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Policy

Singapore uses new media in recruitment drive

By Crystal Low | 26 May 2009

Singapore’s Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has seen recruitment numbers for its police, civil defence and prison functions rise significantly this year, thanks in part to MHA’s use of new media platforms such as Facebook and YouTube to appeal to young Singaporean job-seekers.

More than 400 junior officers and 70 senior officers have been recruited by the ‘Home Team’ so far this year - a more than twofold increase on the same period in 2008. However, with a target of 1,500 officers for the whole year, Second Minister of Home Affairs K Shanmugam said that the Ministry has “some way to go” to achieve its recruitment goals.

“We have to step up our efforts and explore all avenues to reach out to potential candidates,” said Mr Shanmugam.

Singapore Police Force (SPF) and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) have been two of the more notable cases of government bodies embracing social media online in Asia. As for today (Tuesday May 26th 2009), SPF has 4,917 Facebook ‘fans’. SCDF has 1,040.

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