The Banking Executive Magazine - May Issue

Despite a decline in job postings for remote working or work-from-home, thousands of vacancies are listed in the UAE and the Gulf on different job portals and channels across diverse sectors for job-seekers. Data revealed that some of the pop- ular jobs that are available for people looking to work from home are call centre representative, marketing spe- cialist, sales executive, business de- velopment manager, finance officer and others. In the post-Covid period, employers and managers are increasingly insist- ing employees return to office as re- strictions have been eased. But a majority of employees prefer a hy- brid work model. In case firms don't offer this opportunity, they tend to move on and join more flexible com- panies. Research conducted by LinkedIn this year has found that 77 per cent of professionals in the UAE are consid- ering a job switch this year, with the lack of remote work options being one of the top ten reasons for their departure. According to LinkedIn, the share of remote job postings in the UAE sits at 4.3 per cent as of February 2023, a significant dip of 22.8 per cent from January and an even greater de- cline of over 50 per cent compared to the same month last year. While Bayt.com has around 1,500 work-from-home jobs posted on the portal, with 600-plus positions avail- able in the GCC and over 300 in the UAE. The figures are subject to change on a daily basis. “The share of remote job postings has been declining in the UAE, as managers call their teams back into the office in the face of the prevailing uncertainty to prove higher business revenues,” said Najat Abdelhadi, head of communications and career expert, LinkedIn Mena. She advised that if employers are looking to retain their best talent, who will help them stay on top and navigate the fast-changing business landscape, they need to carefully consider what their workforce wants, and that includes flexibility. the BANKING EXECUTIVE 42 ISSUE 173 MAY 2023 Career Chronicle THOUSANDS OF WORK- FROM-HOME OPENINGS AVAILABLE ON LOCAL RE- CRUITMENT PORTALS