An overwhelming 70 per cent of employees in the Middle East are either in the process of trying to leave their current job or actively looking for a new job, according to a study.

The figures indicate that the region’s professionals believe that it’s either time to move on, or they can do much better elsewhere than in their current position, according to the study by Bayt.com, a leading Middle East job site, conducted in conjunction with research specialists YouGov.

However, a majority of professionals in the Middle East remain motivated at work despite the current recession and its negative impact on the workplaces, the Employee Motivation study said.

About 63 per cent of employees stay motivated in their work in the region, according to the latest study by Bayt.com, a leading Middle East job site, in conjunction with research specialists YouGov.

Lebanon and Tunisia significantly exceeded the regional average with almost three-quarters of employees, 72pc in each country, saying they are motivated in the work they do every day for their organisation. The figure for Saudi Arabia is 57pc.

The study asked respondents how important they consider their work-life balance to be, and whether such a balance is encouraged by employers: an overwhelming 73pc of the respondents said that achieving a good work-life balance is very important for their levels of motivation at work. The results do not vary significantly from the average across the region – the lowest figure being 66pc of respondents in Morocco, and the highest 77pc in Egypt.

Asked whether their organisations support them to achieve a good-work life balance, the majority of respondents, 65 per cent stated that they do receive such support from their work – albeit to differing degrees. The study found that those receiving the most support are respondents in Lebanon, 76 per cent of all those questioned, compared to 61 per cent of professionals in Saudi Arabia and – at the lowest end of the spectrum – 55 per cent in Morocco.

Around the rest of the Gulf, support for work-life balance is relatively consistent across the countries, reaching 70 per cent for employees in Oman, 69 per cent in Bahrain, 68 per cent in the UAE and 65 per cent in Kuwait.

The Employee Motivation study was conducted to understand how the current economic climate is impacting the satisfaction levels of employees in the Middle East, and to identify the drivers that motivate them in their work.

“When it comes down to the factors that make employees content and motivated, or the factors that make them distressed and de-motivated, more often than not it is the basic, straightforward elements such as being able to achieve a good work-life balance that matter,” explains Amer Zureikat, regional manager, Bayt.com.

“It is extremely beneficial for organisations to focus on improving and maintaining  motivation, as it is highly valued by employees,  does not have direct costs attached to it and has a positive impact on productivity and returns,” says Joanna Longworth, chief marketing officer, YouGov.

“While this is less a case of rocket science and more a case of common sense, it still goes neglected by some employers who favour profit making at the expense of a happy workforce. By pointing out these pain points through research such as this, it provides all employers with a general picture of what lies behind employee motivation, and serves as a reminder of how important the ‘human touch’ is for employee wellbeing and motivation”, adds Zureikat.

The drivers of motivation at work, aside from a good work-life balance, are varied, with opportunities for long term career growth topping the table in importance, as agreed by 36 per cent of employees. Also important according to the employees surveyed are the company’s or brand’s reputation (33 per cent), while interestingly, only 5 per cent of respondents said t