Singaporean workforce 14% less engaged from last year: Report

“After a year of economic volatility, personal anxiety, and unpredictable change, 2020 has been a demonstration of human beings’ incredible resilience in the face of a crisis, and our ability to adapt. As we marked the sobering anniversary of the first Circuit Breaker, it is important to take stock of the long-term impact of COVID-19 and implement tactics to address new and emerging challenges. HR and people leaders need to continually iterate the employee experience strategies with relevant and timely data,” commented Chee Tung Leong, CEO and co-founder of EngageRocket. 

The survey led by EngageRocket, IHRP, anD SHRI reveals that in 2021, the overall engagement has reduced by 14% from last year. However, employees and managers feel much more productive and engaged in remote working system. 

Remote vs Hybrid

With government regulations and restrictions constantly undergoing change, before the return to Phase Two, several companies have opted for hybrid work – where employees spend a designated number of hours in office and the rest working from home. The report shows remote environments are the most conducive for productivity.

• 77% of remote employees reported being productive. 
• Office workers are slightly less productive at 73%.
• Hybrid workers are the least productive of all at 72%. 
• 46% of office workers are detractors compared to 32% of the remote workforce 
• 77% of remote employees want to stay on in their current organisation vs 69% for office workers. 

“These latest findings provide valuable insights how both new and experienced employees are coping in an increasingly virtual workspace, and its impact on work relationships and culture. It highlights the importance of new leadership skills in this environment for better collaboration and to deliver on team goals. Finally, the study provides organisations with a more holistic measure of overall health, well-being and resilience of their workforce that will better align their human capital interventions to employee performance and business outcomes,” says Mayank Parekh, CEO of Institute of HR Professionals (IHRP). 

 The risk of burnout: Languisihing employees 

Last year, 53% said they were reacting “favorably” and stress levels were normal, all things considered. In 2021, this number has dipped by 9 percentage points, meaning more than half of all employees are at risk. Specifically, the share of the neutral or “coping” population has increased from 30% to 43%, indicating a feeling of stagnation that’s now settling in one year into the pandemic. 

Once again, as in the case of resilience, caregivers make up the bottom percentile in terms of wellness. 14% overall caregivers declare being burnout, this number jumps at 30% for caregivers with school going children and high workloads.

While the trends, challenges, and employee's state of well-being are indicated in the report, the next question is how can organizations address these challenges and ensure a healthier, happier, and more engaged workforce?