Work environment, salaries and job security top attributes for Jordanian professionals — Bayt.com, YouGov survey

AMMAN — A new survey by Bayt.com and YouGov focuses on current trends in employee attraction, retention, and engagement from both the employee and employer perspectives.

The MENA Talent Attraction and Retention 2022 survey revealed that the three top drivers of employee attraction in Jordan are workplace environment (68 per cent), salary and compensation (64 per cent) and long-term job security (53 per cent), according to a statement from surveyors. 

The least important factors reportedly are aesthetics of the company, including the logo, website design (14 per cent) and positive media presence (12 per cent). 

Additionally, more than seven in 10 respondents in Jordan find an employer attractive if they follow good ethics and practices. Further, 66 per cent of respondents look for a friendly company culture and 62 per cent look for companies that engage in corporate social responsibilities, the statement said.

Ola Haddad, Director of Human Resources at Bayt.com, said: “Our annual Talent Attraction and Retention survey demonstrates that a large number of Jordanian professionals hold their current workplace in high regard and would even recommend their employers to other job seekers. Organisations in the region should continue to engage their talent and seek their feedback to improve their ability to attract top talent and to drive up their loyalty in 2022 and beyond.”

When asked to what extent companies do a good job at inciting job seekers about their culture and attracting applications, 24 per cent of respondents said “to a great extent”, 33% said “somewhat”, 21% said “very little”, and 3 per cent said “not at all”. 

Social media (41 per cent) and online company pages targeting job seekers (17 per cent) are considered to be the most effective medium to promote a company’s culture. 

When asked “what type of information would most excite you to join a company as an employee”, 71 per cent of respondents voted for highlighting a company’s perks and benefits, 46 per cent said employee testimonials and reviews and 44 per cent said company events and socials.

What matters post hiring 

After being hired, the survey showed that the most important drivers of loyalty for Jordanian professionals are training and development opportunities (42 per cent), opportunities for long term career development (41 per cent) and job security (35 per cent).

Workplace culture is instrumental in retaining employees by improving motivation and organizational commitment. Positively, 68 per cent of respondents have been working at their current organisations for more than two years.

Over half the working population in Jordan are happy at their current workplace and 56 per cent would recommend their current workplace to someone looking for a job, the statement said.

Half of the respondents agree that the company regularly takes feedback from their employees to understand them and 45 per cent agree that the leadership takes their feedback seriously. Moreover, 68 per cent of the respondents said that they would apply to their current organisation for their current role if they had to do it again.

Zafar Shah, Research Director at YouGov said: “Our latest survey aims to promote understanding of Jordanianprofessionals’ motivations and expectations. Data shows that multiple factors drive employees’ commitment to their work, including the work environment, opportunities to grow and develop and their relationships with their companies.”

Data for the Attraction and Retention of Talent in the MENA survey was collected online from 17 November to December14, 2021. Results are based on a sample of 2,473 respondents from countries including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Palestine, Syria, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Sudan among others.