Employees in Southeast Asia rank career development and progression more highly than employees in other parts of the world, according to the findings of the third Global Employee Survey by global employment technology company Globalization Partners. On the other hand, they also prioritise work-life balance and team work, a surprise finding for known workaholic countries like Japan and Singapore.

The survey, which covered 1,250 employees, working remotely in companies with 250 plus employees, across 15 countries worldwide, delved into employees’ experiences and their sentiments on working remotely with global companies. The findings reveal that the remote work model has brought significant positive outcomes  among employees as well as employers globally.

A considerable chunk of employees are content with working from home, due to better work-life balance. While less than half of the workers feel the need to be part of the team for better employee experience. And globally, career development and progression has been ranked sixth in the priority list.

Other key findings of the survey

In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, 63% of the companies are planning to function remotely while some find working with the team more useful for employee experience.

Due to an evolved work model, most of the companies are facing issues in collaborating with team members in different time zones. But despite scheduling, collaboration, and time zone obstacles, diversity in a team is one of the factors in global companies, which are encouraging employees to stick to their jobs.

The report throws some light on the impact of leadership. Majority of the leaders' behaviour stayed the same or worsened implying higher probability of retention among employees. Strong leadership is vital to keep the talents afloat.

Like career progression, compensation lags behind work life balance, the survey report says. Employees all over the world cite good work-life balance, being part of a team, and having the right tools and equipment for the job as the most significant contributors to their positive experience.

Compared internationally, European countries like Germany, the UK and the Netherlands report higher satisfaction among employees over work-life balance and experience as a whole. Middle East and Asian countries, and South Africa, have witnessed international relocation since the pandemic. While 58% of the employees who have relocated to these nations, report affirmative perception among employers compared to 44% world-wide.

Companies based in Latin America show higher inclination, that is 74%, towards a permanent remote work model with increased satisfaction among employees in voicing their opinions. While North American employees cite higher inclination towards compensation compared to remote working. Merely 54% of companies in North America plan to initiate work from home models compared to 63% globally.

According to the survey report 2021, the key factors that require employers' attention to better employee experience as a whole are, strong leadership, remote work model, work-life balance, team work, collaborative approach and compensation.