Short stints on the rise

More millennials are less tolerant of sticking it out in jobs they aren’t happy with. It’s a trend that’s been taking root over the last five years, says Tricia Tan, HR director at recruitment firm Robert Walters Singapore. It’s down to the fact that millennials want to feel fulfilled. “The perception of seeking a career, instead of just another job, is stronger now,” she adds. “Millennials generally receive extensive parental support, more than earlier generations.” Without the worry of having to pay the bills, they’re less afraid of seeking out an “ideal career”.

But it’s not just millennials. A recent survey by Linkedin of some 1,100 Singaporeans aged between 18 and 55 showed that promotions, pay rises and six-figure salaries factor low on how we define success. In fact, more than 70 per cent cited happiness (a feeling that cannot be quantified by key performance indicators) and health as barometers for success in the office.

Social media is also a contributing factor, suggests David Ang, executive director of Singapore Human Resources Institute. “Especially when you see pictures of exciting workspaces such as those at Google – to younger people, such companies have a culture and mindset more aligned to what they want,” he says.

It’s a sentiment echoed by Samantha*, who left a job she hated after three months. For millennials, having agency is key, she says. “We were taught that if we didn’t like something, we should change it.”