A new poll by Bayt.com, the Middle East’s #1 job site, titled ‘Relationships Between Employees and Managers in the Middle East,’ revealed what professionals feel about their managers and how much they value their relationships. Nearly7 in10 (67.9%) respondents said that they “enjoy working with their managers” and that the relationship with their managers has “improved” (66.5%), compared to when they first started their job.
Employee and Manager Relationship in the Middle East
In the Middle East, professionals generally hold their managers in high regards. Over two thirds (68.8%) of employees say their managers are “one of the main reasons they are loyal to their job”.44.9% of respondents describe their relationship with their manager as “friendly and productive,”22.2% describe it as “formal and work-centered,” and30% describe it as “balanced and professional.” Only2.9% describe their relationship with their managers as “unproductive and/ or unprofessional.” A key point that was highlighted from the poll was that almost all respondents (93.6%) value having a productive and professional relationship with their manager.
When it comes to work performance, Bayt.com asked about the importance of having strong relationships with managers. More than half of respondents (54.5%) cited that their work performance highly depends on their direct managers, and almost three quarters of respondents (71.4%) said that their direct managers are “extremely important to their overall career success.” Further, over8 in10 respondents (82.1%) said that their relationship with their managers affects their happiness at work.
“Employees spend the majority of the working day in the office, so having a healthy relationship with coworkers and managers is essential for optimal performance,” said Suhail Masri, Vice President of Employer Solutions, Bayt.com. “Without these relationships employees can feel stressed and neglected and their performance is likely to suffer as a result. At Bayt.com, what we do internally to ensure healthy relationships between employees and their managers is hold monthly mini-appraisals that ensure that the conversation remains open and frank. At the end of every year, we also ask all employees at Bayt.com to rate their managers in an anonymous,90-questions survey. Our HR team then shares feedback with managers to ensure that they are constantly improving.”
What Makes a Good Manager?
According to the Bayt.com poll, over8 in10 respondents (82.7%) say that their direct managers always encourage them to work on challenging tasks. A similar proportion (83.6%) say that their managers care about having a productive and professional relationship with them. When it comes to an open communication policy with managers, three quarters (74.6%) of respondents cited that they have this approach with their current managers.
In order to improve employee relationship with their manager, respondents cited “taking initiative and providing assistance” (67.5%) and “asking questions and seeking support frequently” (22.9%) as the most important areas to improve on. When asked what managers should avoid that could damage their relationships, respondents cited “lack of respect” towards employees (27.6%) and a “lack of open and honest communication” (26.7%) as the main areas to avoid.
Masri adds: “Managers in the Middle East and North Africa should be aware that employee loyalty is largely affected by the type of relationships they form with employees. As the poll shows, employees value a manager who communicates openly, who encourages employees to work on challenging tasks, and shows care towards their work. Building healthy relationships with employees is an essential task to make organizations more successful and hold stronger employee retention. At Bayt.com, we recommend employers and managers to maintain close contact with their employees and enhance their work dynamics to ensure growth and success.”
Data for the2017 Bayt.com ‘Relationships Between Employees and Manager in the Middle East’ Poll was collected online from January13,2017 to February20,2017. Results are based on a sample of7,932 respondents. Countries that participated are the UAE, Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Tunisia, Qatar, KSA, Yemen, and Others.