Two in every three (65%) knowledge workers in Singapore prefer having a flexible schedule that allows them to work the hours that are productive for them, while 60% want the option to choose where they work from.
According to a report from Zoom, both these factors ranked second only to competitive pay and benefits as top workplace perks.
These are findings from survey conducted on Feb 3-24 among 4,000 knowledge workers across the United States, United Kindgom, Germany, Australia, and Singapore.
Globally, survey data revealed that people no longer consider flexible work a perk. In fact, on average, 43% of knowledge workers surveyed say flexible work is a basic expectation.
The results confirm that flexible hours and schedules were of utmost importance when it comes to workplace benefits, outweighing other well-established perks like professional development opportunities and childcare resources.
Among Singapore-based respondents, 87% agree that flexible work, with options to work remotely or flex their schedules, leads to increased happiness as employees.
These survey findings suggest the classic 9-5 model is no longer considered an effective way to work – no matter the stage of life the employee is in.
Rather, employees prefer to have control over time and manage their own efficiency, determining how they work best while still meeting their employers’ expectations.
In a scenario where Singaporeans had to choose between two jobs with the same compensation and benefits packages, flexible hours and location ranked on par (73%) with professional development opportunities.
According to Zoom, organisations in Singapore should look to incorporate training and development initiatives into their flexible work models.
This could mean putting in place employee development roadmap catered to hybrid teams, or leveraging conversational intelligence tools built into the daily routines of employees to uncover areas of improvement.
Further, 61% of Singaporeans agreeing that the significance of such perks has increased in the face of a challenging business climate.
Among all workplace advantages, flexible work options stand out. While the majority of those surveyed are satisfied with their current employee benefits, 78% say that they are more likely to work for a company that offers remote or flexible work if the other aspects of the job were about the same.
Many also think that remote work bears significant advantages over working in-person across various aspects, with 61% appreciate the increased freedom that comes with remote work, allowing them to have more autonomy over their schedule.
Another 57% value the opportunity to spend more quality time with their family, recognising the positive impact on work-life balance, with 56% saying they benefited from more balanced childcare commitments and 51% seeing improved work-life balance.
“Future of work discussions have since evolved beyond the ‘what if’ around flexible work, to the ‘what next’ as organisations navigate the shifting strategies for effective work collaboration in a hybrid environment,” said Ricky Kapur, head of Asia-Pacific at Zoom.
