Nearly 40% of Singaporean female middle managers expect promotion within a year

While 32% expect it in 2 years.

Singaporean female middle managers are the most confident of promotion, with nearly 40% of female middle managers believing they'll be promoted within 12 months, and another 32% in 24 months, according to new research from talent management provider Alexander Mann Solutions.

They are also more satisfied with opportunities for progression than other regions, with 70% reporting confidence in being promoted to senior management in the near future, and 47% willing to accept promotion even if it affected their work-life balance, the survey shows.

The Alexander Mann Solutions report entitled "Engaging the Full Potential of Female Middle Managers," polled respondents in Australia, Mainland China, Hong Kong, the Philippines and Singapore.

Singaporeans' confidence was also reflected in the broader AsiaPac region, with at least 50% of all respondents in the region expressing they are either somewhat or very confident to being promoted in the near future.

"Hong Kong has the least optimistic female middle managers in Asia Pacific, with a third believing they will not be promoted. Fully 57% of them were displeased with their day-to-day jobs and 100% said that career progression was being blocked by a lack of opportunity," said Martin Cerullo, Managing Director, Development, APAC Alexander Mann Solutions.

"The picture in Mainland China is very different, where two thirds (66%) of female middle managers were confident of being promoted to senior management in the near future. China's female middle managers were also far more satisfied with the diverse facets of their careers than the rest of the geographies surveyed, with one notable exception – salaries," he said.

The survey found that in Australia, female middle managers are particularly satisfied with relationships with their managers, their actual roles, and their ability to make a difference to the company's success. A third believe they're likely to be promoted in the next 12 months, with an additional 31% saying promotion would be expected in the next 12 months to 5 years.

Lastly, respondents from the Philippines generally felt the least confident about being promoted in the near future, but also felt that company culture, skills and determination had the biggest influence on their chances of promotion. The greatest source of frustration for respondents in the Philippines was time pressure, closely followed by lack of opportunities for progression.