Gulf companies fail to engage employees over the long-term

A study has revealed that companies in the Arab world are not doing enough to engage staff over the long-term. Only 48 per cent of employees want to remain with their company following three years’ service and only 36 per cent see themselves being with there in 10 years’ time.

However, in the short-term the findings from YouGovSiraj have revealed that levels of motivation and commitment are high when compared with engagement levels in more mature markets. A total of 68 per cent of employees feel fully engaged with their current employer and 73 per cent feel motivated to perform well. This compares with a 2007 UK Employee Engagement Study where only 51 per cent of UK employees felt fully engaged with their current employer and only 67 per cent were motivated to perform well in the work they do.

Attracting and retaining staff is another weak spot for Gulf organisations, compounding the issues of long-term engagement. Only 39 per cent of respondents feel their company keeps the best staff and less than half (47 per cent) believe their organisation is managing to attract the best talent.

“Failing to attract or retain talent… affects productivity levels. Cut-throat competition for good staff in our region highlights the vulnerability of companies failing to engage staff,” said Nassim Ghrayeb, chief executive of YouGovSira