{"id":48376,"date":"2025-07-28T16:24:05","date_gmt":"2025-07-28T10:54:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.foundit.sg\/career-advice\/?p=48376"},"modified":"2025-09-29T12:31:00","modified_gmt":"2025-09-29T07:01:00","slug":"singapore-appraisal-survey-2025-what-professionals-want","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.foundit.sg\/career-advice\/singapore-appraisal-survey-2025-what-professionals-want\/","title":{"rendered":"What Singapore professionals really want in 2025: Insights from the foundit Appraisal Survey\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The appraisal cycle may have concluded, but<a href=\"https:\/\/www.foundit.sg\/career-advice\/impact-of-management-on-employee-engagement\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"> job satisfaction<\/a> remains elusive for many professionals in Singapore. According to the latest foundit Appraisal Survey 2025, just 53% of employees received a hike this year. <strong>And yet, a staggering 89% say they\u2019re considering a job switch.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The message is clear: even generous pay hikes aren\u2019t enough to retain talent. Employees are looking for more than just compensation: clarity, flexibility, and growth matter just as much, if not more.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Modest hikes were the norm<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Across industries and roles, <strong>5\u201310% was the most common appraisal range<\/strong>, reflecting a cautious approach by employers. Only <strong>20% of respondents <\/strong>felt their <strong>hike was higher than expected<\/strong>, while <strong>41% said their hike fell short<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This disconnect between contribution and reward is growing. Despite 69% rating the appraisal process as fair, the numbers suggest most companies are meeting the bare minimum, not ambition.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div data-wp-interactive=\"core\/file\" class=\"wp-block-file aligncenter\"><object data-wp-bind--hidden=\"!state.hasPdfPreview\" hidden class=\"wp-block-file__embed\" data=\"https:\/\/www.foundit.sg\/career-advice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Appraisal-Survey-Report-2025-Singapore.pdf\" type=\"application\/pdf\" style=\"width:100%;height:600px\" aria-label=\"Embed of &lt;strong&gt;Appraisal Survey Report 2025 - Singapore&lt;\/strong&gt;.\"><\/object><a id=\"wp-block-file--media-43cb7280-ac43-415a-b6fb-fd5416c63fac\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foundit.sg\/career-advice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Appraisal-Survey-Report-2025-Singapore.pdf\"><strong>Appraisal Survey Report 2025 &#8211; Singapore<\/strong><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foundit.sg\/career-advice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Appraisal-Survey-Report-2025-Singapore.pdf\" class=\"wp-block-file__button wp-element-button\" download aria-describedby=\"wp-block-file--media-43cb7280-ac43-415a-b6fb-fd5416c63fac\">Download<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>By industry: IT lags, while engineering leads in satisfaction<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>When broken down by industry, disparities come into sharper focus:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foundit.sg\/search\/it-jobs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">IT sector <\/a><\/strong>saw <strong>32% employees getting no hike<\/strong>, and many felt their raise didn\u2019t reflect their performance.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Retail and Trade <\/strong>were hit hardest, with <strong>67% of employees receiving no increment <\/strong>\u2014 the highest across all sectors.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>BFSI <\/strong>and <strong>IT <\/strong>stuck to a conservative band, with <strong>hikes mostly under 10% <\/strong>and none crossing the 15% mark.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Engineering, Construction, and Real Estate <\/strong>showed a clear divide \u2014 while 24% received hikes above 20%, a large share received no increment at all. In contrast, <strong>Manufacturing <\/strong>displayed a more balanced distribution, with only 26% receiving no hike and over 24% receiving hikes above 20%, indicating more consistent rewards across the workforce.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>By function: engineering and finance stay stable<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The story shifts slightly when viewed through a functional lens:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Engineering and Production <\/strong>roles saw the best outcomes, with hikes exceeding 15% in many cases.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.foundit.sg\/search\/finance-manager-jobs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Finance<\/strong><\/a><strong>\u00a0<\/strong>&amp;<strong>\u00a0<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foundit.sg\/search\/accountant-jobs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Accounts<\/strong><\/a> <\/strong>fared well too, with only 17% not receiving any hike, a sign of stable reward structures.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>IT <\/strong>roles remained the most impacted, with 42% receiving no increment.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Marketing, HR, and Sales <\/strong>roles faced subdued hikes: nearly 1 in 3 employees received no hike, and most others were offered &lt;10%.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Promotions didn\u2019t always come with pay<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Promotions were another sore point. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>While 42% of employees saw some form of career progression, 58% received no promotion at all.<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>More worryingly, 8% were promoted without a salary hike \u2014 a growing trend that may demotivate mid-level professionals who expect tangible rewards for stepping up.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Hike expectations weren\u2019t met<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When asked about how the hike aligned with expectations:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>20% said it exceeded expectations&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>39% said it met expectations&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>41% said it was below expectations&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The majority of those disappointed were from the IT sector. In contrast, professionals in Engineering, Construction, and Real Estate felt their hikes matched what their expectations.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Big hikes didn\u2019t always mean satisfaction<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The survey found that 25% of those considering a switch received just a 5\u201310% hike. But what stood out was that 18% of potential job seekers got hikes of over 20% and still plan to leave.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This trend signals a deeper issue: compensation isn\u2019t the primary lever of retention anymore. Even high performers are ready to walk if other expectations go unmet.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What\u2019s really keeping people from leaving?<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When asked what might make them stay, the answers were telling:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>60% <\/strong>cited <strong>flexibility <\/strong>and <strong>work-life balance<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>50% <\/strong>mentioned <strong>salary benefits<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Only <strong>20% <\/strong>pointed to <strong>career growth<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These responses mark a clear shift in priorities. Professionals are placing greater value on workplace experience, autonomy, and personal well-being than on traditional incentives like promotions or pay.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The bottom line<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>For employers in Singapore, the takeaway is simple: hikes alone can\u2019t buy loyalty. The modern workforce is looking for more. Respect, transparency, flexibility, and growth are a major concern for employees. Companies that fail to deliver on these fronts risk losing even their best performers, no matter how generous the increment.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The appraisal cycle may have concluded, but job satisfaction remains elusive for many professionals in Singapore. According to the latest foundit Appraisal Survey 2025, just 53% of employees received a hike this year. And yet, a staggering 89% say they\u2019re considering a job switch.\u00a0 The message is clear: even generous pay hikes aren\u2019t enough to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":48387,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[105],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-48376","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-career-growth-and-development"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.foundit.sg\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48376","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.foundit.sg\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.foundit.sg\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.foundit.sg\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.foundit.sg\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=48376"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.foundit.sg\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48376\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":48388,"href":"https:\/\/www.foundit.sg\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48376\/revisions\/48388"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.foundit.sg\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/48387"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.foundit.sg\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=48376"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.foundit.sg\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=48376"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.foundit.sg\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=48376"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}