Asian survey shows S'pore workers 'least committed'
Asian survey shows S'pore workers 'least committed'
SINGAPORE (AFP): Singaporeans are the least committed workers
to their employers among Asian work forces, while Filipinos and
South Koreans are the most loyal, a research organization said
Monday.
Asia Market Intelligence (AMI) said a poll of nearly 1,700
respondents in nine countries showed that Singaporeans were most
likely to switch jobs because of a serious shortage of skilled
workers in the city-state.
Deregulation of key sectors and the burgeoning Internet or
"dotcom" industry are also to blame as Singaporeans ditch steady
jobs to join rival firms or start-up companies.
"It comes as no surprise then that Singaporean employees are
the most uncommitted workers in the region -- not because of
dissatisfaction with their careers or employers, but because of
the huge array of choices and opportunities available elsewhere,"
the Hong Kong-based AMI said.
The January survey conducted in China, Hong Kong, Indonesia,
South Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and
Thailand revealed that nearly one-quarter of the workers planned
to change jobs in two years.
Audrey Tan, managing director of AMI in Singapore, said in a
statement that "it's a worker's market right now, not an
employer's market."
"Deregulation of industries such as finance and
telecommunications have contributed to the shortage. We can
expect many defections or cross-industry migrations, especially
for marketing professionals," she said.
Tan also commented that "many workers are also moving into
dotcoms, as this is the most obvious area."
Korean workers had the highest marks for loyalty to their
companies, with 51 percent classified as "truly loyal."
The survey indicated Singaporeans had little to complain
about, but simply spoiled for choice.
Seventy-two percent of Singaporeans felt their companies treat
staff fairly, the highest among the nine work forces polled, and
70 percent said they were paid fairly.
In terms of satisfaction and commitment, Hong Kong and
mainland China workers were a pretty unhappy lot, with Taiwanese
coming close, AMI said.
Only 12 percent of Hong Kong and Chinese workers felt they
were "part of the family" - and only 15 percent of Taiwanese
believed their company "deserves my loyalty."