Start the search before the entity.
Incorporation and hiring are usually treated as sequential, so the search starts only once registration completes and the first hire lands months later than planned. The search does not have to wait, even though employment does.
Can we hire staff in Singapore before our company is incorporated?
The search can start immediately; employment cannot. Until a Singapore entity is registered there is no employer to sign a contract, pay CPF or apply for a work pass. Skillsforce runs the search and shortlist in parallel with your incorporation, so candidates are ready to move once the entity exists.
8:30AM to 5:30PM
What waits, and what does not
Employment in Singapore attaches to a registered entity. The employment contract, CPF contributions, payroll and any work-pass application all require one, so none of them can be brought forward, and any arrangement that claims otherwise is worth reading very carefully.
Sourcing is different. Identifying the market, agreeing the brief, approaching candidates and building a shortlist involve no employment relationship at all, which is why they can run alongside registration instead of after it. That sequencing is usually where the weeks are lost.
What runs in parallel
- The brief: roles, levels, salary expectations benchmarked against the Singapore market.
- Sourcing and screening, so a shortlist exists rather than starts on incorporation day.
- Candidate expectations managed against your registration timeline, so nobody goes cold.
- The work-pass picture for foreign candidates, assessed before offers are framed.
- Payroll and HR set-up planned so the first cycle runs on time rather than late.
Once the entity exists
From registration you have a choice. You employ the staff directly and we run the HR and payroll behind them, or, where you would rather not carry the headcount yet, Skillsforce employs them on your behalf: signing the contracts, paying CPF and issuing payslips while you direct the day-to-day work.
To be plain about the limits of that second arrangement, it requires your Singapore entity to be in place, and Skillsforce does not sponsor work passes for staff it employs on a client’s behalf. Where a hire needs a pass, that person is employed by your own entity, which applies for and sponsors the pass; Manpower Outsourcing does not put work passes in Skillsforce’s hands.
Common questions
Can Skillsforce employ our Singapore staff before we incorporate?
No. Employment requires a registered Singapore entity, so before incorporation the support is the search and shortlist rather than employment. Once your entity exists, Skillsforce can employ staff on your behalf while you direct their work, or run HR and payroll for staff you employ directly.
How early should we start the search?
As soon as the roles and the registration timeline are clear. Sourcing and screening take weeks that can run in parallel with incorporation, and starting them early is what turns the first hire from a post-registration project into someone ready to start.
Can you apply for an Employment Pass for our first hire before the company exists?
No. A work-pass application is made by a registered Singapore employer, so it follows incorporation. What can be done beforehand is assessing whether a candidate is likely to qualify, so an offer is not built on a pass that was never realistic.
Sources & references
Figures are drawn from primary government and vendor sources. Always confirm against the live source before acting. Rules change.
- MOM: employment practicesAccessed 18 August 2026
- MOM: passes and permitsAccessed 18 August 2026
- CPF Board: employer obligationsAccessed 18 August 2026
This page summarises official guidance as at the date shown above. Rules and figures change, so verify against the primary source before acting. It is not professional advice: for guidance on your specific situation, talk to Skillsforce.
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