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59 percent claim remote work option is an important aspect in their workplace
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In the UAE, there is a higher preference for larger companies
About 74 percent of UAE professionals say their potential workplace should promote the use of advanced technology while 59 percent claim remote work option is an important aspect in their workplace, according to a survey.
The survey by job portal Bayt and market research agency YouGov said that 82 percent of respondents feel having challenging work and transparent communication (81 percent) are important factors in any work environment.
Other elements that were considered important in a workplace include work-life balance (82% say it is important), fair evaluation (77% say it is important), and innovation and creativity (81% say it is important).
Besides attractiveness, retention is an element that many organizations strive to master. When asked about factors that mostly drive loyalty, opportunities for long-term career advancement (35%) and training and development opportunities (34%) emerged as key drivers of loyalty besides salary.
Regarding company culture and its impact when choosing a workplace, 54 percent of the respondents said that company culture is a determining factor when joining a company.
What are the business values that make a company more attractive? Fifty percent cited good ethics and practices, 41 percent said friendly company culture, 26 percent said corporate social responsibility, and 17 percent said green consciousness and other efforts.
Underlining the role of technology, 44 percent of respondents claim it is easy to access information about company culture and the environment when applying for a job. Online company pages targeting job seekers (30 percent ), social media (22 percent ), and word of mouth (17 percent ) are perceived as the best ways to promote company culture among job seekers.
To understand this issue further, respondents were asked about the most useful company information, to which 52 percent of UAE respondents said company benefits and perks, 38 percent said employee testimonials and reviews, 24 percent said awards and milestones, 19 percent said company events and socials, and 16 percent said photos and videos of the workplace.
In the UAE, there seems to be a higher preference for larger companies, as 58 percent of respondents feel that the ideal company size has more than 50 employees.
In a statement, the surveying agencies said the Ideal Workplace in the MENA Survey was collected online from May 3 – 26, 2021. Results are based on a sample of 3,536 respondents. Countries assessed include UAE, KSA, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Palestine, Syria, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Sudan among others.