The verdict in three sentences
An executive search firm in Singapore sells trust: the CHRO must believe in your network, and the candidate must believe in your discretion. The website costs SGD 18,000 to 35,000, the candidate portal with CV upload SGD 10,000 to 20,000, and compliance with the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) is not optional. With fees of 20 to 30% of annual salary, often SGD 40,000 to 120,000 per mission, one mission signed through the site covers the investment.
What CHROs and candidates look for on your site
The CHRO of a regional bank, a logistics group or a tech scale-up compares three or four firms before awarding a mandate. They look for sectors covered, functions placed, a method and timelines. The senior executive in post wants to know their CV will stay confidential.
| Module | Audience | 2026 budget (SGD) | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corporate site, 12 to 18 pages | CHROs, CEOs | 18,000 to 35,000 | 5 to 7 weeks |
| Practice pages by sector | Finance, tech, logistics, energy | 3,500 to 7,000 | 2 weeks |
| Published roles | Active candidates | 4,000 to 8,000 | 2 weeks |
| Candidate portal with CV upload | Passive executives, confidentiality | 10,000 to 20,000 | 3 to 4 weeks |
| ATS or CRM connector | Consultant team | 5,000 to 13,000 | 2 to 3 weeks |
| Hosting, security, maintenance | Firm | 2,500 to 5,000 per year | Ongoing |
A Mandarin or Bahasa version makes sense if you place executives for Greater China or Indonesian groups: allow SGD 6,000 to 11,000 per additional language.
PDPA: obligations to build in from day one
A CV holds detailed personal data. The PDPA requires consent, a clear purpose, retention limits, access and correction rights, protection obligations and mandatory breach notification. The site must be designed for this, not patched afterwards.
| Requirement | Implementation on the site | Indicative cost (SGD) |
|---|---|---|
| Explicit consent | Unticked box, clear notice | Included |
| Retention limits | Automatic deletion or renewal request after 24 months | 1,800 to 3,500 |
| Access and correction rights | Candidate portal with export and deletion | Included in portal |
| Secure hosting | Encryption, backups, access logs | 1,300 to 2,600 per year |
| Cross-border transfer | Assessment if servers are outside Singapore | 2,000 to 4,500 (advisory) |
| Privacy policy and DPO contact | Notice tailored to CV processing | 1,300 to 2,600 |
This rigor becomes a sales argument: a C-level executive shares a CV more readily with a firm that explains exactly who reads it and how long it is kept.
The economics: what one mission is worth
Retained search fees are calculated on the role's annual base salary. A CFO on SGD 400,000 a year generates SGD 80,000 to 120,000 in fees.
| Role | Annual base salary (SGD) | Fees at 20 to 30% (SGD) |
|---|---|---|
| Financial controller | 150,000 to 200,000 | 30,000 to 60,000 |
| Head of sales APAC | 220,000 to 300,000 | 44,000 to 90,000 |
| Chief financial officer | 300,000 to 450,000 | 60,000 to 135,000 |
| Head of operations | 200,000 to 280,000 | 40,000 to 84,000 |
| Regional managing director | 450,000 to 700,000 | 90,000 to 210,000 |
Mini case study
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Daniel, founder of an executive search boutique in Singapore, invests SGD 30,000 in a bilingual site, SGD 15,000 in the candidate portal and SGD 3,500 in compliance, for SGD 48,500. Within twelve months, his database grows from 1,800 to 4,200 qualified executive profiles, 30% of them from the site. Two CHROs contact him after reading his sector pages: a CFO search (SGD 96,000 in fees) and a head of operations (SGD 60,000). The site brings in SGD 156,000 in fees, more than three times its cost.
FAQ
What budget should an executive search firm in Singapore plan for in 2026?
Allow SGD 18,000 to 35,000 for the corporate site and SGD 10,000 to 20,000 for the candidate portal. The total usually lands between SGD 30,000 and 60,000 including compliance.
Does the PDPA apply to CVs received online?
Yes, collecting and storing CVs is personal data processing under the PDPA. You need consent, a designated data protection officer and breach notification within 3 calendar days for notifiable breaches.
Should we publish every mandate on the site?
No, 40 to 60% of retained searches are confidential. Publish anonymized roles to attract candidates and keep the rest in your ATS.
Can the site connect to our recruitment software?
Yes, an ATS or CRM connector costs SGD 5,000 to 13,000. It removes double entry and saves 3 to 5 hours per consultant per week.
How long until the site is live?
Allow 5 to 7 weeks for the site, then 3 to 4 weeks for the candidate portal. PDPA documentation runs in parallel.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your sectors, languages and candidate volume: we will price the site, portal and PDPA compliance with an 8 to 11 week schedule. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
