34% Of SEA Workers Prefer New Jobs Than Returning to the Office

According to Qualtrics' 2022 Employee Experience Trends research, one-third of employees in Southeast Asia (34%) prefer to hunt for a new job if they are forced back to the office full-time.

Why companies should adopt hybrid working arrangement

The most popular working arrangement for them is a hybrid workplace model, in which they work from home (WFH) for three days and then return to the office for two days.

Lauren Huntington, Employee Experience Solutions Strategist at Qualtrics in Southeast Asia, believed that organisations in the region should adjust their mindset, define, and refine their ways of working.

This step is important if they are to successfully move to a hybrid working environment and compete for talent.

She said that based on Qualtrics data, addressing the issues faced are not as easy as raising employee engagement or setting new work schedules. 

She added that in today's working environments, people have varied needs, which means the ability to quickly and easily find and respond to the challenges having the biggest impact with tools such as Qualtrics is a major advantage. 

About 34% of SEA workers would rather find new jobs than returning to the office full time.

Focus on employee feedback

The Employee Experience Trends for 2022 highlights why organisations must listen to, interpret, and act on employee feedback in order to meet their objectives.

These insights, according to Qualitrics, will enable firms to design new and upgraded solutions that are matched with adjusting employee expectations.

Even though the Southeast Asian region has recorded the highest levels of wellbeing worldwide, they will not last unless employers work on improving resilience among their workers.

Only 30% of respondents believed the technology offered matched their expectations, where Singapore recorded only 24%.

Qualtrics encouraged employees who work in hybrid workplaces to enhance and invest in their technological experience.

According to the report, those who are satisfied with the technology they have access to are four times more likely to be motivated at work.

More employees willing to stay

Employees in Southeast Asia are more likely to stay with their previous companies, but there has been a reduction observed in 2022.

According to the data, seven out of 10 workers in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines will remain at their jobs this year, compared to 53% in Singapore.

In a competitive job market, fostering a culture of belonging encourages employees to stay with their organisation.

This also applies to accomplishing career goals, prioritising well-being, as well as aligning employees with the company's strategic goals.

Source: The Malaysian Reserve