Bayt.com: Top Job Attributes In UAE For 2020 Are Salaries, Work Environment, And Job Security

A new survey by Bayt.com and YouGov focuses on current trends in employee attraction, retention, and engagement from both the employee and employer perspectives. The survey revealed that the three top drivers of employee attraction are ‘salary and compensation’ (66% of respondents), ‘workplace environment’ (53%) and ‘long-term job security’ (50%). The least important factors reportedly are ‘aesthetics of the company’ such as the logo and website design (13%) and ‘media presence’ (13%).

Additionally, a whopping 7 in 10 respondents in the UAE find an employer attractive if they follow good ethics and practices. Further, 65% of respondents look for a ‘friendly company culture’ and 63% look for companies that engage in ‘corporate social responsibilities’.

“We work with more than 38 million professionals at Bayt.com and so it is important that we gain a clear understanding of their motivations and expectations. These factors are integral to attracting and retaining talent in the MENA region, said Ola Haddad, Director of Human Resources at Bayt.com. “Our new survey gives an insight on multiple factors that drive employees’ commitment to their work: how they are coached and evaluated, the work environment in which they work, their opportunities to grow and develop; and, of course, their relationships with their companies. We are excited to share this data with millions of employers and job seekers so we continue to empower them in their career matters.”

Attracting talent is an important step that employers need to remain aware of and proactively work on. When asked to what extent companies do a good job at exciting job seekers about their culture and attracting them to apply, 43% of  UAE respondents said ‘to a great extent’, 23% said ‘somewhat’, 16% said ‘very little’, while only 5% said ‘not at all’.

Online company pages targeting job seekers (30%) and social media (29%) are considered the most effective mediums to promote a company’s culture to job seekers. When asked ‘what type of information would most excite you to join a company as an employee’ 64% of respondents voted for highlighting ‘company’s perks and benefits’ and 52% said ‘employee testimonials and reviews’.

What matters post hiring

After being hired, the Bayt.com survey showed that the most important on-the-job attributes for UAE professionals are ‘training and support’ (according to 66% of respondents), followed by ‘career development opportunities’ (65%).

Similarly, training and development opportunities (according to 45% of respondents) and long term career advancement opportunities (41%) are the major drivers of loyalty towards a company. This is closely followed by Job Security (34%).

Workplace culture is instrumental in retaining employees by improving motivation and organizational commitment. Positively, two thirds of the Bayt.com survey respondents have been working in their current organization for more than two years. Further, about 65% of the respondents said they would apply to the current organization for their current role if they had to do it all over again.

Zafar Shah Research Director at YouGov said: “The Talent Attraction and Retention survey sheds light on critical factors that impact a company’s talent performance and satisfaction. Professionals in this region have diverse needs and priorities when it comes to their ideal job and work environment. Most respondents hold their current workplace to high regard and would even recommend their employers to other job seekers. At the same time, companies should continue engaging their talent and seeking their feedback to improve their ability to attract top talent and to drive up their loyalty. Currently, about 57% of professionals agree that their company regularly takes feedback from their employees to understand them.”

Data for the Attraction and Retention of Talent in MENA survey was collected online from November 7-25, 2019. Results are based on a sample of 2,557 respondents from countries including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Palestine, Syria, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Sudan among others.