By Allison Singapore
With employees being the lifeblood of big and small organizations, leadership must create a workforce that is engaged and committed to the cause. To understand just how internal communications can play a big role and mark the agency’s 10th year in the country, Allison Singapore launched its inaugural research into employee engagement and employer branding with a lively session featuring senior corporate communicators from Unilever, GWI, and SAP, and more than 40 other industry professionals.
Surveying more than 1,000 full-time PMEBs in Singapore, the research aims to help organizations foster more meaningful connections with their most important audience – their own employees. More than half of employees polled (54%) were dissatisfied with their organizations’ internal communications. This dissatisfaction is more pronounced at organizations with more than 500 employees, where the figure jumps to 59%.
The survey highlights a stark contrast in employee engagement based on the quality of internal communications. Employees who view internal communication efforts positively are significantly more likely to understand company goals and strategy and appreciate its core values. Another 84% of these employees report clear understanding and alignment, versus 64-65% of those who feel indifferent or negative about the communications.
“These findings really underscore the significance of good employee communications, especially today as organizations and leaders are being challenged to demonstrate shared purpose and values in order to strengthen trust and partnership with their people,” said Adeline Goh, Allison APAC’s corporate lead and general manager in Singapore. “Increasingly, clients are telling us that their employees have become their number one stakeholder, and we have found many organizations – large and small – are playing catch-up with employee engagement these past few years, with the fast-changing work and business realities.”
The New Age Working World – No One Size Fits All
However, today’s workforce is diverse and made up of different generations, a challenge employers must overcome when trying to make meaningful connections.
Aside from compensation and benefits, the top two considerations when choosing an employer are workplace culture (46%) and career development opportunities (46%) in Singapore. Each generation is more likely to pick a distinct attribute over others:
- Gen Z most value alignment of their values with their companies (31% vs 20% net)
- Millennials pick the ability to work remotely as the top consideration (36% vs 32% net)
- Gen X employees said the company’s mission and purpose are most important (23% vs 18% net)
- Baby Boomers overwhelmingly select workplace culture (60% vs 46% net)
When it comes to topics like Diversity, Equality and Inclusion (DEI), a majority (59%) cited age as the aspect of DEI that most resonates with them, followed by race/ethnicity (53%) and gender (43%).
“The world of work today demands that HR and communications professionals ask a crucial question: How can we prepare our workforce for the future?” said Syahirah Osman, Employer Branding Lead at Unilever Singapore. “At Unilever, our core belief is that people with purpose thrive. Workplaces of the future therefore need to champion the spirit of continuous learning to empower employees to pursue their idea of meaningful work in an ever-changing world, even while adapting to the impact of evolving technologies and new ways of working.”
The AI Revolution – Communicating the Opportunity
While digital natives continue to be early adopters of emerging technologies, interestingly, Gen Zs appear to approach artificial intelligence (AI) with most caution. They are least optimistic about AI (52% vs 70% net), signally increasing fears over their job security and prospects.
Overall, 54% report part of their role is now redundant due to AI and they are concerned about the future. However, optimism about AI increases to 84% among those who embrace their organizations’ core values and who thrive in a positive workplace culture, suggesting that a supportive environment and alignment with organizational values can potentially mitigate concerns about AI’s impact.
“AI is a transformative force in the workplace and our working relationship with AI is constantly evolving,” said Jo Ling Sun, Senior Trends Analyst at GWI. “With AI acting like a co-pilot to employees, it’s crucial for organizations to highlight how AI complements human skills and creativity rather than replacing them. By fostering a supportive environment and aligning AI initiatives with core values, companies can address fears and concerns, building trust and confidence among employees in adopting this emerging technology. Embracing AI with a balanced approach not only drives organizational progress but also ensures that the human experience remains at the heart of technological advancements.”
For more details on the survey insights, please contact [email protected].
Allison (Performance + Intelligence) surveyed 1,001 individuals aged 18 and older. Respondents all reside in Singapore and are employed full-time. The survey was fielded using Forsta, panel was sourced from Lucid. Fielding took place in June 2024.
