About the Report
How does the workforce in Singapore perceive purpose at work? To find out the answer to this question and better understand perspectives on jobs with meaning in Singapore, Jobs_that_makesense Asia and Manpower conducted a survey on 2,023 participants across Southeast Asia, spanning Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand. Get data-driven insights on how people in Southeast Asia view and value meaningful work in this first-of-its-kind report.
A Message from Ms Linda Teo, Country Manager of ManpowerGroup Singapore:
"Interestingly, the meaning of purpose at work is multifaceted. For many of the respondents, the fulfillment and personal stability the job provides is one part of the equation. While the pay and working conditions matter, they also want their jobs to make a difference to society and the environment. Companies that seek to hire and attract the best talents need to start looking at how they can address these demands and create jobs where people feel engaged and fulfilled.”
Key Findings
Having a sense of purpose at work matters to many in Singapore, but not many are feeling a sense of fulfillment at work: 97% of Singapore respondents indicated that having meaning at work was important to them, but only 1 in 5 feels “very satisfied” with their current level of meaning at work.
Top 3 things companies can do to enhance meaning at work for their workforce: Better work conditions (82%), advocating for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) and other social causes (65%), and creating more opportunities dedicated to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) (56%) are actions Singapore respondents say can help improve their sense of purpose at work.
Barriers to building fulfilling careers: Limited availability of green and social-driven job opportunities (33%), the need to balance personal life responsibilities with professional aspirations (20%), and lack of skills and experience (15%) are the top three challenges Singapore respondents face in their quest for jobs with purpose.