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More than half of professionals in the UAE and the rest of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region are likely to look for a new job next year to improve their career prospects, according to a new survey.
As the year winds down, workers around the region are making career-related New Year’s resolutions to improve their lives. Among the top considerations for these employees are better incentives, work-life balance and salaries.
The survey, conducted by Bayt.com, found that 56% of employees in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, and other parts of MENA region, have resolved to find a new job next year. A whopping 74% of these jobseekers are not just planning to leave their current employer, they are thinking of making a “complete change” in the industry they currently work in, according to the study.
About two in ten (20%) professionals also want to get a promotion or a salary raise, while 21% are looking to learn new skills at work.
“A majority of MENA professionals are not only up for a challenge next year, but also view it as a means to enrich their professional and personal life,” said Ola Haddad, director of human resources at Bayt.com.
“MENA professionals display a growth attitude, as they are eager to learn and develop, and have ambitious goals for 2023. To attract and retain talent, companies must provide the incentives, work-life balance and professional possibilities that employees demand.”
Growth opportunities, flexible work
Bayt.com’s study was based on the responses from 2,988 respondents in GCC countries, as well as Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Palestine, Syria, Egypt, Yemen, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Sudan, among others. The respondents were polled from November 2 to December 4, 2022.
The survey found that while professionals in the region want to change jobs, they also want career growth opportunities (cited by 31% of the respondents), as well as work-life balance (25%), flexible work arrangements (25%) and competitive salary (20%).
When asked about their expectations, workers said they’d like their employers to provide more training and learning resources (53%), more rewards and benefits (20%), and more feedback and support (15%). They also want employers to be more flexible with timing (12%).
(Reporting by Cleofe Maceda; editing by Mily Chakrabarty)
