Chaotic workplaces are hindering employee engagement and productivity in Singapore, reveals a new study by Qualtrics. The report This report, which draws from responses from over 35,000 employees globally, including 1,039 in Singapore, highlights the need for organisations to prioritise employee well-being and create less chaotic work environments.

The study revealed that workplace chaos includes common stereotypes about young workers, a concerning level of employee trust in leaders, and the impact of first and last impressions on employee success and brand image.

While approximately 70% of young employees are highly engaged, only 31% plan to stay for the long term. This contrasts sharply with older employees, where 76% of those over 25 years old intend to stay. However, when their expectations are exceeded, nearly half (47%) of young employees are more likely to remain with the company compared to 76% of those over 25.

“It’s time to end the scapegoating of young employees for workplace woes. These mindsets are crushing the optimism and fresh thinking younger workers bring to the workplace, creating a scenario that benefits none,” said Cecelia Herbert, workplace behavioural scientist at Qualtrics. 

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Employees in Singapore rate their trust in senior leaders six percentage points lower than the global average. Only half of them believed that their bosses would choose employees’ well-being over short-term business gains. This finding suggested a lack of trust in leaders, which needs critical attention. 

Their entry experiences are the lowest rated, creating engagement, well-being, and intent-to-stay issues further down the line. For instance, only 27% of employees with less than one year of tenure with their current employer plan to stay for more than three years, compared to 45% of employees with one to five years of experience and 65% with over five years of experience. 

Employees often report a poor employee experience at the exit stage, meaning they are leaving with a negative viewpoint, the study mentioned. 

“The relationship between employees and their leaders is getting more tense, fuelled by decisions to roll back investments in DEI or sustainability, poorly managed workplace change, and more. While trust is hard to earn and maintain during times of disruption and uncertainty, our study shows its impact is huge on both business and individual outcomes, which is why leaders need to know how to cultivate it in 2025,” Herbert added.

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Work has become more chaotic since the COVID-19 pandemic as leaders pursue short-term wins and do their best to adjust to modern realities, said Herbert, adding, that for many years, the best employee experiences are those that support people through change and enable them to do great work. “These two aspects are the most impactful pathway to sustainable productivity,” added Herbert. 

The report also mentioned how companies in Singapore are leading the way with Artificial Intelligence (AI) enablement. Employees here have been receiving more AI enablement, and training from their employers than most other countries in the world with 64% of employees saying their organisation is providing AI enablement and training compared to 52% globally.