Out of 39 percent of respondents who plan to change employers this year, 40 percent cited ‘limited career path’ as the key reason.

Randstad today released the findings of its annual Employer Brand Research in Singapore. Commissioned by Randstad, the independent global study is the most representative employer brand research that explores the factors that influence and motivate employees’ and job seekers’ search for a new career opportunity.

Jaya Dass, Managing Director of Randstad Singapore and Malaysia said, “Companies that invest in the well-being and development of their people will be able to build a strong employer brand. We have seen organisations benefit significantly from creating positive employee experiences, such as having faster access to better qualified candidates and a highly-engaged workforce. However, only a handful of companies have the resources to invest in building a strong employer brand as it is typically not high on the business agenda. We hope that the findings and insights gathered from our annual survey can help companies take small actionable steps to strategically improve their talent acquisition and employee retention programmes.”

Young talent are driven towards career progression

The 2019 Employer Brand Research found that experienced professionals have a more relaxed attitude towards work formalities. Thirty-eight (38) percent of respondents aged between 35 and 54 seek companies that can offer them with flexible work arrangements. In contrast, 69 percent of millennials said that they do not mind working in the office.

One in three millennials (33 percent) would apply for jobs in companies that provide robust training programmes to ensure continuous career and skills development. Forty-two (42) percent of Generation Z candidates look for interesting jobs that they can feel excited about.

“As we get older, our aspirations and needs change. Our personal lives tend to take centre stage, so rather than spending extra time in the office, we may want to spend more time with our family or go on vacations. The younger generations are fresh and energetic, and eager to learn new skills, gain new experiences and form new connections. In addition, younger people do not mind working in the office as it places them in an environment where they can be most productive, since they will have easy access to resources as well as people to exchange ideas with,” Dass added.

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Office culture is important to the workforce

Employee experience has also become increasingly important to the workforce. It describes and defines how employees work, the environment that they work in and how they feel about their job.

Close to one in two Generation Z employees (48 percent) want to work in an office that has a pleasant work atmosphere. Companies that want to engage and attract younger talent should consider the designs of its physical and virtual workspaces, as they set the foundation for cross-team collaborations to take place.

The environment is not the only factor to consider when it comes to employee experience. Employees in Singapore tend to consider resignation when they are not fairly recognised or rewarded (31 per cent) or are unable to strike a balance between work and their personal lives (31 per cent).

“When employers create a positive working culture and environment for their people to work in, it can help them attract more qualified candidates and give their employees fewer reasons to look for another job. Furthermore, companies that invest and excel in enhancing their employee experience will have healthier and more productive workers, which will eventually lead to higher revenue and profits,” Dass shared. “The ideal employee experience should consider matters as minor as the speed of WiFi connectivity, availability of communal and collaborative spaces as well as how easy it is for employees to have an open and honest conversation with their direct reports, managers and colleagues.”

2 in 5 are looking for a new career opportunity this year

Even though the market sentiments on the economy and labour market are cautious this year, people are still actively looking for new jobs, particularly those who feel that they are facing a roadblock in their career. In Singapore, 39 percent of respondents have plans to change employers in 2019.

The research found that younger job seekers tend to use online channels to look for new opportunities and check on a company’s reputation. Two in five millennials (41 per cent) read up the latest information on their potential employer on LinkedIn, while 46 per cent of Generation Z tend to look for jobs and employers on Google.

“There is a high chance that digitally-attuned youths are looking for their next move on their phones during commute or before they go to bed. Employers that want to connect with job seekers and engage with their employees need to make sure that information about job openings and internal development opportunities are comprehensive, easily available and accessible to everyone. HR teams should also start monitoring social media pages such as Glassdoor and LinkedIn to check what their candidates, employees and alumni are saying about them so that they can develop better human resources strategies to meet workers’ expectations,” Dass concluded.

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