Robert Walters Salary Survey 2025: Professionals in Singapore Strongly Prefer Flexible Hours Work Mode; Not Optimistic of Receiving Salary Increments in their Current Jobs

Source: Press Release

Talent snapshot

• Having flexible hours, enhanced use of technology and an increased focus on well-being are the most preferred ways of working for professionals in Singapore
• 53% are unsure or pessimistic of receiving a salary increment in 2025
• When changing jobs, 85% of professionals are likely to request for more than 10% increase in salary, with 24% of respondents expecting more than 20% salary increments

Employer snapshot

• Overly-high expectations of salary and benefits, lack of industry experience and shortage of applications are among the key challenges faced by companies in attracting talent
• In-demand soft skills - 66% of companies value professionals with problem-solving and critical thinking skillsets
• Companies value the skillsets professionals bring to the table, more so that their qualifications
• Contract Hiring:
  • 46% of companies have hired talent on a contract basis in 2024
  • 86% of contract assignments were at least 6 months long
• 2025 Salary Predictions: 12-15% increases for job movers, with increments of up to 20% for in-demand sectors.

Companies and professionals alike are emerging cautiously from 2024’s backdrop of geo-political tensions, increased operating costs, and economic uncertainty. While monetary compensation and benefits remain important, talent will value flexible working arrangements (especially having flexible working hours), a positive work culture, and job security as well in an ideal employer. Professional who stay on in their current jobs are keeping expectations on higher salaries low, with 1 in 2 (53%) unsure or pessimistic about getting a salary increment.

Attracting and retaining top talent with in-demand skillsets remain challenging, as companies are turning to engage more contract staff to better manage manpower and costs. Professionals who are able to demonstrate in-demand skillsets will be well sought after, even if they may not have sufficient qualifications or years of experience.

Talent moving between jobs can expect increments of 12% - 15%, or up to 20% for sectors such as AI or data. Employees staying with their current companies will see their salaries increase by 2-5% to align with inflation.

These are some of the key findings on employees and companies in Singapore, based on specialist professional recruitment firm Robert Walters’ global Salary Survey 2025, an authoritative analysis and benchmark ofsalary trends.

The Face of Flexible Work Arrangements – What Employees Want

Having flexible working hours came up tops (82%) for professionals surveyed on their preferred ways of working. Other areas include the enhanced use of technology (46%), having an increased focus on wellbeing (43%), and more opportunities for cross-department work (32%). In contrast, only 19% said they would prefer to work reduced hours, or full-time remote working (23%).

Likewise, when asked what benefits they would consider “essential”, apart from salary, professionals cited having a Bonus Scheme (76%) and flexible working hours (70%). Other benefits that mattered to them include remote work arrangements, extended health insurance, and Training & Development courses.

When asked on the benefits offered to employees, the top initiatives were giving a Bonus Scheme (83%), Training & Development courses (66%), flexible working hours (63%) and family/personal leave benefits (63%).

Skill-based Hiring Approach

In 2025, we will continue to see the move from a more traditional credential-based hiring model to a skills-first approach, as employers re-evaluate their recruitment priorities and processes to increase efficiency. This trend was seen in the Robert Walters Global Talent Trends E-guide as well, where 79% of HR professionals shared that they would value skills assessments over traditional hiring processes. 36% of HR professionals would progress a candidate if they possessed the skills but not the years of experience required.

Soft skills will be a focus for companies looking to hire talent. The Salary Survey found that employers especially valued talent with

• Problem-solving and critical thinking skills (66%),
• Having a positive attitude and resilience (47%),
• Initiative and self-motivation (45%).

Contract Jobs – An Increasingly Popular Option to meet the needs of employers and talent

Companies are looking into offering contract positions, with 86% of the positions in 2024 being at least 6 months in duration, as a way to better manage costs. The survey showed that 46% of companies have hired contract staff in 2024. Functions where contract staff were deployed in include Tech & Transformation (43%), Accounting & Finance (38%), HR and Business Support (21%) and Supply Chain, Procurement and Logistics (21%). However the top difficulty for companies in recruiting contract staff is the ability to source for skilled contractors (70%).

