30% of Middle East employees 'extremely' or 'very likely' to look for new jobs within the next year

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The PwC Middle East Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey 2022 was revealed today. The survey gathered information from 1,565 workers across the region.

The data collected suggests that Middle East employees prioritise upskilling opportunities, transparency, flexibility and wellbeing at work.

The survey found that around 30 per cent of Middle East respondents are 'extremely' or 'very likely' to look for a new job within the next year, as opposed to the global average of 19 per cent.

Randa Bahsoun, Partner, Government & Public Sector and New world. New skills. Leader, PwC Middle East said: “In the age of the ‘great resignation’, it is imperative for employers to keep pace with the demands and wishes of talent or they will look elsewhere to get what they desire from their workplace. With 30 per cent of respondents in the Middle East very likely to look for a new job within the next year (vs 19 per cent globally), factors such as flexible working, trust and transparency, well-being and promoting a culture of openness are increasingly integral to the war for talent.”

Hybrid working models

Coming out of the pandemic, 63 per cent of respondents said they can perform their job remotely. Yet almost three out of 10 (28 per cent), more than double the global average, said they are working full-time-in-person, highlighting the complexity of adjusting work models to suit all employees.

A potential conflict is highlighted here, since 31 per cent of employees, compared to 18 per cent globally, say that their employers would like them in the office full time whereas only 23 per cent stated that this was their preferred method of working - the rest would like some flexibility.

Younger employees seem particularly to prefer the latter, with 43 per cent of Gen Z respondents in the Middle East opting for a remote or mostly remote full-time arrangement, with only 15 per cent opting for full-time in the office or other workplace.

Transparency

Proportionately more Middle East respondents than the survey average (62 per cent vs 50 per cent globally) believe that their employers are more transparent about workplace health and safety, diversity and inclusion, and economic and environmental impacts. An even higher proportion of regional respondents (71 per cent vs 58% per cent) stressed the importance of transparency by employers on these issues.

Pay raise

When it comes to asking for a raise, Middle East respondents (54 per cent vs 35 per cent globally) are more likely to do so than their international counterparts, while 54 per cent were 'extremely or very likely' to ask for a promotion, almost double the global average. Across the region, millennials were the most likely age group to do both – or leave to seek a new employer.

Bahsoun said: “It is vital for employers across the region to identify the key drivers of employee turnover and retention. Increasingly this is a question not just of financial reward alone but also personal fulfilment, and how the wider values, governance and impacts of the organisation affect the culture and opportunities in the workplace. Employers need to address these hopes and fears head-on, both by doubling-down on the upskilling agenda and making meaningful and lasting change to attract the top talent and close the skills gap. In a time of great recent volatility, both the way of work and the skills needed have transformed, and employers must adapt to ensure that their workforce is fit for the future.”