The Covid-19 pandemic has dramatically disrupted the way we used to live, interact and work. Organisational culture has undergone similar sweeping transformations. With workplace norms shifting, your company has no other option but to adapt and embrace the “new normal”.

Remote work and flexible work arrangements

Before the pandemic hit, it was still the norm for the majority of companies to require their employees to work in office. Only several progressive tech firms offered work from home (WFH) as a perk. Employees would occasionally grumble about the high cost of food in the CBD area, exorbitant parking fees and countless hours wasted in traffic jams—but accepted these as necessary aspects of their jobs.

Since March 2020, various government regulations put pressure on companies to adopt a new model of remote working, whether it be fully remote or hybrid work. Having experienced remote work for the past two years, employees in Singapore are now reluctant to give it up. In a poll conducted by the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) and the Human Capital Leadership Institute (HCLI) with 550 respondents, nearly 70% indicated that they would not like to return to the office full-time. As such, WFH is no longer a perk but the new standard by which employees measure the attractiveness of a workplace.

Likewise, flexibility in work arrangements—which go hand in hand with WFH—are increasingly valued. Close to 80 percent of the 1,000 employees surveyed in the biannual Randstad study mentioned that flexible working hours is high on their list of priorities. Not having sufficient flexibility in working hours and location is even a deal-breaker, with a quarter of those employees surveyed reporting that they have quit their jobs for this reason. It will not be long before having flexible work arrangements is normalised as an employee entitlement.

Therefore, your company should take steps to create a thriving hybrid and remote work culture. It is crucial for your company to develop mutual trust and understanding between managers and employees. When trust is absent, managers are prone to micromanagement which only heightens conflicts in the workplace. Beyond trust, there must be transparency, open communication and a focus on clear deliverables.

Career learning and development opportunities

Besides remote work and flexible working arrangements, employees are greatly concerned about the availability of learning and development opportunities. With the rapid pace of technological advances further accelerated by the pandemic, employees worry that their skills will become obsolete in the future. Skills which were once well-regarded may soon cease to be relevant due to digitalisation.

Determined not to be left behind, employees in Singapore are looking to continually broaden and diversify their skillsets. This trend is clearly reflected in Randstad's recent 2022 Workmonitor study, whereby 91% of employees surveyed in Singapore have indicated an interest in career learning and development opportunities. Employees desire that their companies invest in them and their professional development.

It’s in your company’s best interests to send your employees for reskilling and training. A study conducted by SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) found that for every 10 percent of the local workforce that companies supported for training, the company's revenue increased on average by 0.7 percent each year—for up to three years after training. Not only did revenue increase, labour productivity in these companies also went up.

Is your company afraid to invest in your employees for fear that they may leave one day? That the time and effort expended in order to train employees will waste company resources if your competitors poach them? Rather, reframe this risk as an opportunity to keep your employee engagement and talent retention levels high. Reskilling and upskilling your employees is a pragmatic approach to building a sustainable talent pool.

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