Singaporeans aren’t that fond of job-hopping after all, says survey

The pressure has now shifted to employers.

Though citizens of the island nations have long shunned the idea of remaining loyal to a job for life, they are also rethinking moving jobs too frequently, and are slowly putting a premium on job loyalty.

According to a survey by Hays Singapore, 3 out of 5 Singaporeans want to stay with an employer for at least five years, while over a quarter said they’ll stay at most five years with their current job.

With employees all around professing loyalty, Hays says the pressure is now on employers to look after their staff, since loyalty and continuous skills and career development should be mutually inclusive.

According to Lynne Roeder, managing director of Hays in Singapore, the job for life mentality is long gone, but so too is the mindset of job hopping regularly.

“This means employers need to provide all staff with ongoing training and development, regular reviews and promotional opportunities. They also need to deliver what they promised in the recruitment process so that the reality of working at their organisation matches what they promoted when they were attracting top talent,” Roeder said.

However, Roeder says as important as loyalty is, it’s also essential to recognise when it’s time to move on from a current employer.

“Loyalty is a noble quality, but it should not be at the expense of your own career advancement. Employers need to make sure the two go hand in hand,” she said.