Additionally, a whopping8 in10 respondents in the Lebanon find an employer attractive if they follow good ethics and practices. Further, many respondents look for a ‘friendly company culture’ (58%) as well as companies that are involved in CSR activities (53%).
“We work with more than38 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,23% of Lebanon respondents said ‘to a great extent’,34% said ‘somewhat’,21% said ‘very little’, and5% said ‘not at all’.
Social Media (35%) and online company pages targeting job seekers (24%) were nominated as the best 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’63% of respondents voted for highlighting ‘company’s perks and benefits’ and39% said company ‘awards and milestones’.
What matters post hiring
After being hired, the Bayt.com survey showed that the most important on-the-job attributes for Lebanon professionals are ‘career development opportunities’ (according to71% of respondents), followed by ‘training and support’ (67%), and ‘management style’ (61%).
Similarly, long term career advancement opportunities (43%) and training and development opportunities (according to41% of respondents) are the major drivers of loyalty towards a company.
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, about68% 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: “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, about57% 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 November7-25,2019. Results are based on a sample of2,557 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.