A recent survey indicates that Singaporean employees think they have the skills for the future – but employers disagree
While employers remain concerned about not having the right skills for tomorrow's economy, it seems that employees feel that they're well equipped to deal with the future.
In a recent survey conducted by recruiter Hays, two out of three candidates in Singapore said that they are confident that their skills will remain relevant in the next five years.
Only 8% of candidates interviewed in the survey felt that their skills would become irrelevant in the future.
The Hays survey findings hints at a slight mismatch between employer and employee expectations of the future jobs market.
The survey also found that one in three employees spends little to no personal time on professional development.
For employees who do invest their time on upgrading their industry knowledge and skills, the breakdown is as follows:
- 22% spend three to five hours per week
- 8% spend six to ten hours per week
- 2% spend 10 to 24 hours per week
- 1% spend a total of 24 hours per week
Additionally, the survey also highlights that over half of employers in Singapore plan on offering modest salary increases (between 3% and 6%) this year. About 14%, however, are planning to offer more than 6% increase.
Also, only 17% of employers are planning to increase headcount this year – a far cry from 2017's 41%. This, in spite of an optimistic economic outlook for 2018.
In its 11th year, the 2018 Hays Asia Salary Guide highlights salary and recruitment trends based on responses from more than 3,000 employers across the region, including Singapore.
