Balancing Act: Work-life balance insights for hiring talent in Singapore
People in Singapore work some of the longest hours in the world[1], so it should come as no surprise that finding work-life balance is our second biggest motivator when looking for a job.
JobStreet’s Laws of Attraction study of more than 7,000 people across Singapore found that after compensation and salary, work-life balance is a key consideration for employment – just ahead of job security. In fact, across all industries surveyed, candidates are looking for employers to offer some quite specific factors around time off and working hours (we’ll delve into this later). For employers and HR teams, understanding these desires and motivators is necessary to truly be able to reach the talent you need, attracting them to your company – and then, of course, retaining them.
But before we get into what talent want, it’s important to understand what work-life balance actually means. Because, truthfully, it means different things to different businesses, not to mention how perception of work-life balance can change between individuals. What one employee considers to be “balance” or “flexibility” won’t necessarily be in line with another’s expectations. Our Laws of Attraction study also found that what is desired out of work-life balance can change depending on key demographics such as age, level of experience and gender.
Our study revealed that candidates in the Education & Training industry are most driven by work-life balance as a motivator (16%), followed by Computer / IT (Software) and Healthcare & Medical sectors at 15% each. And this makes sense, considering employees in Singapore’s education sector work some of the longest hours of all – about 46 hours on average, of which 18 are spent teaching, and the remainder on administrative tasks. This is significantly longer than teachers in other countries, who average 39 hours per week[2], which would explain a high desire for work-life balance! Those in IT and Healthcare also deal with long hours, driven by big projects that require time to complete, or jobs that are literally dealing with life and death situations, such as doctors and nurses.
Overall, there are some key needs regarding work-life balance for talent across all industries:
58% want a reasonable number of annual leave days
50% want to work a five-day week
49% want compensation for working overtime, on weekends, or public holidays
33% want to work 8am-5pm or 9am-6pm
26% want a “no work” rule after hours and on weekends
As it turns out – and perhaps to no one’s surprise – talent value time off. Candidates in Singapore are clearly not afraid of hard work, but they are more likely to work for an organisation that places high importance on competitive annual leave allowances, regular working hours and additional compensation for work done overtime. The easiest way for companies to address these key talent concerns is by providing adequate annual leave.
Overall, talent within Generation X (aged 35-54) have the highest expectations for annual leave, with 35% wanting 19-22 days off, and 20% wanting 23-28 days off. The youngest employees, Gen Z (aged 18-23) and Gen Y (Millennials, aged 24-34), are the happiest to take 15-18 days of leave, with Baby Boomers (aged 55-65) following just behind. However, there’s still a good chunk of each generation that expect around three full weeks’ leave, or more.
While we’re comparing generational motivators, each generation actually views work-life balance differently, and places a different amount of importance on it. Baby Boomers, for example, place the most importance on work-life balance, which makes sense, given they are approaching retirement and may be more concerned with enjoying quality of life outside of the rat race. At the other end of the scale, Gen Z care the least about work-life balance, presumably as their responsibilities at home are lesser, meaning they may be willing to sacrifice some balance in order to advance their careers.
And in the battle of the sexes, women value work-life balance more than men, too. While the difference between the two isn’t extreme, as women still take on the majority of duties at home and with the family, this is to be expected.
When it comes to level of experience in the workforce, work-life balance desires change with candidates’ years gained in their careers. Interestingly, candidates at a junior management level care the most about work-life balance, which could be due to many employees in these positions are considering settling down, or may be looking to start a family. As a result, they would need to be able to prioritise both their domestic and professional lives. Those in senior management positions care the least about work-life balance, presumably because their work occupies a large chunk of their time.
So, how can you use this data to attract talent?
The truth is that while money is a factor and might attract candidates to accept a job offer at your company, it’s not necessarily going to be what keeps them there and keeps them motivated and passionate about your business. Once money isn’t a factor, what do people care about? Balance.
1. Question your employees about what they want
Figuring out how to best accommodate your employees’ needs starts by asking them. You can conduct an internal survey to find out which aspects of work-life balance matter most to them, and which would be deal-breakers. This will help you to plan and strategize any roll-out of new initiatives and programmes.
2. Settle on flexibility you can realistically offer
If your entire staff want remote working, but it’s simply not a possibility for the kind of work you do as a business, at least you’ll know – and you can create the right internal communications to manage expectations.
Work-life balance will always be something candidates are trying to achieve. It is difficult for any business and individual to master, but as long as you are armed with the right data and tools, you can utilise the information to package an attractive offer for the skilled talent you need.
Want more insights into how to find and retain the best talent in Singapore? Browse our free online Laws of Attraction tool to access some of the best talent insights in the country.