The MENA Talent Attraction and Retention2022 survey revealed that the three top drivers of employee attraction in the UAE are salary and compensation (64%), workplace environment (61%) and long-term job security (50%). The least important factors reportedly are aesthetics of the company such as the logo and website design (15%) and positive media presence (16%).
Additionally,7 in10 respondents in the UAE find an employer attractive if they follow good ethics and practices. Further,67% of respondents look for a friendly company culture and49% look for companies that engage in corporate social responsibilities.
Ola Haddad, Director of Human Resources at Bayt.com said: “Our annual Talent Attraction and Retention survey demonstrates that a large number of UAE professionals hold their current workplace in high regard and would even recommend their employers to other job seekers. Organizations in the region should continue engaging their talent and seeking their feedback to improve their ability to attract top talent and to drive up their loyalty in2022 and beyond.”
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,41% of respondents said ‘to a great extent’,25% said ‘somewhat’,14% said ‘very little’, and5% said ‘not at all’.
Social Media (28%) and online company pages targeting job seekers (27%) are considered to be the most effective medium 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’,68% of respondents voted for highlighting company’s perks and benefits,46% said employee testimonials and reviews and38% said company events and socials.
What matters post hiring
After being hired, the survey showed that the most important drivers of loyalty for UAE professionals are job security (38%), opportunities for long term career development (37%), and training and development opportunities (35%).
Workplace culture is instrumental in retaining employees by improving motivation and organizational commitment. Positively,61% of respondents have been working in their current organization for more than two years. In fact, nearly6 in10 of the working population in the UAE are happy at their current workplace and66% would recommend their current workplace to someone looking for a job.
About6 in10 agree that the company regularly takes feedback from their employees to understand them and53% agree that the leadership takes their feedback seriously. Further, two-thirds of the respondents said they would apply in the current organization for their current role if they had to do it all over again.
Zafar Shah, Research Director at YouGov said: “Our latest survey aims to promote understanding of UAE professionals’ motivations and expectations. Data shows that multiple factors drive employees’ commitment to their work including the work environment in which they work, opportunities to grow and develop and their relationships with their companies.”
Data for the Attraction and Retention of Talent in MENA survey was collected online from17 November to14 December,2021. Results are based on a sample of2,473 respondents from countries including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Palestine, Syria, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Sudan among others.