It is commonly known that communication is the key to ensuring a smooth and functional workplace. When all channels of communication are open, all parties involved are given the chance to speak, share their ideas, provide valuable input, and make the discussion much richer. Not only that, communication is also the essence of employee satisfaction, team dynamics, and work productivity. Many job seekers look for companies that encourage frequent and open communication before anything else, as it is a critical element for their satisfaction and dedication to said company.
In order to measure the different aspects of communication, Bayt.com, the Middle East’s #1 Job Site, conducted a recent poll that investigates “Communication at Work in the Middle East”. Here is a breakdown of the findings:
Communication is essential to job seekers
The vast majority of job seekers consider open and frequent communication to be a priority during their job search, as revealed by 91.4% of poll respondents. Interestingly, job seekers form their first impression of the companies they apply to by the way the companies communicate with them. According to the poll takers, only 32.2% of companies “always” communicate with the job seekers after they apply. But when companies do communicate through email, 73.4% of respondents agree that the emails they receive are clear and easy to understand.
Bayt.com asked job seekers about the ideal communication practices. According to the poll, 59.6% of respondents in the Middle East believe that the HR department should always communicate with job seekers, even if they are rejected. 20.2% of respondents believe that HR departments should communicate with prospective job seekers only if they are qualified. Another 20.2% believe that companies should only communicate with the short-listed candidates.
Everyone communicates with everyone
Over 87.1% of employees communicate often and effectively with their teams, other departments, and direct managers at work. The consensus is that “Email” is the main method of communication at the workplace, with 67.5% stating so, while less than half (48.4%) believe that it is the most effective channel. On the other hand, audio and video conferences seem to be the least popular with only 0.9% using it for their day-to-day communication at work.
Although only 14.8% of respondents communicate in-person at work, more than a third of them believe it is the most effective method of communicating.
Guidelines for communication
Communication is key in understanding one another and getting the job done, but it can also be misused in the process which can lead to bigger workplace issues. As measures to prevent such failings, companies often adopt communication policies to define channels, rules, and best practices. According to the poll, 71.1% of employees state that their companies have communication guidelines that all employees have to abide by.
It was also revealed that almost half of companies have some restrictions regarding the use of mobile phone during work hours. 41.7%, however, say that there are no restrictions on how or when to use their phones at work.
