Most Singaporeans say they will date their colleagues: Survey

SINGAPORE - For many Singaporeans, finding time to look for 'the one' seems like an incredibly arduous task.  So when it comes to finding love in Singapore, most busy Singaporeans say that they would consider dating their colleagues, a new survey shows.

The survey done by STJobs and dating app Paktor revealed that 52 per cent of respondents in Singapore and Malaysia indicated that they would date someone from the same company.

The survey involved 2,418 working individuals aged 18 and over from Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan. 1,200 respondents were from Singapore, 900 were from Taiwan and the rest were from Malaysia.

Taiwanese respondents were less open to the idea of dating a co-worker. According to the survey, 57 per cent of the respondents in Taiwan indicated that they would not date their colleagues.

65 per cent of respondents in Singapore and 64.5 per cent of respondents in Malaysia felt that they were spending too much time at work. 50 per cent of respondents in Singapore and 45 per cent of respondents in Malaysia regarded work as a barrier to dating.

In comparison, respondents in Taiwan seemed to enjoy a more balanced social life. While 51 per cent of the respondents felt that they were spending too much time at work, only 40 per cent attributed the lack of a date to work.

The survey also found that earning power was not a deciding factor for those choosing a person to date. More than 84 per cent of the respondents across all three countries said they would date an entrepreneur and over 74 per cent of the respondents would not mind dating someone who either earns more or less than them.

Respondents of the survey shared that planning for appointments ahead of time was how most respondents balanced work with social life. Going out after work was also revealed to be the second most popular way respondents maintained a work-life balance.

stephluo@sph.com.sg