Employees in Thailand are among the most engaged in the world

Employees in Thailand are the second most engaged in the world. A recent Qualtrics study, revealed that the average employee engagement score across Thailand is 72%, placing the country second globally (behind India) and far ahead of the global average of 53%.

The study titled, 2020 employee experience trends: Thailand, also revealed that employee engagement rises significantly to 85% when employee feedback is well-received and acted on. It falls significantly to 55% when feedback is not acted on.

In addition, the more often feedback is collected and acted on, the higher the engagement. The study found that when feedback is collected and acted on at least quarterly, engagement was 79%, while it drops to 74% when frequency is 1-2 times a year.

Stephen Choo, EX Senior Solutions Strategist APJ, Qualtrics, said: "Our study shows that asking for employee feedback and the frequency with which organisations ask have a direct impact on employee engagement scores. However, what really moves the needle is whether employees feel the company turns their feedback into tangible actions."

Listening to feedback is particularly important in Thailand where 64% workers believe it is very important that employers listen to their feedback. Businesses providing a feedback programme were found to achieve an engagement score of 77%, as compared to 55% for those who do not.

Among the top drivers of employee engagement in Thailand are:

• Opportunities for learning and development (83%)
• A clear link between the work and the company’s strategic objectives (80%)
• Recognition for good work (79%)
• Managers who help employees with career development (77%)
• Confidence in senior leadership to make the right decisions (73%)

The Qualtrics study also found that employee engagement tends to increase the longer an employee remains at the company in Thailand, peaking in their fifth year of employment. However, engagement drivers change over time, reflecting the need to continually understand and act on important issues.

The key engagement driver for employees with less than two years tenure is confidence in senior leadership. Whereas, engagement for employees with 4+ years of tenure is mostly driven by a link between work and the company’s objectives.

 

"Leaders and managers must invest in their employees’ career development, quickly resolve workplace issues and understand what matters most to teams at different stages of the employee lifecycle. This helps companies to retain exceptional talent and reduce employee churn, making it a win-win situation for everyone,” said Choo.

Apart from engagement insights, the study also shed light on attrition rates, with Thailand recording one of the lowest levels of attrition globally.

Only 8% of workers in Thailand intend to stay with their current employer for less than a year. That said, the number of employees looking to change jobs doubled (16%) when the period is extended to two years.

“Thailand is evolving into a digital economy and faces the challenge of an ageing population. Employees’ expectations are expected to change and businesses must prepare themselves in delivering superior employee experiences,” said Choo.

ALSO READ:  54% is the average employee engagement score across Malaysia

Average engagement in Singapore is 47%

On the opposite side of the spectrum, the same study in Singapore found that employees in the Lion City are some of the least engaged globally.

The Qualtrics study, 2020 Employee Experience Trends: Singapore, found the average employee engagement score across Singapore is 47%, placing the country fourth from the bottom of the list.

Infographic / QualtricsPhoto / iStock