DUBAI – Some 48% of professionals in the Middle East and Africa (MENA) region prefer to work for a non-profit organizations despite admitting that they offer less pay and demand more personal sacrifices, a new survey has revealed.
For three quarters of the region’s population though, job opportunities with non-profits are hard to find, according to Bayt.com ‘Working for Non-profit Organizations in the MENA” poll, recently conducted by Bayt.com.
According to 52.3% of respondents, working with a non-profit organization means sacrificing more of your health and family time than required in other careers. Salaries are also considered to be less attractive than in other sectors, as stated by eight out of 10 (77.9%) respondents, while 75.2% also believe that job security is lower in the sector, too.
People working for non-profit organizations are considered by 60.5% of residents to have fewer opportunities for career growth, while having to endure less benefits and perks on the job (according to 79.3%).
More than half (52.8%) of the polled professionals considered employees of non-profit organizations to be as competitive or even more competitive than their peers in other sectors. All these factors may to large extent explain why 86% of poll respondents believe that turnover is higher in non-profits than anywhere else.
However, despite the aforementioned concerns associated with working for a non-profit organization, the majority of MENA respondents maintain they would be keen to work for one. Half (47.5%) would ‘love’ to work at a non-profit, while 41.9% would consider it. Only 5.4% said they would ‘never’ work for a non-profit. For those that would consider working in a non-profit organization, 88.2% expect to be paid – and 51% maintain they would even expect to receive top market salary for their work.
When it comes to general perceptions visavis professionals employed in the sector, employees of non-profit organizations are perceived to be more ‘mission-driven’ by 91.6% of respondents, while eight out of 10 (83.3%) consider them to have more pride in their employers. 78.2% even feel that non-profit employees tend to feel more excited about their job.
Opportunities in the sector seem limited however in many parts of the region. For four in 10 respondents (42.8%), there are few opportunities to find employment with a non-profit organisation in their country of residence. A third of the respondents to the poll (31.2%) maintain there are no opportunities in their country of residence, while 26% claim that in their country, there are many.
“Our mission is to empower all professionals in the MENA, regardless of their industry, sector, or type of work, and this includes non-profit organizations,” said Suhail Masri, VP of Sales, Bayt.com.
