Nearly seven in 10 (67.9 per cent) respondents in a survey said they “enjoy working with their managers” and that the relationship with their managers has “improved” compared to when they first started their job.

The new poll by Bayt.com, a leading job site in the Middle East, is titled ‘Relationships Between Employees and Managers in the Middle East’. It reveals what professionals feel about their managers and how much they value their relationships.

Employee- Manager Relationship
In the Middle East, professionals generally hold their managers in high regards. Over two thirds (68.8 per cent) of employees say their managers are “one of the main reasons they are loyal to their job”. As much as 44.9 per cent of respondents describe their relationship with their manager as “friendly and productive,” 22.2 per cent describe it as “formal and work-centered,” and 30 per cent describe it as “balanced and professional.” Only 2.9 per cent describe their relationship with their managers as “unproductive and/ or unprofessional.”

A key point that was highlighted from the poll was that almost all respondents (93.6 per cent) value having a productive and professional relationship with their manager.

When it comes to work performance, Bayt.com asked about the importance of having strong relationships with managers. More than half of respondents (54.5 per cent) cited that their work performance highly depends on their direct managers, and almost three quarters of respondents (71.4 per cent) said that their direct managers are “extremely important to their overall career success.” Further, over 8 in 10 respondents (82.1 per cent) said that their relationship with their managers affects their happiness at work.

“Employees spend the majority of the working day in the office, so having a healthy relationship with coworkers and managers is essential for optimal performance,” said Suhail Masri, vice president of Employer Solutions, Bayt.com. “Without these relationships employees can feel stressed and neglected and their performance is likely to suffer as a result. At Bayt.com, what we do internally to ensure healthy relationships between employees and their managers is hold monthly mini-appraisals that ensure that the conversation remains open and frank. At the end of every year, we also ask all employees at Bayt.com to rate their managers in an anonymous, 90-questions survey. Our HR team then shares feedback with managers to ensure that they are constantly improving.”

 
What Makes a Good Manager?
According to the Bayt.com poll, over 8 in 10 respondents (82.7 per cent) say that their direct managers always encourage them to work on challenging tasks. A similar proportion (83.6 per cent) say that their managers care about having a productive and professional relationship with them. When it comes to an open communication policy with managers, three quarters (74.6 per cent) of respondents cited that they have this approach with their current managers.

In order to improve employee relationship with their manager, respondents cited “taking initiative and providing assistance” (67.5 per cent) and “asking questions and seeking support frequently” (22.9 per cent) as the most important areas to improve on. When asked what managers should avoid that could damage their relationships, respondents cited “lack of respect” towards employees (27.6 per cent) and a “lack of open and honest communication” (26.7 per cent) as the main areas to avoid.

Masri adds: “Managers in the Middle East and North Africa should be aware that employee loyalty is largely affected by the type of relationships they form with employees. As the poll shows, employees value a manager who communicates openly, who encourages employees to work on challenging tasks, and shows care towards their work. Building healthy relationships with employees is an essential task to make organizations more successful and hold stronger employee retention. At Bayt.com, we recommend employers and managers to maintain close contact with their employees and enhance their work dynamics to ensure growth and success.”

Data for the poll was collected online from January 13 to February 20. Results are based on a sample of 7,932 respondents. Countries that participated are the UAE, Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Tunisia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and others. – TradeArabia news Service