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Workers in Singapore are the unhappiest in Asia Pacific and nearly two-thirds would like to quit their jobs in the next year, a survey by recruiting firm Randstad showed today (Jan 22). The top three reasons identified by the report as the cause of job dissatisfaction include misalignment with the company culture, having a difficult boss and being asked to do more in their role with less. The survey also found that 23 per cent of Singapore employees feel unmotivated in their jobs and say that their skills are not being used effectively. Randstad’s World of Work Report surveyed 14,000 employers and professionals across Asia Pacific countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, China, Hong Kong and India. Indian workers emerged as the happiest employees with seven in ten satisfied at work, saying they feel challenged, motivated and are mentored to learn new skills. Mr Michael Smith, Country Director of Randstad Singapore, said that the findings send a strong signal to organisations in Singapore that more needs to be done to engage current and prospective talent. He also warned against the decline in employee engagement in Singapore over the last 12 months as “cost-conscious employers cut back on company events and forums”. “While these seem like easy targets for cost-cutting, forgoing opportunities to connect with employees and listen to their feedback comes at a high price — impacting productivity, retention and an organisations reputation,” Mr Smith added. “The strong reputation of an employer brand is cited as the single biggest reason (54 per cent) for an organisation’s success in attracting talent.” Findings from the World of Work Report also showed that Singaporean employees are placing more importance on achieving work life balance, with the percentage of employees ranking it as one of the main reasons to stay with their organisation jumping from 15 per cent in 2012 to 50 per cent last year. Nonetheless, Singapore workers may look forward to a more positive working experience as business leaders surveyed said they are ready to respond, with two thirds (67 per cent) of them planning to strengthen employee engagement and collaboration in the next five years to improve productivity. “There is no magic equation for retention, but having career development opportunities readily available is a great start. Good opportunities for career growth and advancement — or lack of — are repeatedly cited as the key reason employees will remain loyal to their current organisation or leave to develop their career elsewhere,” said Mr Smith. Source: http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/singapore-workers-unhappiest-asia-pacific-report?page=1