65% of UAE Employees Want to Switch Jobs. How Can You Avoid Losing Vital Talent?
No matter what industry you operate in, or what type of business you manage, your employees are the engine that keep it going. Without them, success is impossible. How motivated they are will impact how hard they work and, in turn, impact how effective and productive your company is overall. All leading organisations know this. That is why the recent revelations regarding a “great resignation” sweeping over the world are somewhat alarming. But is that what is going on? Is there more to the story? Why are employees feeling more restless as we enter year 3 of the pandemic? Most importantly, what can be done to ensure your team is happy, healthy and keen to stay?
What is happening?
As 2021 became 2022 it became more and more evident that there was a significant increase in people quitting their jobs. In cities all over the world, companies across a spectrum of industries were reporting a drop in retention. Whole sectors have now found themselves struggling to fill roles and find enough staff to meet demand, particularly in the service and frontline healthcare industries. Given how badly hit these industries where during the worst of the pandemic, it is easy to imagine how employees there could be experiencing higher than average feelings of burn out. But it isn’t just in these hard-hit areas where increased resignations are occurring. It would also be easy to assume this need for change is mainly limited to cities and nations that struggled with the pandemic, both economically and socially, but even in countries whose governments went above and beyond, there is an overall shift in employee mentality. So, what does it mean?
Resignation or Reflection?
One of the major questions about this ‘trend’ is what to call it. That might seem a tad trivial in light of its implications, but in actual fact, the correct name might help us to better cope and adapt in the right way. Most commonly referred to as ‘The Great Resignation’, Jackie Wiles is one of a few reframing it as more of a ‘Great Reflection’. In a recent article for Gartner, Wiles lays out that whilst ‘resignation’ is an accurate description, ‘reflection’ helps us understand why it is happening. Wiles points out that “the pandemic has forced us to make real, everyday choices about how we spend our time, energy and social capital” and that is causing many of us to question whether we are in the right roles and for the right reasons. The conclusion is that “employees want a more human employment value proposition: They want employers to recognize their value and provide value to them on a human level. Monetary compensation is important for surviving, but deeper relationships, a strong sense of community and purpose-driven work are essential to thriving. This is the value that employees expect their employers to provide.” But is that the same everywhere?
What about the UAE?
Is it is generally accepted that the UAE was one of the leading nations around the world when it came to dealing with the impact of the pandemic. The government’s swift action and comprehensive economic stimulus initiatives have gone a long way to retaining a higher sense of normalcy and enabling businesses within the country to weather the challenges more effectively, if not even thrive under the darkest of circumstances. But the UAE hasn’t been immune from the shifting attitudes of employees. According to a recent Robert Half survey “nearly two-thirds, or 65% of employees in the UAE are planning to look for a new role in the first six months of 2022”. In the GCC, 56% of professionals surveyed said they intended to change their jobs in the next 12 months. What is different in the UAE, and to a certain extend the wider GCC region, is why. Professionals in the UAE are still ‘reflecting’ on their life choices, but their desire for a more ‘purpose-driven’ employment is equally as important as their desire for flexibility and benefits.
What can you do?
The UAE is definitely not known for being a reactive location with companies that like to rest on their laurels. That is why so many more CEOs and managers are dedicating time to understanding what it is that employees want and how to improve their offering in order to retain the top talent. Any leader who wants to achieve the best knows that employee engagement and employee sustainability is crucial. They know they need to act now to prevent a reduction in performance from a resignation deluge and that short-term solutions will not work. Smart companies need to focus on facilitating long-term systemic and strategic changes that accommodate the realities of society moving forward. Anyone still labouring under the delusion that ‘coping until we all return to normal’ is a feasible option should prepare themselves for the worst. Successful growth will come to those organisations who can offer their employees a culture to be proud of, an environment that makes them feel valued and heard, an opportunity to impact business outcomes, the motivation to believe in company goals, a flexible working schedule and the types of benefits that actually promote a real work/life balance and provide security and comfort.
If you would like to talk to Serindipity Solutions about help with your strategic goals, virtual assistance, communication, branding or outsourcing, get in touch today to john@serindiptyevents.com or 050 5944226.
