The controversial study saw Singaporeans listing HR managers as a non-essential job in a pandemic
Grossly underpaid but playing highly essential roles in a pandemic, a new study shines a much-needed spotlight on low-wage workers in Singapore.
Amidst the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, majority of Singaporeans picked healthcare professionals like doctors and nurses, cleaners, garbage collectors, hawkers and deliverymen as the top-most essential jobs.
Despite this, respondents added that those are some of the jobs they’re not willing to do, even if the salary was tripled – particularly for jobs like cleaners, security guards and construction workers.
The study did show that COVID-19 has improved people’s perception of low-wage jobs. Two in three said their perception of the workers have changed since the outbreak, with almost all saying their impression have improved ‘a lot’ or ‘a little’.
Most Singaporeans (78%) also said they’re willing to pay much more for services if the extra amount went directly to workers’ wages. Almost half polled said they’re willing to pay 10% more for services if this was the case.
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Time to reflect
However, the controversial study has been highly debated and making the rounds online for a different reason. Commissioned by The Sunday Times and conducted by Milieu Insight, netizens were fixated on the jobs listed as the most ‘non-essential’ in a crisis:
- Artists
- Telemarketers
- Social media manager/PR specialists
- Business consultant
- HR manager
Many who made this list took offence, with artists or those aspiring to be espousing the importance of entertainment outlets such as Netflix, Spotify and books in providing comfort and mental well-being through lockdown periods.
On LinkedIn, social media and PR specialists focused discussions around how communications has been the crux in crisis management strategies.
The results were so hotly debated that Milieu Insight, a research firm, published a response to clarify the methodology behind the survey.
Firstly, they stated that it was a short 5min survey conducted over three days, targeting only around 1000 adults aged 16 and above.
“Most of the questions in the survey addressed current perceptions and attitudes toward low-wage essential workers in Singapore, such as cleaners or security guards, and whether there is support for paying them more,” they said.
“Understandably, much of the focus has been on the data points related to essential vs non-essential jobs, and we’d like to offer clarity on how, exactly, these questions were asked.”
They explained that the survey clearly defined essential workers as “someone who is engaged in work deemed necessary to meet basic needs of human survival and well-being, such as food, health, safety and cleaning”.
This was stated for respondents at the start of the survey and acted as a baseline understanding for the quick poll.
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Do Singaporeans think artists and professions such as HR are non-essential? Their answer: not necessarily.
“In the context of a post-COVID-19 world, and based on the definition of essential workers provided, these are the jobs, based on a shortlist of professions, that Singaporean adults deem essential vs non-essential,” they said.
“This does not mean that Singaporeans view professions such as artists or HR professionals as not valuable or valued, or even essential in the context of something else, like happiness or stability.
“We’re confident that, if asked, most Singaporeans would agree that artists and their work…are absolutely essential to the enjoyability of our lives and our own mental health and well-being.
“Or that many Singaporean working professionals would likely also agree that HR is the backbone of most successful, productive, and progressive companies today.”
READ MORE: Coronavirus: HR's role in business continuity plans
Create your own value
As Milieu explained, it’s all about context and being deemed non-essential in terms of human survival is very different from being valued.
And one HR leader believes that when it comes to bringing value to your job, you can always work on becoming a better professional, no matter your role.
“First thing to understand is when you’re implementing a policy [or strategy], no matter which function you’re in, nobody likes a policeman – so why do you want to be a policeman in the first place?” said Virendra Shelar, senior HR leader.
Shelar believes that the biggest mistake that HR professionals make when they start a new job is jumping straight into developing policies, instead of first building their reputation at the company and gaining a network of support.
“When I first start at a company, I tell myself I’m not even going to touch any policies, be it local, regional, global – nothing at all,” he said.
What does Shelar focus on first? He approaches company leaders and check with them on the following:
- What is HR doing that they believe needs to stop?
- What is HR not doing, but need to?
- What is going to have the greatest impact on the business and bring in revenue?
“Once HR starts thinking about what the business wants, that’s when your reputation and connection with the business improves,” he said. “Then you will find lesser challenges with implementing any HR strategies.”
