Many employees here feel that bosses do not do enough to prepare them for success or give enough recognition for good work.
In a survey conducted by recruitment agency Kelly Services, only 46 per cent of 900 Singaporeans said that their efforts at work are recognised and rewarded.
The finding ranks Singapore the lowest out of seven territories in the Asia-Pacific.
India ranks the highest, at 64 per cent.
The poll was part of an annual Kelly Global Workforce Index survey done from October last year to January this year.
Respondents in Singapore gave their bosses an average rating of 6.5 out of 10.
Only 37 per cent said their bosses did well in preparing them for success.
Ms Melissa Norman, managing director of Kelly Services Singapore and Malaysia, said the survey shows that employers should not complacently believe "that their top talent will stay with them purely out of loyalty".
"Providing a work environment which is inclusive and allows for better boss-staff interaction is key to retaining talent in today's workplace," she said.
Mr Josh Goh, assistant director for corporate services at human-resources consultancy The GMP Group, said employers here tend to be more results- oriented.
Expectations differ, he said, as employees prefer bosses who are more caring.
This mismatch could lead to employees feeling frustrated or disengaged.
Mr William Gordon, a manager in the commercial finance and IT-commerce division of recruitment firm Robert Walters Singapore, said companies here expect diligence from their staff.
Employees may work long hours, but employers may not recognise and reward such efforts, he said.
He added that employers "may focus more on immediate revenue-generating plans" rather than grooming their team.
Employers my paper spoke to say the problem may lie with mindsets.
Mr Sem Chong, managing director of Bluetree Electronics, believes that Asian bosses tend to "decide everything and have little or no confidence in the staff's ability to execute plans".
For his part, Mr Chong tries to delegate more jobs to build staff confidence. He also provides remuneration and perks to retain good staff.
Most Singapore bosses employ employees "to do a job" rather than develop their career, said Mr Terence Mak, chief executive of 3rd Planet, an online interactive 3-D travel portal.
When people do not see opportunities to grow, "complacency sets in...and good staff have issues and start blaming their bosses", he said.
His company does not have a "top-down approach", but encourages all to contribute.
Ms Jolin Goh, 26, a human- resources executive, has been working for more than three years but has not been promoted despite positive appraisals.
"I feel disappointed that my efforts have gone unrecognised. I'll leave if I still don't get a promotion."
What workers think of their bosses Less than half, or 46 per cent of 900 respondents in Singapore, feel that their efforts at work are recognised and rewarded.
Only 37 per cent of respondents believe their bosses have done a good job in preparing them for success.
Forty-one per cent said they were not prepared well. The rest were uncertain.
Nearly half of the respondents, or 48 per cent, described their organisation's leadership culture as either "empowering" or "inclusive".
However, 30 per cent described it as "authoritative" or "oppressive". The rest responded either "don't know" or "other".
Half of the respondents would be willing to recommend their current employer to a friend or acquaintance.
SOURCE: KELLY SERVICES
[email protected]
In a survey conducted by recruitment agency Kelly Services, only 46 per cent of 900 Singaporeans said that their efforts at work are recognised and rewarded.
The finding ranks Singapore the lowest out of seven territories in the Asia-Pacific.
India ranks the highest, at 64 per cent.
The poll was part of an annual Kelly Global Workforce Index survey done from October last year to January this year.
Respondents in Singapore gave their bosses an average rating of 6.5 out of 10.
Only 37 per cent said their bosses did well in preparing them for success.
Ms Melissa Norman, managing director of Kelly Services Singapore and Malaysia, said the survey shows that employers should not complacently believe "that their top talent will stay with them purely out of loyalty".
"Providing a work environment which is inclusive and allows for better boss-staff interaction is key to retaining talent in today's workplace," she said.
Mr Josh Goh, assistant director for corporate services at human-resources consultancy The GMP Group, said employers here tend to be more results- oriented.
Expectations differ, he said, as employees prefer bosses who are more caring.
This mismatch could lead to employees feeling frustrated or disengaged.
Mr William Gordon, a manager in the commercial finance and IT-commerce division of recruitment firm Robert Walters Singapore, said companies here expect diligence from their staff.
Employees may work long hours, but employers may not recognise and reward such efforts, he said.
He added that employers "may focus more on immediate revenue-generating plans" rather than grooming their team.
Employers my paper spoke to say the problem may lie with mindsets.
Mr Sem Chong, managing director of Bluetree Electronics, believes that Asian bosses tend to "decide everything and have little or no confidence in the staff's ability to execute plans".
For his part, Mr Chong tries to delegate more jobs to build staff confidence. He also provides remuneration and perks to retain good staff.
Most Singapore bosses employ employees "to do a job" rather than develop their career, said Mr Terence Mak, chief executive of 3rd Planet, an online interactive 3-D travel portal.
When people do not see opportunities to grow, "complacency sets in...and good staff have issues and start blaming their bosses", he said.
His company does not have a "top-down approach", but encourages all to contribute.
Ms Jolin Goh, 26, a human- resources executive, has been working for more than three years but has not been promoted despite positive appraisals.
"I feel disappointed that my efforts have gone unrecognised. I'll leave if I still don't get a promotion."
What workers think of their bosses Less than half, or 46 per cent of 900 respondents in Singapore, feel that their efforts at work are recognised and rewarded.
Only 37 per cent of respondents believe their bosses have done a good job in preparing them for success.
Forty-one per cent said they were not prepared well. The rest were uncertain.
Nearly half of the respondents, or 48 per cent, described their organisation's leadership culture as either "empowering" or "inclusive".
However, 30 per cent described it as "authoritative" or "oppressive". The rest responded either "don't know" or "other".
Half of the respondents would be willing to recommend their current employer to a friend or acquaintance.
SOURCE: KELLY SERVICES
[email protected]
It's a dog eat dog out there just ask LKY, the sabo king of Spore 
