The year 2017 could be a period of job hopping, with a good number of professionals in the UAE and the rest of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region looking to switch jobs.

A survey conducted by Hays found that more than half (55 per cent) of workers in the UAE anticipate moving employers within 2017.

The study was not clear about the reasons that motivate people to quit, but about the same number of employees in the UAE (55 per cent) feel that there is no scope to progress in their current organisation, highlighting the fact that career development indeed figures very highly in workers’ priorities.

“Career development is clearly an important factor yet only one consideration for acquiring and enabling top talent,” said Chris Greaves, managing director of Hays Gulf Region.

A separate study conducted by LinkedIn among its seven million members did show that lack of career growthh opportunity is the number one factor driving people to leave their company, followed by poor leadership of senior management and poor work culture.

“In the past four years, the percentage of people open to changing jobs has spiked,” LinkedIn stated in its report, which looked out why and how professionals changed jobs in 2015.

Outside the Gulf region, however, Hays pointed out that there are more workers who feel they’re stuck in their career, especially in the United Kingdom (UK) where about six in ten (62 per cent) believe there is no scope to grow in their company.

The Hays Salary Survey was conducted in the fourth quarter of 2016 among 2,800 professionals working in the GCC region.

The research also found that while many people are looking to move jobs, companies continue to face talent shortage, with 14 per cent of UAE employers saying they do not have the right staff to achieve their 2017 objectives.

Lack of suitable candidates, unrealistic salary expectations and competition from other employers were the top three challenges that organisations cited when looking to hire staff.

“While it’s not easy, particularly during more challenging market conditions, organisations must review their approach to both talent attraction and retention. They need to understand how their offerings compare to others in the market and identify what they can do to stand out from the crowd,” added Greaves.

Why people left their jobs (global survey)

I was concerned about the lack of opportunities for advancement: 45%

I was unsatisfied with the leadership of senior management: 41%

I was unsatisfied with the work environment/culture: 36%

I wanted more challenging work: 36%

I was unsatisfied with the compensation/benefits: 34%

I was unsatisfied with the rewards/recognition for my contributions: 32%

source : gulfnews