INTHEBLACK June 2026 - Magazine - Page 10
FAST FOCUS
WHAT BUILDS EMPLOYEE TRUST?
MONEY MOVES
Workers in South-East Asia appear to value
transparency more than ever, with research from
recruitment platform Indeed showing employee
trust is built on a combination of salary visibility,
role clarity, communication quality, and alignment
between job promise and experience. Drawing on
employee data from Singapore, Malaysia and the
Philippines, the findings show:
Talent retention may be a priority for employers
in a market with skills shortages, but findings
of the Hays 2026 Asia Salary Guide show changing
jobs often pays off for employees. Almost half
of the professionals who increased their salaries
by more than 10 per cent did so by changing
employers. A quarter of professionals also
attribute pay changes to career advancement
through promotion, upskilling or an increase
in responsibilities.
The research shows that 44 per cent
of professionals are dissatisfied with their
salary, and that satisfaction peaks among
those aged 30 to 49 and declines for
those over 50. There are also regional
differences. Malaysia leads with
63 per cent satisfaction, followed
by Hong Kong at 62 per cent and
Singapore at 61 per cent.
67–72%
say salary in job ads is the top trust signal
42–60%
say vague ads, poor communication or delays
are major frustrations
35–48%
believe unclear job ads trigger a loss of trust
33–55%
believe pay opacity triggers a loss of trust
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10 INTHEBLACK June 2026
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