Business Times Singapore. English., © 2008 Singapore Press Holdings Limited

A study on the branding of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) has been commissioned to help them recruit and retain talent.

The study - a joint initiative of the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) and StrategiCom - seeks to identify which attributes make for a strong employer brand image, how important specific attributes are and how they help attract and retain talent.

'This will find out the extent to which SMEs can benefit from building a strong employer brand image,' the partners said in a statement.

SMEs with a weak employer brand image may not enjoy the same talent attraction and retention capabilities as those with a strong employer brand image, it said. So the study will look at how potential recruits see SMEs.

SMEs employ about 60 per cent of Singapore's workforce and contribute about 46 per cent of the economy's value-added.

However, many SMEs do not have designated human resource staff to handle manpower issues.

An SME Development survey in 2006 found manpower to be a major challenge, especially attracting and retaining talent. Common reasons cited for this include lack of resources and poor perception.

SNEF and StrategiCom will explore the connection between potential recruits' perception of a strong employer brand image and the attraction and retention of staff. 'Hopefully, this will allow SMEs to accurately target these specific areas to build their strengths and capabilities as an employer brand,' the partners said.

The study is expected to be completed by March 2009 and will be shared with employers at the Singapore Brand Conference.

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