What do we work for? Discovering what work means to Singaporeans

As younger generations demand flexible work hours and shorter work weeks, parallel to that is the rise of the anti-work movement. Not simply against work per se, people are increasingly questioning the purpose of work - who do we work for? Why do we even work in the first place?

On top of that, generational differences in attitudes towards work can spark heated debates over its purpose. Derogatory terms, “boomer” and “strawberries”, are exchanged with little compromise and intention to find an explanation any further than just snide "generation gap".

We sought to understand what different generations in Singapore think about purpose, loyalty and achievement in the context of their careers. The study was conducted in April 2022 with N=1,000 employed respondents in Singapore. Respondents were segmented into the following generation groups: Gen Zs (16-25 year olds), Millennials (26-41 year olds) and Gen X+ (42 year olds or older).

Work - a means to an end

With the younger generations increasingly questioning the higher purpose of work - ones more profound than mere survival - the value of career achievement in itself may perhaps be eroding.

62% of respondents believe that career growth is a way to achieve something else, such as money and status. On the other hand, 38% see it as an achievement in itself, and this sentiment skews towards Gen X+ (48%).

When asked what they value most in life, career emerged only 8th on the list of 13 (28%), while the top 3 are health (78%), family (71%) and money (57%).

However, there is still pressure to make career a priority in one’s early years. 89% strongly or somewhat agree that career should be the most important thing to someone in their 20s and 30s, with a skew towards Gen X+ who strongly agreed to this (39% vs 31% average).

Does loyalty pay?

Overall, 72% of Singapore employees strongly or somewhat agreed that they feel a sense of loyalty towards their companies.

Loyalty towards employers has taken on many more meanings than just one’s tenure in the job. In fact, staying “too long” in one’s job can be detrimental to one’s career prospects and even signal a lack of adaptability or being too comfortable - the things that a rapidly transforming world does not favour.

Curiously, Gen Zs and Gen X+ share similar sentiments that one’s duration of tenure is an indication of employee loyalty (63% and 66% respectively). Meanwhile, fewer Millennials (59%) agree so.

One's tenure may only be one of the many facets of loyalty - it can also mean wanting the best for one’s company and growing along with it. When asked if their companies’ growth matters to them, the opinions are divided: 

54% indicated that ‘My company’s growth matters to me, even if it doesn’t threaten my job stability’ skewing towards Gen X+. On the other hand, 46% indicated that ‘My company’s growth doesn’t matter to me, as long as I get to keep my job’. 

Flagging out the biggest red flags of employers

Respondents were given a scenario where they are asked to imagine being on a 3 month probationary period in a new workplace to observe the work culture. They were asked which are some of the things that they will not tolerate, i.e quit within the probationary period if any of it happens.

Quitting during a probation may perhaps be too extreme or a rare occurrence, as it takes a lot for one to give up on a new job opportunity, especially after multiple rounds of interviews. However, we wanted to use this scenario to suss out what are some of the biggest red flags to employees.

The survey found that the biggest red flags are: ‘Managers who would berate their employees publicly’ (61%), ‘Salaries not paid on time’ (59%) and trailing further behind is ‘Managers who micromanage’ (45%).

Some interesting differences found between generations: 

• ‘Frequent need to work overtime’: 30% of Gen X+ consider it a red flag, compared to 38% of Gen Zs and 35% of Millennials
• ‘Spending more time in meetings than doing work’: 21% of Gen X+ compared to 8% of Gen Zs consider it a red flag
• ‘Highly hierarchical structure’: 20% of Gen Zs chose this option, compared to 11% of Millennials

Retaining talent goes both ways

More employees are putting their foot down against workplace abuse, and are seeking jobs that give them a sense of purpose and fulfilment. Gone are the days of a one-way relationship where employees feel obliged to simply do what their employers tell them to, and when work culture matters little to employers and employees. Employers are realising the need to balance organisational needs with social impact and employees’ well-being - with this new balance of powers, we’re hoping that everybody emerges a winner.

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