The majority, or 60%, of managers in Singapore say leadership at their company is out of touch with employee expectations, according to research from Microsoft and LinkedIn.

The study found that 78% of managers in Singapore say they don't have the influence or resources to drive change for their team.

Furthermore, employees are redefining what’s “worth it”. More than half, 52%, of employees in Singapore are more likely to prioritise their health and wellbeing over work than before the Covid-19 pandemic.

A quarter, or 23%, of employees left their jobs last year, but the ‘Great Reshuffle’ isn’t over as 63% of Gen Z and Millennials in Singapore are likely to consider changing employers in the year ahead.

Meanwhile, managers say they feel wedged between leadership and employee expectations. While 51% of leaders in Singapore plan on bringing full-time in-person work, employees feel otherwise. More than half, 53%, of workers in Singapore are considering a switch to remote or hybrid. As a result, the differences in expectations left managers feeling like they do not have the power to drive change in their team.

The study also found that 38% of hybrid employees in Singapore say their biggest challenge is knowing when and why to come into the office. At the same time, 30% of leaders have created team agreements to define these new norms. Half, or 49%, of leaders in Singapore say relationship-building is the greatest challenge of having employees work hybrid or remote.

Lee Hui Li, Managing Director of Microsoft Singapore, said, "The past two years prompted many of us to review our priorities and how we navigate work, especially when flexibility and well-being become non-negotiables for our people. Today, we are not the same people who went home to work in early 2020. Hence, leaders must embrace these new expectations with the right tools and reciprocal policies in place, so they can set their people and their business up for long-term success, as they build a resilient, digitally inclusive economy."