This is what every Singapore employee wants

Different generations of employees have distinct career aspirations, save one: regardless of age, having “a rewarding job” is what matters most to staffers.

The LinkedIn study also found another similarity – staying employed is clearly a priority as unemployment (21%) emerged as one of the top concerns amongst all age groups.

Despite having similar goals, each generation’s confidence levels in achieving their goals differ. 42% of 18 to 29-year-olds are confident of securing the main opportunity, while only 34% of respondents aged 50 to 60 feel the same. Employees aged 30 to 39 (46%) were the most confident group.

Overcoming barriers
While respondents in Singapore have cited a common goal of securing stable and rewarding jobs, the barriers to achieving this are different across the generations.

Unsurprisingly, employees in their 20s cite the lack of sufficient work experience (32%) and lack of required professional skills (26%) as barriers to achieving opportunity.

Beyond skills, this group also yearns for guidance and support, with the “lack of confidence” (24%) and “fear of failure” (20%) showing up as stronger perceived barriers.

Some barriers stood out stronger for certain age groups compared to others. “Lack of time” was a greater barrier for those 30 to 49 while the “pace of technological changes” emerged as a key challenge for employees from 50 to 60.

The study suggests that family commitments could be getting in the way of working professionals’ route to success and that technological advancement might be too rapid for senior workers to keep up with.

As for how employees’ goals differed, LinkedIn found this:

• People in their 20s are most keen on learning opportunities
• Those in their 30s are most interested in career advancement
• Those in their 40s and 50s want to develop and grow their own business

“As we seek to understand how different generations feel about opportunities and barriers, we realised that they actually do complement one another,” said Roger Pua, Senior Director, Brand Marketing and Communications at LinkedIn Asia Pacific. “What’s seen as a barrier to opportunity for one generation – lack of experience for example – is a strength for another.

“If we make conscious efforts to tap into our network and community, we can help each other achieve our goals whether it is learning a new skill, landing a job we want or advancing our careers.”