Staff engagement is lower than the global average, finds study
The average employee engagement score across Singapore is 47%, found a new study. This is behind the global average of 53%.
India (79%), Thailand (72%) and Hong Kong (63%) returned the highest scores in the global study.
At the bottom of the list is Japan, which reported a low engagement score of 35%.
The Qualtrics study also identified top drivers of engagement in Singapore:
- A clear link between work and the company’s strategic objectives (52%)
- Confidence in senior leadership to make the right decisions (46%)
- Managers who help employees with career development (44%)
- Opportunities for learning and development (57%)
- Recognition for good work (52%)
Additionally, closing feedback loops remains vital to drive engagement. Research showed that almost two-thirds of workers in Singapore believe it is ‘very important’ for employers to listen to their feedback.
Businesses providing a feedback program achieved an engagement score of 55%, compared to 33% for those who do not.
READ MORE: Singapore employees least engaged in Asia
The link between tenure and engagement
The report also found that engagement tends to increase the longer an employee remains at the company, peaking around four years.
However, engagement drivers change over time, reflecting the need to continually understand and act on important issues.
The key engagement driver for employees with less than two years tenure is having a clear link between work and the company’s objectives.
Engagement for employees with more than four years of tenure is mostly driven by confidence in senior leadership.
One HR leader shared with us that it’s tough to manage engagement levels as “there is no single way of explaining employee engagement” — especially when an organisation is spread across geographies and cultures.
She believes that the best way to improve engagement levels and staff retention is effective communication.
“In the past, companies sometimes are a little ‘touch and go’ on programs, but no continuity is actually close to no engagement,” said Jane Tham, regional HR director at Bosch ASEAN.
“Engagement is about lifelong communication. [Only with continuity] can you gain engagement in the long term.”
Ranking of most engaged employees:
- India (79%)
- Thailand (72%)
- Hong Kong (63%)
- USA (55%)
- France (55%)
- Canada (54%)
- Malaysia (54%)
- Australia & New Zealand (53%)
- Middle East (53%)
- UK (50%)
- Singapore (47%)
- Germany (41%)
- South Korea (40%)
- Japan (35%)
