A specialized study, conducted by DSC, for determining 10 priorities with the aim to realize the highest rate of happiness for the Government of Dubai employees, showed that 95% of the 5029 employee respondents, agreed that salaries and compensations are on top of their needs, according to the Deputy Executive Director of DSC, Tariq Al Janahi who stated that the aim of the study is to carry out the policies, plans and programs that relate to employees happiness with the utmost efficiency.
Al Janahi advised "Emirates Today" that this is the first time DSC conducts a study on the level of the Government of Dubai employees, the importance of which lies in the fact that it helps to assess the current situation and provide important information for the establishments that wish to realize happiness for their employees. He pointed out that establishments can find out what priorities will realize happiness for their employees and the gap between the current situation and the ideal situation from the point of view of the targeted group; employees. He added that the elements that realize happiness differ from one person to another, from one work environment to another, which enhance the importance of conducting such studies that enables establishments to direct their plans, policies and programs dealing with human resources with high efficiency and a bigger capability of realizing happiness.
"Some people prefer the financial aspect, such as job benefits and salary as a priority that realizes their happiness, while others prefer aspects of psychological dimension, such as the positively functional relations and job security. The criteria is different from one person to another and from one work environment to another, hence from our point of view – the targeted group is to be given the liberty of defining their needs that will realize their happiness", he added.
He also pointed that 5029 employees took part in the study during one week. 52.2% of them were citizens while the percentage of females was 41.7% against 58.3% males. This high response rate shows the willingness of employees to define the priorities of job happiness.
Al Janahi advised that the results of such studies support entities in elevating the level of their employees' happiness, developing regulations, policies and programs that are capable of dealing with employee needs, after finding out their priorities accurately and the gap between these priorities and the current situation, which will reflect positively on the corporate performance, as the employee's happiness is reflected on the happiness of customers and the concerned groups. He added that a number of government entities showed interest in the study, especially that realizing happiness has become a strategic priority for the different parties, for some of them asked for the report with its statistical analysis, and others requested conducting a specific study on the entity level. He advised that DSC coordinated with Dubai Government Excellence Program in this regard, as the study will be analyzed and sent to all government entities to make use of it.
As regards the results of the study, Al Janahi pointed that the criteria of job happiness priorities showed that salaries, compensations and financial benefits come on top of the priorities of Dubai government employees with a 95% rate. At a slightly less rate came the aspects related to the positivity and excellence of the work environment with a priority of 94.6%, while on the third level came the aspects related with job security and stability, whose rate of priority was 93.7%, and the opportunity for development and career progress also scored a high priority rate of 92.3% and it came in fourth place.
Al Janahi also revealed that the employees of Dubai Government showed a great interest in the leadership aspect, where the functional aspect related to the entity's leadership came in fifth place with a high rate of 91.9%, which reflects the role the entity leadership plays in realizing job happiness. The sixth priority was for the aspects concerning retirement packages and end of service remuneration. This scored a high rate of 90.6% as a priority, with a slight difference from the preceding aspects. It was also closely followed by the job aspects related to managing and developing employees and their talent by 90.2%.
He added that the eighth priority is corporate reputation, which scored 89.6% and in the ninth place was the aspects dealing with social and personal needs, which employees gave a priority percentage of 89.5%, but here a gap was noticed, whether in the priority of this element or in assessing the current situation for both sexes, as the study showed that males are satisfied as regards meeting the personal and social needs of an employee, while the happiness with the current situation for females in this area specifically was significantly low. They gave this element a higher priority than what males gave it, as males assessed the current situation as regards meeting social and personal needs by 72.1%, while the result of the females was 64.8%. This is due to the social and personal needs of female employees, such as maternity leaves for working mothers, breastfeeding hours, and the availability of nurseries at the work place, flexible working hours and other . As regards the 10th place, it was the aspects dealing with supporting excellence and innovation/
Over 56 are happier
The Deputy Managing Director of DSC, Tariq Al Janahi, advised that the study was conducted by DSC to determine the needed priorities so as to realize the highest level of happiness for the employees of Dubai government. The study showed that employees who exceed 56 of age are the most happy, then the group of 18 – 25 years, then the group of 46 – 55 followed by the group 36 – 45 and finally 26 to 35 years.