Career trends to look out for in the Mena region

The top five career trends to be aware of this year.

Career development and personal growth are two of the most important priorities for professionals in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena). So important, in fact, most professionals in the region are planning on making big career changes this year to fulfil their aspirations. Now employers are required to realise whether their employees are satisfied with their job or not to help them achieve their career goals.

A recent career prospects poll by Bayt.com revealed that the majority (98 per cent) of respondents plan on looking for new jobs in 2017 and an overwhelming majority of respondents want to work in the GCC.

Whether employees plan on searching for a new job, pursing bigger responsibilities, applying for a different position within their company or making a complete shift to a new industry, such trends in the job market are vital for employers to know. So here are the top five career trends to be aware of:

1. Job changes

For nearly six in 10 professionals in the Mena region, the main career goal this year is to find a new job. With so many seeking new jobs, employers may be concerned about the seemingly low satisfaction rates reflected in the workplace. This is an issue that could affect their retention rates, especially for the most talented employees who are constantly on the lookout for career advancement. Employers are likely to be in need of internal feedback and communication improvements to further understand their employee’s needs. Asking employees about their satisfaction is a good starting point to avoid unwanted attrition.

2. Raising the bar

Professionals are focused, now more than ever, as they plan on taking control of their own careers and seeking growth. Almost nine in 10 professionals plan to have more job responsibilities this year and almost the same amount plan on taking more initiative at work. Employees are truly searching for every opportunity to prove themselves and develop their professions. Employers will find that working collaboratively with their teams, entrusting employees with more responsibilities and regularly encouraging and celebrating positive initiative are effective strategies for maintaining high satisfaction rates.

3. Corporate adaptation

Many professionals reported being unable to achieve their goals last year with a lack of career growth opportunities, poor company management and lack of work-life balance as some of the reasons that held them back. As a result, companies will be expected to increase focus on employee happiness and satisfaction by addressing these concerns.

Surprisingly, most employees’ concerns do not revolve around the salary factor. According to our research on happiness, recognition, stress and career advancement play a big role in the retention of top talent. Nearly half of our respondents are satisfied with the recognition they receive at work; 45 per cent are satisfied with the amount of pressure or stress faced at work and just over a third are satisfied with the availability of career advancement opportunities. There are certainly positive signs in these areas, but there is also plenty of room to grow.

4. Fresh minds

Millennials will soon account for the majority of the global workforce and will, therefore, be part of nearly every company and organisation across the Mena region. From our research, many are willing to sacrifice more hours from their personal life to further their career. These hard-working digital natives will ensure that companies are keeping up with times and that their personal journeys are in line with that of the company’s. At the same time, companies are expected to support them by offering learning and development opportunities, a friendly environment and a distinguished employer brand for them to associate with and truly belong to.

5. Cost-effective training

Employers already know that career development and training programmes are some of the most critical factors for employee retention and engagement, but costs are often regarded as a hurdle. This was the case in the past at least. This year, companies are expected to capitalise on the proliferation of online learning and assessment tools as well as alternative creative approaches for training and development of talent.

Even young professionals and fresh graduates highly value professional development that supports their career advancement from early on. According to our studies, the most important job attributes include opportunities for career progression and good training opportunities.

There is an undisputed value in learning, growth and talent development. Such factors play a big role in retaining talent and can alleviate employers’ concerns towards the trending career changes.

Suhail Al Masri is the vice president of employer solutions at the Middle East job site Bayt.com

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