Singapore workers 'under happy' at work: National Workplace Happiness Survey 2014

Experts flag concern over findings, saying productivity could be affected
By Kash Cheong, The Straits Times, 13 Nov 2014

SINGAPORE workers are less than happy at work, a survey has found, and experts say this may lead to "unhappy" results.

"When workers are not as happy, they might not generate good output. It might lead to lower performance and productivity," said Mr David Leong, managing director of recruitment firm PeopleWorldwide.

Mr Low Boon Seong, managing director of human resource consultancy Align Group, said: "Employee retention might also be a problem."

A workplace happiness survey released on Tuesday showed that Singapore workers are "under happy" at work, chalking up an average score of 59 out of 100 in a workplace happiness index.

Singapore Human Resources Institute (SHRI) and Align Group conducted the online survey of more than 5,000 workers, the first of its kind here. Mr Low said he did not know of comparable surveys overseas.

Under the bandings, a score of between 0 and 50 is deemed "Unhappy"; 51 and 67 "Under Happy"; and 68 and 100 "Happy".

Workers were asked to rate 28 statements, such as "I like how things work in my company", "I am satisfied with the salary for my job" and "I am confident in doing my job".

The survey showed that Singapore workers had a high sense of self-efficacy and resilience at work. They were, however, most unhappy about workplace culture, pay and benefits.

"Singapore is generally known to have a fast-paced work culture and workers could feel pressured, especially in high-octane jobs," said Mr Leong. But while workplace happiness matters, performance and discipline are also important to employers, he said, adding: "Organisations that are performance-driven will generally be hot-stove environments, and workplaces cannot be too nice to have a higher happiness index."

The survey also revealed that the highest earners are not the happiest. Those from voluntary welfare organisations (VWOs) came out tops in workplace happiness, scoring an average of 64.6.

Workers in local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) ranked second with an average of 60.3. They were "happier" than those in the public service or Fortune 500 multinational companies, who scored 60.2 and 57.1, respectively.

"In VWOs, workers might more easily see how their efforts directly benefit someone in need compared with large organisations, where people may feel like they are part of a machine," said Mr Trevor Xie, director of community partnership at the Student Advisory Centre, which works with needy children.

Mr Low said those from local SMEs may have a higher sense of autonomy and feel they can influence the direction of the firm.

Workers in financial services (56.5) and logistics (55.4) were among the least happy, the survey found.

Remisier Gary Goh, 35, who felt finance is one of the most competitive sectors, said: "Money is a driver but, sometimes, it is about taking stock of what you have and not chasing the next dollar."

To make workplaces happier, the management could hold meetings to communicate the firm's direction and ensure open channels for workers to share their needs, said SHRI president Erman Tan.

Words of thanks also help.

"Saying 'thank you' for a job well done costs the company zero dollars, but the impact goes a long way," said Next Career Consulting managing director Paul Heng.

Singapore employees 'can be happier': National Workplace Happiness Survey
Industries with the highest happiness rankings are charity and social services and education, while those with the lowest rankings include logistics and supply chain, and banking and financial services.
By Alice Chia, Channel NewsAsia, 11 Nov 2014

Employees in the Republic "can be happier", according to the results of the National Workplace Happiness Survey 2014 revealed on Tuesday (Nov 11).

The nation's overall workplace happiness index is 59, which falls into the band "Under Happy", between "Unhappy" and "Happy". 

The survey was jointly conceived and organised in April by the Singapore Human Resources Institute - a not-for-profit organisation representing over 3,000 human resource professionals - and Align Group, a people consulting research firm. It was done to obtain a national benchmark on workplace happiness with a scientific measurement. 

The survey polled around 5,600 people in online questionnaires and 94 per cent of the respondents are Singaporeans or Permanent Residents. They were asked about various aspects such as job satisfaction and well-being. Their responses were then mapped to an index with three bands: "Unhappy" (0-50), "Under Happy" (51-67) and "Happy" (68-100).

The results show that more can be done to make workplaces in Singapore happier, said Erman Tan, president of the Singapore Human Resources Institute. "From the HR perspective, there is more that the employer can do to let our employees feel a sense of empowerment."

SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES VS MULTINATIONAL CORPORATIONS

Industries with the highest happiness rankings are charity and social services and education, while those with the lowest rankings include logistics and supply chain, and banking and financial services.

Employees of voluntary welfare organisations and local small-and-medium enterprises (SMEs) are also happier at work, compared to those in multinational corporations.

Said Align Group's managing director, Low Boon Seong: "The reason could be that SMEs give employees more participation and more autonomy, and probably the staff are able to see how they shape the company's growth, so I think this spells opportunities for SMEs in terms of their talent attraction and retention strategies."

SALARIES HAVE LOW IMPACT ON HAPPINESS

The top happiness drivers include brand identity, culture and positive emotions. Of 28 factors, salary and benefits rank as having the least impact.

Mr Low commented: "I think we can understand that for salary level, once you achieve a certain baseline, any increment would be marginal in terms of affecting how happy a person feels, and people will start to look at the higher factors."

WOMEN SEEM HAPPIER THAN MEN

Women also seem to be happier at work than men, with a slightly higher index. One factor with a significant impact for women is whether they are treated fairly at work. For men, it is the hope of a better future at work.

GENERATION X ANGST

Among the different age groups, Gen X - those born between 1964 and 1980 - are the least happy at work, with an overall index of 58. For Baby Boomers - those born before 1964 - the index is 64.4. Meanwhile, the score for Gen Y - those born after 1980 - is 58.5.

Mr Low described Generation X as "the sandwiched class". He said: "This is consistent with other studies out there, probably because of the burden they have to carry in terms of managing older parents and younger kids."

ENGAGING EMPLOYEES

Survey organisers feel the findings can help employers enhance HR policies. Mr Tan said: "People want to have some form of control over their career, over their work-life arrangement. They also want to be given a better direction, what sort of areas they can grow with the organisation.

"I think the HR practitioners and employers need to sit down and understand the individual staff needs better. With that change of thinking, they will be able to enhance their current HR policy to make sure that there is a better engagement of the employee, and boost morale and productivity."

But organisers also acknowledge that there are limitations. As the English-language survey is done through electronic channels, the responses gathered are from those who have access to computers or smartphones.

The profile mix is considered to be representative of the white-collar working population in Singapore. Organisers said that it would be interesting to compare the result of the survey with one that focuses on blue-collar workers.

They added that some of the interesting dimensions can be analysed with more depth, possibly through a more precise study.