Singapore and jobs: It's a game of two halves

Singapore's full employment is a source of pride but it is also the source of many of the problems employers have.

Singaporean employees have all the power and they know it. There is a lack of commitment which has a negative effect on a company's long term planning. Length of employment is short and a promiscuous attitude from employees pervades.

This comes through in the enormous number of sick days taken (almost to the degree that it is an unwritten rule that sick days are really just holidays with an MC) and lack of drive, responsibility taking, lateral thinking, and desire to go above and beyond the call of duty. Why do too much when you won't be in the job that long?

I have heard many examples of Singaporeans accepting a job and then either taking another better job even after signing a contract for the first job or just deciding not to turn up to the new job or accepting several offers all at the same time, thus letting down several expectant employers. It's their playground and they're going to play in it.

Singaporeans generally live at home into their thirties or even forties. This allows them to have no financial concerns when it comes to a job. If they lose one or decide to leave to pursue another one without having a job to go to they know that they won't lose their home as all their bills are covered by their parents. Money is then less of a motivating factor to committing to a job. Hunger is lacking.

A Managing Director of a large multinational once told me that in interviews he would always ask how much debt a person had as he believed that it made them more focused, committed, and hardworking. They had to worry about paying it off or keeping up prepayments on a house mortgage and therefore were going to be serious about delivering; going above and beyond what was needed and would do everything they could to achieve goals to generate an increase in salary and bonuses.

This doesn't seem to be a factor amongst Singaporeans and that comes through in a lack of ambition to succeed within their roles.

When they are in the job there is a lack of responsibility taking and lack of creative thinking. Is this the education system or just the attitude? Is this because there is a lack of risk taking in case it goes wrong and it's better to play safe?

Ironically you would expect Singaporeans to actually be braver and take greater risks and think more laterally. They have the safety net of knowing that if it all goes wrong and they lose their job they still have their home living with their parents and minimal debts.

Many other people around the world don't have that plan B. If they take a risk and it doesn't work out and they get fired or the company goes under they know that it will have a detrimental effect on their home, lifestyle, and wellbeing. Yet they still take the risk. Why don't Singaporeans?

Singapore's country football team is facing calls from inside and outside of the game to be taken apart and abandoned such is the state of the national team but is it more to do with the same risk free, safety net lack of commitment factor?

Contrast that with Barcelona. Barcelona is no bigger than Singapore with an immediate population of 1.4 million and even in Greater Barcelona it is only 4 million, less than Singapore's 5 million. The bedrock of its success has been its ability to produce top players through La Masía, its in-house training academy.

All three finalists for this year's Fifa's 2010 world’s player of the year are graduates of the academy and the winner, Lionel Messi, won for the second successive year. Barcelona takes a holistic approach.

La Masía has been home to more than 500 players over three decades, as both a training academy and boarding house. The original aim of the school was to develop successful football players. It sought out players who were talented, but also had the drive to win and the ability to work as part of a team.

That is key. Personal development and athletic performance are made inseparable in the lives of young players.

Contrast that with the Singaporean players where instead of going to a boarding house at the age of 12, (as many current Barcelona players did), they are still living at home with mum and dad in their late 20’s and thirties.

Instead of coming from relative poverty in Argentina in Messi’s case or Catalan in most other cases the Singaporean players have the comfort of knowing that if it doesn’t work out as a footballer they will be able to find a job very easily in the full employment world that is Singapore.

This fall back plan B psychologically tempers desire, determination, and ambition. It’s not all or nothing. It also means that they will always look after themselves rather than think of the team. Spain has 20% unemployment.

If Singapore had that, would Singaporeans go that extra mile, take that risk that would lead to greater security and rewards, remain in their jobs for longer and succeed to greater heights? Of course the society wouldn’t be as content and happy…you can’t have it all!

A recent survey showed that 40% of Singaporeans would change job this year. They will because they know that they can. From an employer point of view this attitude limits creativity, lateral thinking, and drive which in turn limit a company’s ability to compete.

It’s one of the reasons that one million foreigners have been employed in Singapore in the past decade and it's one of the reasons that holds back Singapore from realising the amazing potential that the country has.