UAE jobs: Are employers finding younger staff 'less engaged' at work?

Dubai: UAE companies finding that some of their younger employees are not fully ‘engaged’ at work should not be surprised – it’s part of what’s happening in workplaces elsewhere too.

“Globally and in the MENA region, (on-the-job) engagement is low for both young and older employees,” said Jim Harter, Chief Scientist at Gallup, which has just come out with a report about workplace trends and levels of employee engagement.

“One differentiator is that young employees are significantly more likely to be watching for job openings.”

The UAE, Saudi and other Gulf markets had been on a hiring boom in the post-Covid years, which has also seen a higher share of first-timers to jobs being hired. Trends in industries such as tech, AI and in the entry of startups provided more opportunities for a younger generation.

But it has also meant they see more opportunities to find jobs once they get some workplace experience.

“In job markets where it is easier to switch jobs, active disengagement tends to be lower,” said Harter. “Employees have the option to change jobs if their current one is miserable. 

“In tighter job markets, active disengagement tends to be higher — people have fewer options to change jobs.  A key to high engagement is the quality of managing, which has a larger overall impact than job market conditions.”

How are other markets shaping up?

The US had a ‘decade of growth’ in employee engagement, but has seen declines in recent years. 

“Younger employees have progressively begun feeling detached from their employer,” said Harter. ”Stress is high and they are more likely to be looking for different jobs.  Loneliness is higher among young workers.”

Employee engagement has improved in Latin America, but  remains low in Europe. “But stress also remains lower than in the US/Canada region,” said Harter. “Employees looking for new job opportunities is a function of both their engagement at work and their overall wellbeing.”

UAE HR consultancies are saying that year-to-date hiring remains solid, but with some sectors such as banking, fintechs and even retail slowing down on new recruits where possible.

But when the job market shows signs of tightening up, the chances to switch jobs become that much harder.

Gen Z jobbers have been making their numbers felt in hiring worldwide, and more so since the great transformations in workplace activity post-Covid.

In the UAE, Saudi Arabia and other GCC markets, private sector employers will also need to keep close watch that they are meeting requirements in hiring citizens. The penalties for missing such targets can be onerous.

It's in this environment that Gen-Z'rs must navigate to find a new job if the current one doesn't interest them. And which leads to them being less engaged.

“Employees with low engagement are content but somewhat detached from their employer, not willing to put in significant discretionary effort, willing to take new job opportunities should they arise," said Harter.

"Or (they are) actively disengaged - against what the organization is trying to get done, undermining, and negatively impacting the workplace.

"Employees with low engagement are less loyal to the organization, have worse overall wellbeing, and lower productivity. They are less likely to go out of their way to deliver on promises to customers.”

It's all good when a hiring market is red hot with opportunities. But when it becomes less so, being less engaged in workplace activity can be career busting...