Saturday 20 / April / 2024
Muscat: To Muscat-based marketing specialist Mohamed A D Al Lawati, finding a job in Oman during the current economic conditions calls for “luck”, though he would like to join a company that offers wellness programmes, flexible hours, a relaxed dress code, and even regular fun events.
“I believe these elements motivate employees to perform even better, in and out of work,” the 25-year-old told Times of Oman. Of note, Al Lawati is not alone in looking for this type of work setting.
Trends in branding
Job aspirants across the Arab world are hoping for better employee management, recognition at work, and even the opportunity to bring children or pets to the office, says a new study on the job market.
The Bayt.com survey has also found that those companies that manage their online presence and create a powerful online brand are more able to position themselves as an employer of choice among top talent in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
Bayt.com is one of the top recruiting and career resources for job seekers, employers and manpower placement consultants in the Middle East and North Africa.
The survey ‘Trends in Employer Branding in MENA’, conducted in partnership with business consulting company ‘Naseba’, reported that 84.5 per cent of professionals believe that engaging with potential job seekers on social media platforms is positive for a company’s branding in the MENA region.
A Bayt.com official said that the poll was conducted online from March 17 to April 20, 2016 and the results are based on a sample of 6,954 respondents. Besides Oman, countries that participated in the poll include the UAE, Bahrain, Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Yemen.
According to the survey, HR and marketing departments are perceived as the main departments responsible for employer branding, both at 18.7 per cent, while better employee engagement (23.4 per cent), higher job acceptance rates (12.4 per cent) and recognition as an employer of choice (11.4 per cent) are the top three benefits of employer branding.
“Wellness programmes (21.6 per cent), flexible hours and dress codes (18.9 per cent), along with regular fun office events and activities (11.2 per cent), are the top incentives that appeal to job seekers across the region,” the survey found.
Also, about 6.4 per cent of job seekers want entertainment facilities in the office, while 5.1 per cent seek the ability to bring children or pets to the office, the survey said.
Harmful sides
Reputation and culture (11.9 per cent) are among the most important attributes for companies that want to attract top talent.
About 75 per cent of the aspirants usually check a company’s profile before applying for jobs.
Of note, letting people go without valid reasons (17.3 per cent) is the most harmful action a company can take to lower its brand, the survey found.
Having unhappy employees, ignoring candidates’ applications, unprofessionalism, a poor compensation or benefits structure, and weak job descriptions are other areas that threaten to affect a company’s standing.
