Work-life balance tops list of priorities for employees in Singapore

More Singaporeans are prioritising work-life balance in their work and are taking action to pursue it, such as leaving their current jobs.

According to Randstad’s 2023 Employer Brand Research Singapore report, its 12th in Singapore, two out of five employees (41%) intend to leave their jobs to improve their work-life balance, ahead of factors such as low compensation and raising cost of living (38%) and lack of career growth opportunities (33%).

More revealingly, a survey of 2,753 individuals revealed that a significant number of employees (79%) are prioritising intangible, non-monetary benefits when it came to choosing an employer. These include fostering good relationships with managers and colleagues, having a convenient work location, being offered flexible work arrangements, as well as more autonomy to perform job roles.

More than two-thirds of employees (69%) also recognise the importance of upskilling and reskilling, although only half (54%) have received opportunities to do so.

These findings, said Randstad, highlight that employees no longer expect just monetary rewards when it came to choosing an ideal employer. Rather, prospective applicants are looking for a healthy balance between their professional and personal lives, and companies would need to shape up to attract top talent as well as retain the employees they already have.

READ MORE: Work-life balance a growing priority for employees in Hong Kong

This includes creating a workplace culture of trust and transparency which empowers employees to communicate clearly and openly about their work needs. Companies also need to create opportunities for learning and growth so that employees can see visible results to the work they do and thus create a sense of ownership and purpose within themselves.