Over 6 in 10 local firms have "mentally absent" employees, says survey

Small companies are less susceptible.

A majority of Singaporean business have experienced “inner resignation,” as a survey reveals that nearly 6 in 10 (67%) firms have seen staff members who “are present physically but are mentally absent from their job.”

A survey by Robert Half of 150 chief financial officers (CFOs) revealed that inner resignation tends to be more common in medium-sized and larger firms, as over 6 in 10 (68%) say they have seen it happen. In contrast, only over 3 in 10 (32%) small organisations say the same.

Moreover, more than in 3 in 10 (33%) of CFO and finance directors say their business is not impacted by inner resignation. This figure to spikes to more than 6 in 10 (68%) in small and medium enterprises.

A vast majority of businesses share that they adopt strategies to keep employees engaged. Over 9 in 10 (97%) of finance leaders use a range of strategies to prevent inner resignation. This is followed by almost half (49%) of employers who encourage open communication.

Meanwhile, over 4 in 10 (47%) ensure the employee fits the job, and over 3 in 10 (35%) provide feedback to ensure they are aware if employees are doubting their decision to stay with the organisation.