The Multigenerational Reality
In today’s workplace, age diversity is no longer a rarity, it is the norm. For the first time, up to five generations are working side by side from Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, to Baby Boomers, and even members of the Silent Generation. Each group brings a distinct blend of ambition, competence, and experience. Gen Z offers energy and digital fluency, Millennials combine adaptability with drive, Gen X anchors organisations with competence, while Boomers and the Silent Generation workers contribute institutional memory and wisdom.
Yet these strengths often come with operational frictions. Differing communication styles, work ethics, and expectations of career progression create gaps that can erode collaboration. In Singapore’s innovation-driven economy, such gaps pose risks to competitiveness if not managed strategically.
Global Signals, Local Stories
The Indeed survey across 11 markets shows that employers globally focus first on what they consider non-negotiables such as compliance, accessibility, and communication. This shapes how they filter candidates long before soft skills and cultural fit come into play. While the global workforce recognises the value of knowledge transfer and diverse perspectives, challenges persist around technology adoption and entrenched work styles.
We understand that there are some parameters drawn and boundaries set by Singapore employers when hiring:
- 38% of global employers cite criminal record as the biggest barrier to attracting talent
- 26% cite education and substance use history as barriers, while 24% highlight language skills and accents
- 23% note disability requiring accommodation as a top hiring challenge
The Challenges for Singaporean Job Seekers
If the global conversation is about balancing strengths and frictions, Singapore’s story is more urgent, where age emerges as the defining barrier. Jobseekers report sharper challenges around both age and education than their global peers, while also holding strong stereotypes about generational competence and ambition. We found that:
- 46% of Singapore jobseekers perceive age as a barrier, compared to a 32% global average
- 33% say education blocks opportunities, higher than the 26% global figure
- 10% identify gender as a barrier, identical to the global average
Jobseekers associate Millennials most strongly with ambition, with 41.6 percent describing them as driven, while Gen X is viewed as the most competent at 40.7 percent. Gen Z is also seen as ambitious, at 36.9 percent, but far fewer, just 20.1 percent, consider them competent. Boomers fare less well, with only 21.1 percent seen as competent and 10.2 percent as ambitious, and the Silent Generation ranks lowest of all, with 10.8 percent seen as competent and just 2.1 percent as ambitious. These perceptions risk creating a cycle where younger employees undervalue older colleagues, while older workers withdraw from opportunities they feel are already closed to them.
At the same time, jobseekers see benefits in multigenerational teams, in view of the exchange of ideas, opportunities for mentorship, and the blending of traditional and modern perspectives. Yet they also report challenges such as differing life-stage priorities, work-style conflicts, and bias around ambition and competence.
A Look Inside the Singaporean Employer’s Perspective
Employers in Singapore echo many of these concerns, but their lens highlights structural hiring practices and the impact of emerging technologies. In Singapore, credentials and age weigh heavily, setting the local market apart from global norms. Here are the top 5 barriers that employers face when hiring:
- 35% of Singapore employers list criminal record as the top barrier to hiring
- 29% cite age, compared to a 19.1% global average
- 28% mention disability requiring accommodation
- 26% highlight educational background as a barrier
- 26% say cultural fit prevents applications
The Role of AI
The survey also reveals deep concern about Artificial Intelligence and its impact on older workers. A striking 67.8 percent of Singaporean employers agree that AI threatens older workers’ job security. That view is particularly strong among older leaders themselves, with 80 percent of Boomers and 100 percent of Silent Generation employers concurring.
By sector, fears are most acute in construction and mining, where 94.4 percent of employers believe AI threatens older workers, followed by 88.9 percent in transportation and 77.8 percent in manufacturing. The concern is also significant in technology, at 66.7 percent, and in financial services, at 58.1 percent.
Compounding this, nearly 40 percent of employers believe their organisation’s diversity efforts are performative or inauthentic. The perception is especially strong in large companies, where 45.1 percent of leaders share this view, and among Millennial leaders, where the figure rises to 45.5 percent. Certain industries stand out as well, with financial services at 58.1 percent, information technology at 48.7 percent, and hospitality at 50 percent all reporting higher levels of scepticism.
The Perception Gap
The most concerning finding is that both jobseekers and employers in Singapore agree on one critical point, which is that age is a barrier. Jobseekers see it from the outside while employers admit it from within. This mutual reinforcement means ageism is not just perception but a systemic reality. Jobseekers already self-censor applications, while employers hesitate to consider older candidates. The result is a shrinking talent pool at a time when Singapore cannot afford to waste human capital.
Globally, employers are less focused on age, and education does not carry as much weight. In contrast, Singapore’s reliance on credentials and its sharper generational divides create a labour market that risks prematurely sidelining experienced workers while undervaluing the ambition of younger ones. In fact, 46.3 percent of jobseekers in Singapore say age is a barrier to finding work, while 29.5 percent of employers admit that age influences their hiring decisions. The global averages are far lower, with only 32.4 percent of jobseekers and 19.1 percent of employers citing age as a factor.
The Multigenerational Advantage: Unlocking Team Potential
Addressing ageism in Singapore requires more than statements of intent. Blind resume reviews, skills-based hiring, and age-diverse recruitment panels can help break down ingrained biases. Structured initiatives such as reverse mentorship, where younger workers share digital expertise while older employees provide strategic perspective, can bridge divides. Cross-generational project teams are another way to turn potential conflict into collaboration.
Authenticity in inclusion must also be prioritised. Organisations cannot afford for nearly half their leaders to view DEI as performative. Embedding inclusion into everyday policies, ensuring flexible work for different life stages, and fostering psychological safety will rebuild trust across generations.
Equally important is reframing technology. AI should not be presented as a generational wedge but as a tool that augments rather than replaces human talent. Employers who invest in AI literacy and digital upskilling for older workers will not only extend careers but also protect institutional knowledge.
Finally, by creating alternate pathways such as apprenticeships, mid-career internships, and returnships, Singapore employers can access skilled workers who might otherwise be excluded. Skills, not degrees, should be the currency of tomorrow’s economy.
Final Thoughts
While the data shows some challenges for Singapore’s workforce, there’s also a tremendous opportunity. By tackling the issues of engaging older and younger workers, Singapore can reinforce its reputation as a champion of inclusivity. A workforce where generations genuinely collaborate is not only more resilient but also more innovative. Knowledge transfer across age groups is a competitive advantage few economies can claim at scale.
Indeed’s findings make the choice clear. Employers who dismantle biases, bridge perception gaps, and invest in lifelong learning will unlock a Singaporean workforce where experience and innovation thrive together. Generational diversity is not a liability to be managed but an advantage to be maximised. The multigenerational workforce is already here. The question is whether Singapore will simply tolerate it, or strategically harness it as a cornerstone of future competitiveness.
