Cheeky UAE Employees Put Bosses on the Spot with 'Counter-Offers'

Published March 28th, 2012 - 10:22 GMT
It a dog-eat-dog world in the Middle Eastern job market, but employers are slowly appreciating their top employees in fear of losing them to competitors.
It a dog-eat-dog world in the Middle Eastern job market, but employers are slowly appreciating their top employees in fear of losing them to competitors.

Workers who want a salary bump should consider telling their boss they have a better job offer, a report has claimed.

A recruitment survey by Robert Half UAE revealed yesterday that over the past six months employers have increased their use of ‘counteroffers', in an effort to stop top workers being tempted to rival firms.

Over 71 per cent of senior human resources executives spoken to expressed concern over losing top performers in 2012, while 36 per cent said they had noticed that companies are increasingly willing to offer more money to workers who stay.

"Companies are starting to realise that they need to recognise their top performers or risk losing them to other organisations," said James Sayer, associate director, Robert Half UAE.

But research revealed that a bigger salary is only part of the issue. "Counteroffers… often only work as a temporary solution, with the employee leaving shortly thereafter," said Sayer. Sayer added that more and more employers are offering extra perks to workers who stay with the company. Almost 90 per cent said they offered work laptops or mobile phones, over 50 per cent a company car and 39 per cent offered meal vouchers.

Have you ever had an unfair boss who was unappreciative of your talent? Have you used such techniques to get a pay rise? Did it work? Please share your experiences.

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