Evelyn Tan, a foreign professional at EY Singapore, found a sense of community through dragon boating and local volunteer work [1].
Her experience highlights the challenge of social isolation for expatriates and the role corporate culture plays in facilitating professional and personal integration within a new city.
Tan described a period of disconnection before engaging in these activities. "I felt like I was drifting, and it wasn't until I started doing these things that I really found a sense of belonging," Tan said [1].
To combat these feelings, Tan participated in dragon boating, a sport requiring intense synchronization and teamwork. She said the activity was a "fantastic way to bond with people and build camaraderie" [1].
Beyond athletics, Tan engaged in volunteer work to further her connection to the local environment. She said the workplace environment at EY Singapore provided the necessary framework to pursue these interests.
"The company’s integration initiatives played a key role in helping me connect with colleagues and find opportunities to get involved in the community," Tan said [1].
By leveraging both corporate resources and external social activities, Tan transitioned from a state of isolation to one of active community membership. Her trajectory suggests that structured integration programs can reduce the emotional burden on foreign workers attempting to establish roots in Singapore [1].
“"I felt like I was drifting, and it wasn't until I started doing these things that I really found a sense of belonging,"”
This account underscores a growing trend in corporate human resources where 'belonging' is treated as a measurable component of employee retention. For foreign professionals in global hubs like Singapore, the transition from professional productivity to social integration often requires deliberate intervention—either through company-led initiatives or high-cohesion social activities—to prevent the burnout associated with cultural isolation.
