7 in 10 professionals in ME enjoy working with their managers
dubai — Majority of professionals in the Middle East enjoy working with their managers and said that their relationship with them affects their happiness at work, according to the latest Bayt.com poll.
The poll titled ‘Relationships Between Employees and Managers in the Middle East,’ disclosed what professionals feel about their managers and how much they value their relationships. Nearly seven in 10 (67.9 per cent) respondents said that they “enjoy working with their managers” and that the relationship with their managers has “improved” (66.5per cent), compared to when they first started their job.
Data for the poll was collected online from January 13, 2017 to February 20, 2017 and the results are based on a sample of 7,932 respondents. The UAE, Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Tunisia, Qatar, KSA, Yemen, and others participated in the poll.
“Employees spend the majority of the working day in the office, so having a healthy relationship with coworkers and managers is essential for optimal performance,” said Suhail Masri, vice-president of Employer Solutions, Bayt.com. “Without these relationships employees can feel stressed and neglected and their performance is likely to suffer as a result.”
Employee, manager relationship
In the Middle East, professionals generally hold their managers in high regards. Over two thirds (68.8 per cent) of employees say their managers are “one of the main reasons they are loyal to their job”.
About 44.9 per cent of respondents describe their relationship with their manager as “friendly and
...having a healthy relationship with coworkers and managers is essential for optimal performance Suhail Masri, VP of Employer Solutions, Bayt.com
productive,” 22.2 per cent describe it as “formal and work-centered,” and 30 per cent describe it as “balanced and professional.” Only 2.9 per cent describe their relationship with their managers as “unproductive and/ or unprofessional.”
A key point that was highlighted from the poll was that almost all respondents (93.6 per cent) value having a productive and professional relationship with their manager.
When it comes to work performance, Bayt.com asked about the importance of having strong relationships with managers. More than half of respondents (54.5 per cent) cited that their work performance highly depends on their direct managers, and almost three quarters of respondents (71.4 per cent) said that their direct managers are “extremely important to their overall career success.” Further, over 8 in 10 respondents (82.1 per cent) said that their relationship with their managers affects their happiness at work.
What makes a good manager?
According to the Bayt.com poll, over eight in 10 respondents (82.7 per cent) say that their direct managers always encourage them to work on challenging tasks. A similar proportion (83.6 per cent) say that their managers care about having a productive and professional relationship with them. When it comes to an open communication policy with managers, three quarters (74.6 per cent) of respondents cited that they have this approach with their current managers.
In order to improve employee relationship with their manager, respondents cited “taking initiative and providing assistance” (67.5 per cent) and “asking questions and seeking support frequently” (22.9 per cent) as the most important areas to improve on.
— business@khaleejtimes.com