Wellbeing, job mobility, building professional networks and upskilling is key to career satisfaction amongst people professionals, CIPD report shows

The CIPD has published a new report, HR Talent Trends - What’s next for our senior leaders?, exploring the views of people professionals and talent trends in Singapore, Malaysia, and Brunei.  

The report, which surveyed 100 people professionals working in these markets, shows more than half (54%) of people professionals are satisfied in their current job role. Almost half (49%) report that their organisation has felt a negative impact of the current economic climate, with some people teams experiencing burnout following the pandemic and managing the shift to hybrid working. Companies also report talent retention issues, as employees take advantage of more competitive offerings externally. 

Overall, the top three considerations for people professionals in choosing a job in the next three years are financial remuneration (56%), career progression (51%), and flexible working (39%). The research also highlights that people professionals strongly value learning and progression opportunities; 86% feel that upskilling is important in advancing their career and 90% report that networking is important. 

The CIPD recommends a focus on wellbeing, job mobility, building professional networks, and ongoing professional development and long-term skills, to boost job satisfaction and build resilience amongst people professionals. 

Practical recommendations for people professionals:

The report provides practical recommendations to help people professionals in Asia build future-fit people teams, including: 

• Protecting people professionals’ mental health and wellbeing through a holistic approach, including more flexible working, progression opportunities and setting clear boundaries. 
• Increasing people professionals’ exposure to the wider organisation and demonstrating their strategic contribution. 
• Enabling job mobility across the function and other business areas, as well as bringing in talent from outside the profession. 
• Enhancing long-term skills development through continuous learning, professional qualifications and learning from peers. To become future-fit, digital HR and enabling digital transformation will be key skills for people professionals. 
• Building a professional network by fostering external relationships, joining professional communities and engaging in discussion forums.