85% prefer companies that allow them to work remotely

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Some 85% of survey respondents in the Middle East and North Africa have said they prefer firms that allow remote work all or some of the time and 91% said they consider changing jobs in 2023.

This is according to the Modern Job Search Strategies in the Mena 2023 survey conducted by Bayt.com, a top Middle East job site.

Regarding looking for new opportunities, respondents favour online job sites (71%) over traditional job searching methods. The data necessitates that Mena recruiters and companies invest more in digital platforms to find and engage with potential candidates in search of career advancement opportunities.

Emerging trends

Ola Haddad, Director of Human Resources at Bayt.com, said: "There is an observable shift in the Mena region's job market tendencies. Our latest survey provides data on how job seekers are adapting and thriving in the face of these emerging trends. Employers must also keep these trends in mind to remain competitive, whereas job seekers should focus on developing the necessary skills and harnessing digital tools to stay relevant and successful in a more balanced and future-ready work environment."

The modern professional prioritises several skills for the current market. Most respondents (85%) expect remote hiring to increase in the next few months, signaling an evolving job market that is embracing digital transformation and evolving work policies.

The top three skills respondents deemed most important include the ability to work without supervision (34%), flexibility and adjusting to change (27%) and self-motivation and discipline (17%), demonstrating the increasing value placed on autonomy and adaptability in the present job landscape.

Online presence

The survey data shows that email remains the primary communication method for job seekers at 41%, followed by online job sites (38%), underlining the increasing importance of online presence and effective digital communication in the Mena job market.

With the growing shift towards online interactions, 53% of the respondents have become very familiar with conducting video interviews in line with increasing adoption of technology in the hiring process. Meanwhile, the preference for a specific type of interview remains distributed between face-to-face (30%), video (30%) and phone interviews (27%).

The survey highlights that for modern job seekers, creating a strong online CV and cover letter (38%) is the most crucial aspect of the job search journey, followed by searching for job opportunities online (36%), highlighting the need for professionals to invest in their online presence and leverage digital tools to stand out in the competitive job market.

Data for the Modern Job Search Strategies in the Mena Poll 2023 was gathered online from May 3 to June 28, 2023. Results are based on a sample of 7,591 respondents from the following countries: UAE, KSA, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Palestine, Syria, Egypt, Yemen, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Sudan among others.