RIYADH — A new poll by Bayt.com, the Middle East’s leading job site, entitled ‘Preferred Work Arrangements in the MENA,’ has revealed that nearly three-quarters (74.2%) of professionals in the region prefer to work for ‘large or multinational’ companies over ‘small or medium-sized’ companies (9.2%) or ‘startups’ (2%). Given that preferences for work arrangements have evolved to suit employees’ changing priorities, this may be contributed to the perception of larger companies being better equipped to fulfill their employees’ desires for work arrangements.
Nine in ten (90.5%) respondents agree that they mostly want to have full-time work, rather than part-time (1.9%) or freelance (1.9%) work. When asked about the reasons employees in the MENA region prefer full-time work, nearly half (48.3%) of respondents cited ‘job security’ as the key advantage, followed by ‘better career growth prospects’ (26.6%), a ‘stable source of income’ (15.7%), and ‘greater ease in communicating and completing work’ (9.4%).
But even with full-time employment, job seekers are on the lookout for flexibility. A large majority (85.9%) of MENA professionals said they prefer to work for a company that offers ‘flexible hours’. Additionally, 79% said they prefer to work for a company that offers ‘remote-work options’.
In fact, flexible hours is also the most frequently cited advantage of freelancing, according to two-thirds of professionals in the MENA. Other benefits of freelancing, according to respondents, are ‘more independence and control over work’ (16.5%), the ability to ‘explore more career options’ (14.2%), and ‘more control over income’ (2.5%).
Despite the perceived perks of freelance work, though, a large majority (84.4%) of MENA professionals prefer to have an employment contract with a specified duration when starting a new job.
In terms of priorities in choosing a job opportunity, four in ten (41%) respondents cite salary as the number one attribute they value. Meanwhile, nearly one-quarter (23%) value career growth and training the most, followed by passion and interest in the job itself (15.6%), job security (10.6%), and work-life balance (9.8%). And in considering the type of working environment they desire, nearly two-thirds (64.9%) of MENA professionals say they prefer to work indoors at a desk, while (14.5%) prefer to work outdoors at different sites. The remaining fifth (20.6%) has no preference on where they work.
When it comes to working beyond their prescribed schedules or duties, most employees in the MENA are willing to do so in exchange for appropriate compensation. According to the poll, nearly 9 in 10 (86.5%) respondents are okay with working overtime so long as they’re compensated for it — and more than eight in ten (82.8%) respondents are okay with traveling if they are compensated for it. Further, more than three-quarters (76.4%) of MENA professionals say they are willing to relocate for employment, while less than a fifth (17.4%) say their willingness to relocate depends on the country, and only 6.2% are unwilling to relocate at all.
“As the job landscape changes in the face of employees’ evolving lifestyles and priorities, so do preferences for work arrangements in the MENA region. At Bayt.com, we aim to identify these changing preferences and provide the most accurate and relevant information, and in turn help bridge the gap between the millions of employees and employers we work with on a regular basis,” said Suhail Masri, VP of Employer solutions at Bayt.com. “We can see from the Preferred Work Arrangements poll that today, professionals care most about elements of autonomy, such as flexible hours and room for growth; as well as financial stability factors, such as job security and suitable compensation for their contributions to the company. With insights like these, employers in the region can evaluate and adapt their employee provisions to suit the desires of their workforce, ultimately helping drive employee morale and engagement across the board.” — SG
