Recruitment firm Randstad's Employer Brand Research found that nearly one in five (17.3%) employees in Singapore, Hong Kong SAR and Malaysia fear that automation will take their jobs away.
Singapore (19%) and Hong Kong SAR (20%) employees held the highest fears of losing their jobs to automation. Malaysian employees on the other hand held a much more relaxed sentiment with only 13% of employees having fears around automation and their job security.
The prospect of losing their jobs to automation did not dampen their prospects, over six in ten employees said they would be happy to retrain into a new role provided that their salaries would remain the same or higher than before. Singapore and Malaysian employees were the most open to retraining with 72% and 70% stating so respectively, whereas only 52% of Hong Kongers felt the same way. On the opposite end, one in ten said they would rather move a different company than retrain.
Despite fears of automation taking jobs away, a large group of employees feel that automation will in fact make their jobs better. Nearly half, 45% of employees in Singapore, Hong Kong SAR and Malaysia held a positive outlook on automation with Malaysian employees being the most optimistic (51%) and Hong Kong SAR employees being the most pessimistic (39%).
One third of all employees in each market felt indifference towards automation and stated that they felt it would have no effect on their jobs. A further one in five stated that they could not imagine technology taking away their jobs.
Michael Smith, Managing Director, Randstad Singapore, Hong Kong SAR and Malaysia noted, “Through discussions with senior leaders from varying industries, we've seen that many organisations are in the midst of executing digital strategies incorporating automation into their daily business operations - including Randstad. With many employees are already experiencing some level of automation being integrated into their daily work lives, it‟s clear why nearly half of employees in the region feel that automation will make their jobs easier.”
“Automation is a polarising subject; our Randstad Employer Brand Research findings clearly reinforce that. The results further highlight the need for organisations to pay even more attention to the sentiments of their employees and potential talent to understand what they need to focus on to be an employer of choice,” added Smith.
The Randstad Employer Brand Award, previously known as the Randstad Awards, is presented each year to the most attractive employer in 26 markets across the globe. It is based on the outcome of one of the world‟s most representative and inclusive research into employer branding, covering over 160,000 global respondents.
automation and retraining
The 75 largest companies are selected in each participating market, usually with more than 1,000 employees. This list is presented to a representative cross section of relevant respondents based on region, age, education and gender. In Singapore and Hong Kong SAR, over 5,000 employees and jobseekers between the ages of 18-65 were surveyed. In Malaysia, over 4,500 were surveyed.
If you are keen to learn more about the local employer branding landscape from our latest research, do download the Randstad Employer Brand Research 2017 Singapore report.
about randstad employer brand research
Celebrating its 17th edition globally, the Randstad Employer Brand Research Award is presented each year to the most attractive employer in 26 markets across the globe. It is based on the outcome of the most representative and inclusive employer branding research in the world. The outcome of the Employer Brand Award is based on public perception and focuses on three main areas: overall brand awareness, absolute attractiveness and relative attractiveness. This creates a level playing field for all competing companies instead of giving an advantage to large multinationals with higher name recognition than smaller companies. This award is not open for nomination and the results are based solely on the opinions and votes of the local workforce – making it the only award that is truly representing the people’s choice. The 75 largest companies are selected in each participating market, usually with more than 1,000 employees. This list is presented to a representative cross section of relevant respondents based on region, age and gender. Respondents were asked to identify companies they recognise and indicate if they would like to work for them. This is then followed up with an evaluation of attractiveness factors, such as salary, benefits, work atmosphere and job content, for each of the companies.
about randstad
The Randstad Group is a global leader in the HR services industry and specialises in solutions in the field of flexible work and human resources services. Our services range from regular temporary Staffing and permanent placements to Inhouse Services, Professionals, and HR Solutions (including Recruitment Process Outsourcing, Managed Services Programs, and outplacement). By combining our human touch with technology-driven solutions and tools, we aim to offer both clients and candidates the best tools and solutions for increased efficiency and engagement, connecting more people to more jobs. Randstad has top-three positions in Argentina, Belgium and Luxembourg, Canada, Chile, France, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, Mexico, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK, and the United States, and major positions in Australia and Japan. At year-end 2016, Randstad had 36,524 corporate employees and 4,752 branches and Inhouse locations in 39 markets around the world. In 2016, Randstad generated revenue of €20.7 billion. Randstad was founded in 1960 and is headquartered in Diemen, the Netherlands. Randstad Holding nv is listed on the NYSE Euronext Amsterdam, where options for stocks in Randstad are also traded. For more information, see www.randstad.com.sg.
For more information about this media release, please contact:
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Rena Tan Marketing and Communications Director Email: rena.tan@randstad.com.sg |
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