Singapore employers continue to ignore work-life balance preferences: Study

Singapore employers continue to ignore work-life balance preferences: Study

The next time you check the box next to 'work-life balance' on a career survey, bear in mind that employers might not oblige.

Results from the Randstad Employer Brand Research 2017 have shown that good work-life balance remains a top priority for employees. But on the flip side, employers in Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong seem to value financial health and good reputation more. 

The chart below shows the gap between what employees in Singapore seek versus what employers offer:

Besides work-life balance, other factors such as job security and pleasant work atmosphere also showed a large gap between employee and employer expectations.

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These two factors, combined with good work-life balance, make up the top three preferences for employees in Singapore but ranked five, seven and eight respectively on the employers' side.

Mr Michael Smith, managing director of Randstad Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong, expressed that the Randstad results further affirms the fact that work-life balance is highly important to all demographics of employees.

"Whether organisations are resting their laurels on being financially healthy and having a strong reputation, or whether their current work-life balance initiatives are not strong enough, it’s clear that employer branding efforts need to be very carefully re-examined," he stated.

“The stakes are high for these organisations. By not addressing the evolving wants and needs of employees, they risk losing the very talent that helped them build their strong reputations and financial health,” added Mr Smith.

 

Over 5000 employees and job-seekers between ages 18 and 65 were surveyed in Singapore and Hong Kong. Over 4,500 of them were surveyed in Malaysia.

How do you think employers should respond to such results? Leave your suggestions below.

ongymm@sph.com.sg

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