SINGAPORE – The overall management of employers for the Singapore Covid-19 crisis received positive ratings from workers in general, although some fared better than others according to the results of a survey published on Tuesday (April 13).
The ranking of the 200 best places to work in Singapore in 2021 among companies and institutions with at least 200 employees was published by The Straits Times and the global research company Statista.
Tech giants Google and Apple took first and second place, respectively, followed by retailer Adidas Singapore, educational institute Singapore American School and other tech giant Amazon.
More than 9,000 people responded to the online survey conducted in August and September last year, creating a long list of more than 1,700 eligible employers in 26 industries.
Employers received a rating based primarily on whether employees would recommend them to a friend or family member. The highest score was 8.62 while the score for 200th place was 6.86.
Warren Fernandez, editor of the Straits Times and editor-in-chief of the English, Malay and Tamil Media Group of Singapore Press Holdings, said: “Our Statista-developed approach, which you would recommend to your employer, has produced interesting results.
“It shows companies where employees have a sense of purpose and commitment, feel valued and not only want to stay, but would recommend others to sign up as well. That is a strong endorsement.”
Christina Pittas, senior analyst at Statista, noted that around 70 percent of employers on the opening list of last year’s 150 best places to work are also on this year’s list, suggesting that Singapore companies are facing the crisis despite the challenges they are facing they are faced with coping well.
The second edition of the survey contained additional Covid-19-specific questions.
For example, 61 percent of respondents agreed or agreed that cohesion among colleagues was strong in times of crisis, 57 percent also responded when asked if personal issues were taken into account, and 62 percent thought that technical equipment and support for mobile working are good.
Industries with greater resilience or greater advantage during the pandemic, such as semiconductors and electronics, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, insurance and logistics, showed relatively high levels of employee satisfaction.
Broken down by level of employment – from trainee to supervisor – subordinate employees were generally less satisfied than superordinate employees. In addition, women tended to be slightly less satisfied than men in the three statements.
Ms. Pittas said: “Our data shows that the vulnerable groups of workers are bearing the greatest burden from the crisis. It is up to companies not to lose sight of these groups but to give them extra support and make them feel valued to become.”
One of the best practices for companies on this year’s list is how Amazon conducts a daily survey to measure employee sentiment in real time.
Around $ 4 billion (S $ 5.4 billion) is also expected to be invested globally in Covid-related initiatives to provide products and services to customers while keeping employees safe, said Sandra Teh , Asia Pacific, Japan, and Greater China Employer Brand Manager at Amazon Web Services.
At consumer goods company Reckitt, formerly known as Mead Johnson Nutrition, an emphasis has been placed on addressing employee needs not just in terms of productivity, but also their sense of belonging to the company and emotional wellbeing, said Mr Surya Rai, regional human resources director for the Company for Asean.
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For example, Reckitt has stepped up internal communications, including the regular exchange of information about the company and further developing knowledge about the crisis.
In addition to measures to deal with the Covid 19 crisis, attractive employers also tend to have measures to promote and involve employees.
For example, managers in the German conglomerate Siemens can recognize and reward employees via a mobile app in which they can write e-cards and award points that can be exchanged for gifts and vouchers, said Ms. Winnie Chik, Head of Talent Acquisition, Branding and Diversity Employer at Siemens Asean.
At communications equipment company Motorola Solutions Singapore, employees can access leadership development, technical and soft skills programs through online learning platforms, said Charlene Tan, head of human resources in Asia Pacific.
Mayank Parekh, chairman of the board of the Institute for Human Resource Professionals, commented on the survey results on how employees felt that their employers were managing Covid-19 and said it was important not to have a unified approach to employee communications.
More customized messages to subordinates, and women in particular, will help address certain concerns, he said.
“My advice to employers who made the list is to continue their journey to proactively support their employees. For example, new areas like managing the mental wellbeing of employees in times as uncertain as employees feel unsafe when they are Times may not be comfortable when they express their challenges, “he added.
How the survey was conducted
The second edition of the Singapore Best Employers survey was conducted from August to September last year through online panels and the Straits Times website.
Respondents were asked to rate their willingness to recommend their employer to friends and family on a scale from zero to ten. Zero meant “I would not recommend my employer under any circumstances” and 10 meant “I would definitely recommend my employer”.
They were also asked if there are other employers in their respective industries that they would recommend or not.
The results of the two questions were used to calculate a score for each company, with more weight being given to the direct score given by participants to their own employer.
More than 9,000 employees responded and gave over 200,000 reviews.
Responses were kept anonymous and the survey was not conducted by companies so that employees would not feel compelled to express a certain point of view.
All companies and institutions that employ at least 200 people in Singapore were able to qualify for the ranking.
The top 200 employers – less than 15 percent of eligible companies – made it onto Singapore’s Best Workplaces list for 2021.
This article was first published in The Straits Times.
