Solutions Architects, DevOps, and Product & Technology Management.

Through a collaborative workshop, both teams aligned on expectations and established a clear roadmap for success before going Live. Recognising the need for an effective sourcing engine to complement the client's strong business powering layer, our team proposed a tailored Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) solution after analysing their challenges and requirements. This solution involved embedding a dedicated team of specialists within their talent acquisition function.

The team focused on managing the top of the recruitment funnel, handling sourcing, screening, and initial candidate engagement. To maximise impact, Morgan McKinley implemented an embedded sourcing model, working closely with the client’s onsite talent acquisition team. Morgan McKinley’s team of recruiters embedded within the agency handled the top of the funnel for all projects, streamlining the process and aligning candidate messaging with their employer brand.

Detailed process maps and comprehensive manuals further solidified this alignment, fostering seamless collaboration throughout the partnership. This close collaboration allowed us to influence hiring patterns and make a significant contribution to their annual Tech Hunt event. The solution went beyond traditional RPO, providing insights into the government agency’s talent strategy and building a sustainable pipeline for future talent acquisition.

Segmented RPO Approach: Rather than implementing a one-size-fits-all RPO model, our team devised a segmented approach tailored to the client’s specific requirements. This approach allowed for greater flexibility and customisation in addressing their unique hiring challenges.

Employer Branding and Message Control: The client aimed to maintain control over its employer brand message while reducing costs associated with external agencies. By centralising recruitment efforts through the RPO solution, they were able to ensure consistency in messaging and candidate experience, reinforcing its EVP (Employee Value Proposition) and brand image.

Talent Mapping and Pooling: In addition to sourcing top talent for immediate hiring needs, our team conducted talent mapping exercises to identify and engage with niche technology professionals in Singapore. mapped the Singaporean tech talent landscape and created a talent pool of qualified candidates, categorised as "silver" or "bronze," for future recruitment needs.

• Increased hiring volume: Delivered 1,350 hires without compromising on the quality of the candidates.
• Enhanced Brand Image: As the agency gained control over messaging, it enhanced the employer brand, positioning the organisation as a leader in technology and innovation.
• Cost Savings: By reducing reliance on external agencies, the client realised significant cost savings while maintaining control over recruitment expenses. The organisation achieved significant cost savings exceeding 60% through Morgan McKinley's efficient and optimised recruitment process.
• Stronger talent pipeline: The talent pool ensures access to qualified candidates in the future, aligning with the government tech agency’s long-term goals.
• Strategic partnership: The collaboration helped the government agency develop a more proactive and efficient talent strategy. Our strategic recruitment efforts fueled a remarkable 50% conversion rate for candidates attending the Tech Hunt event, demonstrating the power of targeted talent acquisition strategies.