Majority of the MENA professionals remain upbeat about 2021; Bayt Survey

By Rahul Vaimal, Associate Editor
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Middle East
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A recent survey conducted by leading MENA-based online job site Bayt shared a few insights into the career goals set by professionals in the region for 2021. 

Bayt’s 2021 New Year’s Resolutions Poll shows that most professionals (80 percent) in the region remain positive about the next year with 74 percent responding that they have already made resolutions for the new year.

The survey was conducted among 4062 respondents from major Middle Eastern countries including the UAE, KSA, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Bahrain.

Sticking with the resolutions 

Most of the respondents were optimistic that they will be able to honor the newly taken resolution further into the new year. More than 40 percent of the surveyed reported that they were able to achieve all of their New Year’s resolutions for 2020 with 33 percent achieving some of their resolutions for the year.

Only 7 percent of respondents reported not being able to complete their resolutions for the new year.

Year Resolutions 

Even though 70 percent of respondents remained satisfied with their career growth during the past year, finding a new job was the op career-related resolution for 75 percent of respondents followed by improving skills and productivity (15 percent) and getting a promotion or salary raise (8 percent).

Key attributes towards a new job 

Following were the major attributes that respondents were weighing while looking for a new job;

  • Career growth opportunities (38 percent)
  • Flexible work arrangements (25 percent)
  • Competitive salaries (14 percent)
  • Work-life balance (14 percent) and
  • A reputable company brand (8 percent).

The majority of the respondents (81 percent) chose to look for a remote working proposition in 2021.

Expectations from Employees

Respondents to the survey wanted their employees to;

  • Offer more training and learning resources (56 percent)
  • Add more rewards and benefits (19 percent)
  • Provide more feedback and support (11 percent), and
  • To be being more flexible with timing (7 percent).

Speaking about the survey, Ms. Ola Haddad, Director of Human Resources at Bayt remarked that “Career-related New Year’s resolutions are popular among MENA professionals who aim to improve their career prospects in the coming year.”

“Our research shows that getting a new job is amongst professionals’ top New Year’s resolutions, and many professionals will begin 2021 with great aspirations. To attract and retain talent, employers will need to meet workers’ career expectations and provide the perks, work-life balance, and career advancement opportunities they demand,” the Bayt HR Director added.

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