The coronavirus pandemic may be upending workplaces and leaving many workers jobless, but there are still excellent employers who are looking after their staff.
The second edition of the survey, Singapore's Best Employers, seeks to unearth these gems.
Starting today, The Straits Times is inviting employees to share their views and help identify the organisations people most enjoy working for.
Rankings will be based primarily on whether staff would recommend the company to a friend or family member.
The survey, which is conducted jointly with global research firm Statista, runs for six weeks from today till Sept 18.
Participants can access the survey online.
The results will be published next April in The Straits Times.
Last year's inaugural survey saw retailer Uniqlo topping the list of 150 most attractive employers. Fellow retailer Adidas Singapore came in second, followed by technology giants Google and Amazon, and oil and gas company BP.
More than 8,000 people took part in last year's survey, which looked at 1,800 companies and institutions.
This year, more than 1,700 organisations across all industries will be considered. They must have at least 200 employees in Singapore.
Respondents, who can participate via online access panels and through The Straits Times website, will be asked to rate their willingness to recommend their own employer on a scale of zero to 10.
Zero means they will not recommend the company under any circumstances, while 10 represents a definite thumbs up.
They will also be asked if there are other employers in their respective industries that they will - or will not - recommend.
A company's score will be calculated based on these two factors, with greater weight given to the direct score given by its own staff.
The survey will not be administered through companies so that employees do not feel pressured to state a certain view. Responses will be kept anonymous.
Statista has conducted similar surveys in other countries, including the United States, Germany and Switzerland.
The survey includes questions on how workers feel about aspects of their jobs, such as whether they are proud of the product or service their company offers, whether the company pays a good salary, and whether men and women have the same opportunities for advancement.
This year, they will also be asked how well their employer is managing the pandemic.
"There is no tougher time for employers, who are coping with Covid-19 and a recession," said Mr Dominic Nathan, managing editor of the English/Malay/Tamil Media Group of Singapore Press Holdings.
"In some sectors, just holding on to employees is a daily struggle, so to stand out as being among the best employers in this climate will be an extraordinary achievement."
Statista associate partner Thomas Clark noted that the pandemic has posed unprecedented challenges to human resource departments.
Statista Research & Analysis director Silke Giesler, who oversees the team that conducts employee satisfaction surveys globally, said: "In the first year, we identified Singapore's best employers in normal days. This time, we will be able to find out which companies succeed in keeping their employees happy in most extraordinary days."