With some companies open to the possibility of converting contract positions to permanent ones with good performance, professionals can find it beneficial to consider these positions to gain experience, or meet their needs. Top benefits offered by companies for contract positions include flexible work arrangements (59%), Medical/Insurance (49%), and getting a Completion Bonus (48%).

Overcoming challenges in hiring and retention

Top challenges when sourcing for staff include:

• Salary and benefit expectations perceived to be too high (58%)
• Lack of industry experience (56%)
• Lack of applications/candidate supply (33%)

As companies try to retain top talent while balancing business costs, main challenges include:

• Limited advancement & career growth opportunities (42%)
• Difficulty in offering competitive pay and benefits (41%)
• High competition for talent (36%)

“To attract and retain top talent, companies need to adopt a strategic approach to address the need for work-life balance, meaningful work and professional growth. Flexibility will be key to address diverse needs – across compensation options and work arrangements. Companies who create a positive and engaging work environment that fosters employee satisfaction and well-being, as well and provide opportunities for learning and career advancement, will have a competitive advantage,” said Monty Sujanani, Country Manager at Robert Walters Singapore.

2025 Industry Predictions for Singapore

Uncertain economic conditions and increased operational costs drove companies to be cautious in hiring during 2024. To reduce costs, some companies moved roles, including strategic ones, to countries such as Malaysia and Thailand. Companies are also investing in technology tools, such as AI, to improve efficiency and productivity. With a shortage of talent with these skillsets, companies are upskilling and reskilling the workforce. Increasingly, companies turned to project-based hires to better manage costs and headcount.

In 2025, a continued focus on digitalisation and sustainability will see increased demand for professionals with expertise in digital transformation technologies, including AI, IoT, and blockchain, as well as sustainable supply chain practices. Apart from technical skills, businesses will look to hire professionals with the knowledge to build use cases on how to automate tasks, improve efficiency and uncover new business opportunities. To boost productivity, companies will value professionals with the ability to analyse complex situations, identify issues and propose effective solutions. Contract positions are likely to increase as well.

Other Singapore-based insights of the Salary Survey include:

• Top industries that are likely to see the highest attrition (Respondents will be looking to change jobs in 2025): Tech & Transformation (89%), Banking & Financial Services (88%), Accounting & Finance (85%), and Sales & Marketing (85%)
• Top industries which can expect pay raises in 2024: Supply Chain & Procurement (82%), Accounting and Finance (80%), Banking & Financial Services (79%).
• Top in-demand professions for 2025 are
  • Accounting & Finance: Financial Analyst, Finance Business Partners, Business Analyst
  • Banking & Financial Services: Regulatory Governance/Compliance Officers, Wealth and Portfolio Managers, Risk Management Specialists
  • Human Resources: HR Business Partners, Talent Management, Total Rewards Specialist/Manager
  • Sales & Marketing: Sales Managers/Key Account Managers, Marketing Analyst, Business Development Managers
  • Supply Chain, Procurement & Logistics: Regional Logistics & Distribution Manager, Supply Chain Project Manager, Sustainable Procurement Manager
  • Technology & Transformation: Data Scientist / Data Analyst, Cyber Security Specialist, Software Engineer

More details on key sector trends are available in the Factsheet.

Research methodology:

Robert Walters surveyed more than 300 professionals and companies in Singapore in September 2024 to get feedback on their main expectations or concerns for the year to come with regards to salaries, career changes or staff retention.

Salaries shown in the Robert Walters Salary Survey are based on an analysis of placements made across our network of offices and specialist disciplines during the course of 2024.

Now in its 26th year, the Survey is used by employers, HR managers and employees for benchmarking salary levels within their industry.

The Robert Walters Salary Survey is available at https://www.robertwalters.com.sg/salarysurvey.html. For more information on Robert Walters Singapore, please visit www.robertwalters.com.sg/