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Salary survey reveals lack of staff loyalty

Loyalty among employees working in the Gulf region is eroding even though salaries are on the increase.

That's one of the key findings of UK-based MacDonald & Co's annual Middle East Salary Survey for 2008, the full findings of which will be revealed at the Cityscape Dubai 2008 event in October.
Matthew Taylor, international director of the recruitment firm, said the survey revealed a lack of loyalty in the market, dubbing the environment as “extremely transient” for recruitment.

Companies, however, have started addressing the issue, he added.

“We’ve seen, over the past 12 months, a real shift in thinking from a client’s perspective. Companies are trying to retain their staff, keep their good people, conduct quarterly salary reviews, and work out what people’s long-term objectives are and try to facilitate them,” he said.

The limited pool of talented professionals in the real estate and property sector is driving companies to focus on staff retention, according to Taylor.

Additionally, the stagnant property markets in the US, UK and Europe are pushing a wave of professionals towards this part of the world and not just for financial reasons.

The results of the survey also indicated a healthy rise in salaries across the region.

“On last year’s survey we found the percentage of salary increases in the region around 15%. We anticipate such an increase, if not more, this year,” Taylor added.

The survey is conducted at a time when inflation across the GCC hit its highest level in two decades. Populations of the six GCC states, bar Kuwait, which peg their currencies to the dollar, have been battling with rising fuel and food prices.

“Looking at how the markets are going, inflation in the country (UAE) and the cost of living going up all the time, salaries become extremely important,” he said.

“The markets in the UK, Europe and the States are so tight at the moment. Twelve months ago people had to be enticed to come to this part of the world. They are now looking to come here a lot more. They are now looking at career progression but also security which is not necessarily there back in the west at the moment,” he said.

Taylor had noticed a significant increase in applications from the US, especially over the last six months. He said the difference between this year and the last is “incredible”.

“They are in a lot of trouble in the US especially in the construction sector. House builders over there are clearly not building, banks aren’t lending them the cash to support these projects and it’s grinding to a halt,” he said.

On the other hand, Dubai has marketed itself effectively to the world, according to Taylor.

“People now know what’s going on whereas three years ago it was still below the radar to a certain extent. The region is booming within the construction sector so as part of [Western] people’s livelihood they have started looking further afield,” he said.

On the flip side, clients have become more selective nowadays, Taylor noted. Purely playing the card of Western citizenship does not guarantee a job offer anymore.

Local experience has become a highly-valued asset especially in fields of project delivery, project management, quantity surveying, and costing of a project. Nine times out of 10, companies will opt for people with local experience, according to Taylor.

“Although people in the West are now looking to come here they are not always successful. It’s not a case of sticking your hand up and saying I’m from the west and getting ten job offers. Not anymore. Five years ago it was the case, not anymore,” he said.

The real shortage is in people with local experience, according to Taylor, which is why salaries are going up considerably.

“There’s such a premium placed on people with local experience that maybe we’ll see it shifting again and clients preferring to pay half the salary to someone without the local experience but asking for half the money,” he said.

The average salary for senior professionals working with one of the region’s giant developers could range between $16,000 to $25,000 per month, said Taylor.

“There’s a big discrepancy there and depends on particular companies,” he added.

Taylor also predicted salaries in Abu Dhabi, the UAE’s capital, to go up within the next two years due to rising housing and living costs, coupled with a shortage in housing units.

“There’s no supply coming online for another two years, at least not any significant supply. Salaries will have to go up or it will grind to a plateau,” he added.

The survey also covers salary increases, bonuses, benefits packages, and holidays.

It will look into salaries levels for specific roles within companies and differentials between different countries in the region and also look into employee reasons for leaving their companies and their current job satisfaction levels.

MacDonald & Co. has been operating in the UK for 14 years and had set up its Middle East office in Dubai two years ago.

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