The majority of today’s workforce is happy at their current jobs, but they are also willing to look elsewhere for the right opportunity, and would even pursue years of schooling or training in order to switch careers, according to G-P’s (Globalization Partners) 2022 Global Employee Survey.
The study, which gathered input from thousands of employees across nine regions, revealed that today’s workforce determines the value of their careers by more than their paychecks – and expressed desire for options like greater flexibility and the ability to take advantage of new and emerging professional opportunities.
Respondents from the Asia-Pacific region included those in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea and Singapore.
More than 60% of APAC surveyed, except for South Korea at 44%, are currently happy with their jobs, and over 30% of all APAC respondents are willing to put themselves through two years of education to make a career change.
Better monetary remuneration remains the top motivation for career change with over 50% of APAC citing better pay as the number one consideration, followed by career fulfillment and opportunities for learning new things.
Worldwide, the survey revealed today’s employees are focused on professional development, with an emphasis on new opportunities for reskilling and additional training– no matter where they are based.
In tandem with this desire to pursue upskilling, the survey also found that when it comes to the most encouraging reasons to switch careers, the global workforce aligned around the top reasons to make a change: better pay, in order to feel more fulfilled, and to learn something new.
“This data shows that most global employees are currently, and will continue to be, invested in their professional future,” said Bob Cahill, CEO of G-P.
Cahill said people want to be prepared in times of change and ready for new opportunities and that includes considering new kinds of careers. This is heightened by the fact that the global talent pool is undergoing a dramatic, unprecedented shift.
“If you factor in the possibility of hiring talent remotely and combine it with the willingness workers have to put in the time it takes to train and develop, employers have an opportunity to hire the team members they need for their hard to fill positions — particularly within the technology sector,” he said. “This presents a clear opportunity for employers to think about how they recruit, hire and manage their workforce.”
In Singapore, 33% of respondents would be willing to do up to two years of schooling to switch to a new sector or career, and 36% would pursue just under a year of schooling to switch to a new sector or career.
While 69% of Singapore respondents report feeling happy at their current jobs, 58% would consider another job if the right offer came up.
The most encouraging reasons to switch careers were better pay (58%), wanting to learn something new (33%) and more career progression (31%).
In Singapore, 77% agree that the quality of their work decreases when they are not happy at their job, and 22% are most interested in switching to a career in information technology.
Also, 49% of respondents in Singapore would take a job they’d like more even if it meant making less money, and 48% are in a hybrid/remote work model.
