What do women in Singapore want for their careers?

When we profiled Wu Ye-Min last year, her everyday life was chaotic. She just returned from a family holiday, her young kids just began their school year, and even though it had been over a year since she took over her predecessor, she hadn’t yet found the time to settle into her office. 

International conflict mediator or not, Ye-Min’s difficulties with juggling all her commitments aren’t unique. Only 14% of our readers responded “Yes, very much so” when asked about having a good work-life balance, according to the results of the Her World What Women Want survey 2024. 

This is just one of many findings from this year’s What Women Want survey, where we asked readers about their thoughts on career and the workplace. With 825 answers from working women aged largely between 30 and 49, the survey is a valuable snapshot of the concerns facing professional women in Singapore.

Here are some of the key results.

Salaries and perks

The majority of our readers saw their salaries increase over the past year: 57% reported their salaries today were higher, though there was also 10% who found that it was lower. That said, leaders were split on their satisfaction with their current compensation, where 50% felt “very satisfied” or “somewhat satisfied” with their salaries while 39% were “very dissatisfied” or “somewhat dissatisfied”. 

That said, salaries are just one part of the compensation package readers cared about. Overall, 7 in 10 readers would consider accepting a lower salary for more perks and benefits – 1 in 10 would definitely do so.

Work-life balance

Amongst other considerations, work-life balance was a commonly-cited priority. When asked about how their organisation can help them achieve their career goals, 72% agreed they could offer a more flexible schedule, while 56% would want more leave or paid time-off.

These responses could be evaluated with the context in mind: When asked about whether they had a good work-life balance, 14% agreed “Yes, very so”, 52% said “Yes, somewhat” and 34% said “No”. Doing overtime is quite common: 54% work overtime at least once a week while 11% even said they work overtime everyday

Job and career goals

There appears to be a moderately high appetite for risk, with 54% of respondents quitting without having another job lined up – where 63% of that group cited a toxic work environment and 57% cited burning out as reasons for quitting. That appears to be in line with how 51% of overall respondents said a toxic workplace environment was a dealbreaker. 

Many of our readers were flexible with their careers: 52% were no longer working in the industry they graduated in. 74% had considered a mid-career switch, where half of that group cited better career prospects as a reason.

That willingness to change careers for better prospects appears aligned with the career priorities our readers have: 78% of readers said having more money was a career goal, and 44% said they were aiming for a promotion. 

A common concern in our present AI age is our jobs becoming obsolete. That said, 58% of readers were not too worried about their work being replaced by AI. Part of that belief might be rooted in how our readers are highly focused on upskilling: 91% of respondents agreed upskilling was important, and 89% have gone for some form of upskilling. Amongst these, 50% of respondents have been to company-mandated courses, while 44% have used MySkillsFuture.

 Leadership and workplace culture

Career progression for women was an issue we asked respondents about, given the comparative lack of women in senior positions. 36% of respondents expressed facing career setbacks because of their personal life – with 41% of that group believing they were discriminated against due to being mothers. When asked what factors might hinder career progression for women, 81% of respondents said unconscious bias from management was an issue, and 67% believed unhelpful gender stereotyping was another. What solutions can increase the number of women in senior roles? 64% believed coaching to support women in senior roles would help, while 58% thought support in returning to work after maternity would have a positive impact. 

Another trend is an increased concern on mental health in the workplace. 86% of respondents said they experienced burnout or workplace-related anxiety in their working lives, suggesting it is a problem. 46% of respondents said their company’s mental wellness benefits were “very or somewhat adequate” – though 29% also said their company did not have any mental wellness benefits at all.

Self-confidence in the workplace

A majority of readers – 56% – felt that they were being judged based on their appearance at work. This is despite how work culture has shifted such that 54% of respondents noted their workplaces tend to dress casually.

Consequently, 53% of respondents said they had a go-to beauty routine for work. Looking good isn’t just about appealing to others however – 78% of respondents said how they look at work impacts their confidence in the office.