Singapore is second worst in job satisfaction

Newsgroups: soc.culture.singapore
From: "truth"
Date: Sat, 18 Apr 2009 14:43:18 GMT
Local: Sat, Apr 18 2009 10:43 pm
Subject: Singapore is second worst in job satisfaction

By JOYCE HOOI

SINGAPOREANS have long been suspected to be a dissatisfied bunch - and
now there are numbers to add to that view.

In Robert Half's latest survey of finance professionals, Singapore
ranks second-lowest worldwide for job satisfaction, with only 53 per cent of
local respondents claiming to be satisfied with their job.

Ironically though, their dissatisfaction may stem largely from their
uncertainty over being able to keep their job.

Ranked third-lowest worldwide for satisfaction with job security, only
54 per cent of local respondents said they were satisfied with job security
in their current position.

'As job losses continue to mount, concerns about job security, career
prospects and the ability to maintain a work-family balance as workload
increases are heightened,' said Tim Hird, managing director of Robert Half
Singapore.

'During these tough times, managers must demonstrate strong leadership
in managing their staff, to not just allay their concerns but also to
motivate and encourage them and keep overall employee morale high.'

Other Asians are not much happier in their jobs than Singaporeans,
forming a regional theme of dissatisfaction. Bringing up the rear on the job
satisfaction front, Japan ranked the lowest globally at 47 per cent, while
Hong Kong was third-lowest at 54 per cent.

Worldwide, finance professionals in Dubai were the happiest job-wise,
with 85 per cent claiming to be satisfied.

Singapore's finance professionals also scored low on company loyalty,
with 59 per cent of them saying they felt 'very loyal' or 'rather loyal' to
their firm.

The only other countries in the survey that ranked lower than
Singapore on this count were Hong Kong and Japan with 42 per cent and 21 per
cent respectively.
Not surprisingly, only 11 per cent of local respondents said they plan
to stay in their current job for the next 12 months, the smallest proportion
worldwide.

Forty per cent are either actively looking for another job or plan to
do so in the next 12 months. In Hong Kong - the only country to outrank
Singapore in this area - 45 per cent of respondents plan a job change.

In Singapore, the main reason cited for a job switch was an increase
in pay, for which 35 per cent indicated they would walk. A better work-life
balance came in a distant second, with 21 per cent of respondents citing it
is the reason for a job change.

'Especially in these uncertain times, we are advising both our clients
and candidates to focus less on monetary compensation packages but more on
the content and scalability of jobs,' said Mr Hird.

The survey was conducted by the consulting firm in October last year.
It involved 3,556 finance professionals globally, 200 of whom were in
Singapore.