Why do MENA professionals switch jobs?

NEW TRENDS: LinkedIn’s Annual Talent Survey throws light on the priorities of job-seekers

Most professionals in MENA (88 per cent) like hearing about new opportunities and higher compensation lures them into switching to a new job, according to LinkedIn’s annual talent survey – ‘Inside the Mind of Today’s Candidate’.

The study reveals that higher compensation elsewhere (41 per cent) is still the main reason people leave jobs, with a better fit for their skills and interest coming a close second (38 per cent), followed by more growth opportunities (35 per cent). A better job title alone ranked much lower with significantly less incentive to lure a candidate into a role, at just 27 per cent.

While the study shows that 88 per cent of people want job details, 75 per cent would like to know the salary range, and 72 per cent would like to have the job title presented upfront. Other important categories include the company overview, company culture, company mission, and why they fit.

“Recruiters shouldn’t over-rely on salary to hook the right candidate; finding equilibrium between a suitable paycheck, opportunities for promotion and growth, and a great work-life balance is the key to keeping that talent.

If you find that — and with it, give people the chance to feel as though they are appreciated and feel a sense of purpose — then both the candidate and the company will be able to grow harmoniously together,” said Ali Matar, Head of LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Emerging Markets, Middle East and North Africa.

The report also reveals the below findings:

Career FOMO (fear of missing out) is a real thing. Candidates want to avoid the bad feeling of losing a dream opportunity, so they’re willing to hear you out their recruiters. 61 per cent of potential candidates feel flattered when recruiters reach out and they are indeed potential candidates, since the figures show that 94 per cent are open to new job opportunities

58 per cent of people are more likely to respond to a message if it’s coming directly from the Hiring Manger, with the report suggesting that this is thanks to the increased authority and decision-making ability of someone in that role

A company website is the top destination for first-line research followed by LinkedIn and the company employees.

Candidates rely on search engines as a key resource as well but use other social media and recruiters less. 40 per cent use a company’s website to garner information before considering or applying for a job. 63 per cent of people follow companies on social media to stay aware of jobs – 38 per cent alone said that LinkedIn played a significant role in their job switch

Candidates always want the scoop on the role from interviewers and hence 65 per cent of them want to know more about roles and responsibilities in the job, followed by company mission and vision and salary and benefits

People are more sensitive to negative information than positive, so bad interviews hurt more than good interviews help.

Nowadays with social media, a bad interview can cost companies more than one candidate and can even lose the company big money. 44 per cent of candidates say a bad interview experience makes them lose interest in the job

For the report, LinkedIn surveyed more than 400 professionals across the Middle East and North Africa region (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Morocco, Egypt, Algeria and Tunisia) about their attitudes and habits towards job-seeking – and used other insights towards human behaviour to better understand how that can affect a recruiter’s ability to discover and retain talent.