Employers urged to ‘pay enough’

B

“Employees should be paid enough to take the issue of money off the table,” employers were urged at a round table event on ‘Salary Trends 2011’ organised yesterday by the region’s leading job site Bayt.comThe suggestion was given by Bayt.com Qatar unit manager Ibrahim Badredeen, who gave a presentation on ‘Salaries: Are they the only retention factor? “Managements only think about pay when someone resigns. Pay should be an ongoing process,” he said.Badredeen highlighted the fact that 28% of the respondents, of a salary survey conducted by Bayt.com this year, cited salary as the single most important factor, followed by 19% (growth), relationships (17%), job nature, and training and culture (7% each).“Recognition is the most basic motivator, and compensation is a balance between what the company can afford to pay and what the employee deserves,” he observed.Employees should also be given chances to work on development projects that captivate their interest.In a poll about how better working conditions affect employees, 60% listed more loyalty, productivity and job involvement.Referring to Qatar, Bayt.com’s vice-president – sales, Amer Zureikat, said 78% of professionals are satisfied with their job responsibilities, 53% are satisfied with the job security in their company, 66% are satisfied with their current salaries, 56% are satisfied with the work recognition they receive.“Over 70% of jobs in Qatar are filled on Bayt.com without ever being advertised, employers search instead,” he claimed. Bayt.com product manager Mohamed Younas spoke on salary benchmarking.