engage mature workers for a sustainable workforce

More than half of the employees around the world believe that mature workers can only remain employable if there is sufficient support provided by the government (62.7 per cent) or employers (74.8 per cent). This sentiment is higher in Asian markets, as eight in 10 employees will look to depend on the government (80.9 per cent) and employers (85.5 per cent) to help mature workers remain employed for longer period of time.

In Hong Kong SAR, at least eight in 10 employees look towards the government and their employers to support their employability as they age.

Natellie Sun, Managing Director of Randstad Hong Kong said, “With an ageing workforce, we need to work together to break down social stigmas associated with mature workers. Organisations that provide age-friendly workplace initiatives will benefit from increased workplace productivity and reduced turnover rates. In order to ensure their employability in the long run, we would encourage employees to immerse themselves in lifelong learning opportunities through short-term or digital courses provided by the government, their employers or from independent institutions.”

The minimum sample size per market is 400 interviews.

hong kong SAR

More than eight out of 10 Hong Kongers believe that their government (81.7 per cent) and employers (85.4 per cent) should support the employability of mature workers. Similar across all the markets, employees between the ages of 35 and 54 have higher expectations of their government and employers and feel that it is their responsibility to keep mature workers in the workforce longer.

malaysia

Malaysia ranked the lowest across the region in terms of their expectations. At least seven in 10 employees believe that the government (76.1 per cent) and employers (80.8 per cent) should support their employability as they age. Support may be provided through adequate learning and development programmes by either the government or employers to ensure the long-term employability of Malaysian employees.

singapore

At least eight in 10 Singaporeans believe that mature employees can only remain employed if they receive sufficient support from the government (84.7 per cent) and employers (90.4 per cent). The results showed that mature employees have high trust in the government to provide subsidised training and career development programmes, and in their employers to offer a robust job training programme to assure their employability within the workforce. This is further supported by the survey, where 92.4 per cent of mature workers strongly believe that they will have a chance to stay employable only if their employers support them.

“I think that older employees only have a chance in staying employable, if governments support them.” (%)

employment assistance for older workers
employment assistance for older workers

“I think that older employees only have a chance in staying employable, if employers support them.” (%)

older workers in the workplace
older workers in the workplace
mature workers in southeast asia
mature workers in southeast asia

the Randstad Workmonitor

The Randstad Workmonitor was launched in the Netherlands in 2003, then in Germany, and now covers 33 markets around the world. The last market to join was Portugal in 2014. The study encompasses Europe, Asia Pacific and the Americas. The Randstad Workmonitor is published 4 times a year, making both local and global trends in mobility visible over time.

The Workmonitor’s Mobility Index, which tracks employee confidence and captures the likelihood of an employee changing jobs within the next 6 months, provides a comprehensive understanding of sentiments and trends in the job market. Besides mobility, the survey addresses employee satisfaction and personal motivation as well as a rotating set of themed questions.

The study is conducted online among employees aged 18-65, working a minimum of 24 hours a week in a paid job (not self-employed). The minimum sample size is 400 interviews per market. The Survey Sampling International (SSI) panel is used for sampling purposes. The fourth survey of 2017 was conducted from October 24 – November 8, 2017.

about Randstad

Randstad is a global leader in the HR services industry, with Asia-Pacific operations in Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong SAR, China, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Our offices in Southeast Asia have been supporting people and organisations in realising their true potential, helping find the best permanent and contracting talent in accounting & finance, banking & financial services, construction, property & engineering, corporate & secretarial support, human resources, information technology, legal, life science, sales, marketing & communications and supply chain & procurement.

Human connection is at the heart of our business. Our personal approach, supported by state-of-the-art technology, is what sets us apart in the world of work. We express this with a new brand promise: Human Forward.

Hear what our leaders have to say about #HumanForward or head over to our website and learn more about our Human Forward brand promise.