Loyalty to job not linked to pay, say UAE employees: survey

However, another 30% regard their loyalty is linked to the salary in a large to full extent, according to the report titled “2020Middle East and North Africa Salary Survey”. The survey aims to gauge employee satisfaction with their current salaries and the varying components that contribute to it, as well as explore the drivers of loyalty towards employers and the significance of salary in career satisfaction and general wellbeing.

Apart from salary, the nature of daily responsibilities (37%), opportunities for career advancement (32%), the company brand and reputation (30%), and training and development opportunities (29%) also drive loyalty.

Salaries and benefits

In terms of salary, 56% of UAE respondents stated that their current salary package consists of basic salary and benefits, while 28% stated it consists of the basic salary only.15% said they receive a basic salary as well as a commission and benefits.

When it came to the preferred pay structure, more than half of all respondents (61%) prefer a 100% fixed pay structure while only nearly 3 in 10 prefer a partially fixed-pay structure with a variable pay for commissions and incentives.

Among the various benefits employees in the UAE receive, personal medical insurance (50%), annual air ticket (42%), transportation allowance (31%), housing allowance (30%) and bonus (23%) are the most common.

Ola Haddad, Director of Human Resources at Bayt.com said: “Our annual Salary Survey helps uncover extremely valuable insights for employers and employees alike. We have thousands of jobs available on Bayt.com on any given day, and with the knowledge gained from this survey and others like it, we are able to help facilitate the best matches between candidates and recruiters while making the process of finding jobs and filling vacancies smoother.”

In terms of quality of life, seven in 10 of UAE respondents claim to be better off or about the same as other people of a similar generation in their country of residence. When asked about their career plans in the next twelve months, more than half of the respondents (59%) stated that they will look for a better job in the same industry, and 45% said they plan to look for a better job in a different industry.

Respondent profile

Among those surveyed, 54% have been working in their current industry for up to six years, with 23% having worked in their industry for more than 10 years. When it came to specific employers, more than8in 10 respondents have been working with their current employer for six years or less, with 49% have been working for their employer for less than three years.

In their current role, 33% of UAE professionals claim to be ‘midway in terms of seniority’ when asked about the level they have reached in their career path, with another 32% claiming they are ‘fairly senior level but not at the top yet’, 21% report being in the ‘early days of their career’, and 13% being at the ‘most senior level’ they can achieve.

While about half of UAE respondents (49%) have up to 10 people report directly and indirectly to them, 25% have 11 or more people reporting to them.

“Salaries are repeatedly one of the most important research topics for the Mena region,” said Zafar Shah, Research Director, Data Services at YouGov. “With the information we cover in our annual Salary Survey, we are able to gauge employee’s current income structure and levels, perception towards their cost of living and expense allocation. This provides many insights to employers and key decision makers on many elements relating to the job market, the economy, and the quality of life.” – TradeArabia News Service