Most UAE professionals would move for better pay, salary research shows
Salary guide research covered by Khaleej Times found the overwhelming majority of UAE professionals are open to changing employer, with pay the leading reason.
Photo: Sabithnav (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Salary research reported by Khaleej Times found that an overwhelming majority of professionals in the UAE would consider moving employer, with compensation the dominant reason and career progression close behind.
Openness is not the same as resignation, but it does describe the market a hiring manager is operating in: almost every candidate worth approaching will take the call, and almost every employee is reachable by someone else's recruiter. Employers who rely on inertia to keep their teams are relying on something that no longer exists here.
It cuts both ways for employers. The same conditions that make retention harder make direct search far more productive than advertising, because the strongest candidates for most Gulf roles are currently employed and not applying to anything.
What it means for employers
- Assume your best performers are contactable and reviewed against the market at least annually.
- For senior and technical roles, direct approach outperforms advertising in this market.
- Pay is the leading stated reason for moving, but progression is the cheapest lever to fix.
Related pages
Summarised by the Horizon GCC team. Original reporting: Khaleej Times
This briefing is general information, not legal advice. Confirm current requirements with the relevant authority before acting.
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