Singapore is amongst least engaged in work in Asia

Only 59% of employees are engaged in work, compared to 76% in Indonesia.

Only 59% of employees in Singapore are engaged in work, making them amongst the least engaged in Asia, Aon revealed. Employee engagement is highest in Indonesia at 76%, followed by India and the Philippines (71% each), China (69%), Thailand (64%), and Malaysia (63%).

According to a study, Aon’s analysis found that whilst employee engagement in Singapore remained unchanged from last year, companies in Malaysia and the Philippines increased engagement by 4 and 6 ppt respectively, while Indonesia improved by a whopping 15 ppt.

After a three-point drop in engagement last year, employee engagement in Asia Pacific bounced back to its highest levels at 65%.

According to the Aon study, only 56% of the full-time millennial workforce in Singapore is engaged—a 2-point drop from last year. “In addition, the number of actively disengaged millennials increased by 2%. Perception scores for millennials plummeted by 7 points in the area of ‘Work Tasks’—which refers to the organisation’s ability to fairly distribute the workload and an employee’s sense of enjoyment and accomplishment from the work they do. Perception scores also fell by 3 points in the area of Employer Brand,” the company said.

The study revealed that ‘Career Opportunities’ tops the list of engagement drivers in Singapore, with ‘Senior Leadership’ and ‘Enabling Infrastructure’ rounding up the top three. “This demonstrates the significance of a conducive work environment to Singapore employees,” Aon said.

Aon Hewitt Singapore managing director and partner Boon Chong Na commented, “Whilst there is no one-size-fits-all employee experience that will maximise engagement, forward-thinking organisations can identify the drivers that are most important for their employees and create a fit-for-purpose experience. What’s more, increasing engagement is a shared responsibility—senior leadership must encourage their team members to own their engagement levels, by creating an environment where employees are empowered to develop new skills, chart their career journeys, and maximise their potential.”