DOHA: Three-quarters of Qatar’s working population feel motivated at work, according to a recent Bayt.com Career Aspirations in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) survey.
It was conducted by Bayt.com, an online recruitment website in Mena, and YouGov, a research and consulting organisation.
While more than half of Qatar’s respondents aspire to be promoted to a higher position, four in 10 are concerned about losing their jobs or unemployment.
Oil, gas and petrochemicals emerge as the preferred industry for 15 percent of Qatar’s workforce, tied with construction. Education and IT are tied for second, with 7 percent each.
Employee motivation is high in Qatar, with 72 percent of respondents claiming to be ‘quite motivated’ or ‘highly motivated’ at work. Employees said motivation can be further improved by offering higher salaries, more benefits and perks (62 percent), followed by opportunity to express creativity and showcase skills (47 percent), and more focus on training and learning new skills (44 percent).
For Qatar respondents, the top priorities in life comprise a successful career (57 percent), financial stability and independence (60 percent). Good health (60 percent) also emerged as a top priority.
When defining an ideal job, respondents considered salary and benefits (83 percent), opportunities for career growth (62 percent), and work-life balance (34 percent) the most important factors.
About half of the respondents (51 percent) believe they have the perfect job, though the majority of them (61 percent) would like to work in a higher position, or to be an expert in their field (44 percent).
Despite the perceived level of contentment, half of the respondents claim there are not many opportunities for career advancement within their companies. So four in 10 (41 percent) are prepared to move to another area of expertise or department to advance their career, or to another industry (37 percent).
Asked about reasons for accepting their current job offer, 24 percent claimed it was the first, or the only one they received.
Only 24 percent accepted because of the salary and benefits, and 21 percent claimed it offered them a chance to work in their dream industry.
Interestingly, only 14 percent were motivated to take the job because of its corporate reputation.
Seven out of 10 (71 percent) of those working or seeking employment have set professional goals for themselves, with 29 percent having goals for the next five years. In comparison, 18 percent indicate they have not set any goals.
Asked to identify barriers to career growth, respondents specified a lack of growth opportunities (34 percent) and poor management within their companies (35 percent) as the top barriers.
Overall, respondents are happy with their work environment, with 41 percent being either ‘somewhat’ or ‘very happy’. However, some believe the government can help improve the working environment through “increased transparency in terms of salaries within companies” (56 percent), by “increasing job opportunities” (49 percent) and “improving labour laws” (53 percent).
Higher education is in the plans for 67 percent, of whom 30 percent intend to attend a university in their country of residence. Five in 10 (45 percent) would like to retire after they turn 60, though 43 percent are looking to retire between 50 and 60 years.
In general, respondents are worried about financial issues and losing their job and unemployment, work-life balance and familial obligations (31 percent).
For the majority, unemployment could have significant consequences — 20 percent of respondents indicate they have no savings from their income over the past year.
Data for the survey was collected online from October 22 to November 5, 2013, with 7,445 respondents from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Algeria, Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia.
Across Mena, the oil, gas and petrochemicals industry is one of the most preferred to work in.
The Peninsula
