Nearly three quarters, or 73%, of professionals in the Middle East have left a job because they disliked the company’s culture, according to research from Robert Walters.

The research, which surveyed more than 1,000 professionals and hiring managers across the region, also found that 82% of professionals have previously worked for a company where they disliked the company culture. However, most, or 90%, of employers recognise the importance of finding candidates that are a good cultural ‘fit’ for their organisation.

Jason Grundy, Managing Director at Robert Walters Middle East, commented, “The majority of employers recognise that ensuring potential staff are a good cultural fit is important, given the serious impact poor cultural fit can have on productivity at work and ultimately whether or not staff will stay with the company.”

“However, given the high number of professionals who have left a job due to issues with the company culture, it is clear that many employers should consider the impact that company culture can have during the hiring process and in attracting and securing top talent,” Grundy said.

Robert Walters’ research also found that 67% of professionals felt that they had been misled about company culture during the induction process. More than half, or 53%, felt that the overall environment did not match the job description and 51% felt misled over opportunities for career progression.

“Competition for the best professionals is fierce and employers are keen to promote the best aspects of their company culture to secure the best professionals,” Grundy said. “However, employers should consider the importance of being transparent regarding the realities of working for their company. Ultimately, securing a highly skilled professional who does not remain with the company for long can be detrimental, impacting the bottom line and potentially having a negative impact on their co-workers as well.”