There is a growing tendency on the part of a large number of government employees to switch over to the private sector seeking better career prospects and attractive pay and perks. This phenomenon has become a big headache for many government departments and firms as it has reached a level where it has begun to adversely impact their performance and capabilities. There are apparently no substantial efforts or effective strategies on the part of government agencies to contain this exodus of qualified and experienced officials and employees. This phenomenon is most evident in the academic field, especially at universities and technical institutes, as well as in the case of doctors, engineers and other professionals. As a result, a number of prominent Saudi figures have urged the government to take quick action to address the problem before it has a negative impact on the country's growth, Al-Riyadh newspaper reported.
Pointing out major causes of the phenomenon and its solutions, Abdul Aziz Al-Khodairy, undersecretary at the Makkah Governorate, said the government sector has become unattractive for qualified persons. “Apathy on the part of qualified Saudis to work in the public sector is a disturbing phenomenon. If the current situation continues to remain the same, the government sector will soon transform into nothing more than a group of unproductive employees,” he said.
According to Al-Khodairy, there are several reasons why many employees prefer private sector over government sector. These include bureaucratic delays in implementing civil service rules and regulations concerning government employees, lack of incentives and financial benefits and a general inability to keep pace with change.
Al-Khodairy also emphasized the need for launching initiatives to make the government sector more attractive — a combination of financial incentives, advanced career training at world-class centers and programs to improve job efficiency will help motivate many employees. He also said bureaucratic delays and administrative corruption are rampant and must be addressed to encourage competent and efficient government employees to stay in the field.
“The government sector is falling behind the private sector in many respects. The academic field, which is regarded as the lungs of the government sector, is the worst affected one. Efficient and capable employees should be given due recognition and rewarded accordingly and their capabilities must be tapped to the maximum for the benefit of the employer,” he added.
Habibullah Al-Turkistani, an economist, said employees switching from the government sector to the private sector and vice versa is common. However, in developing countries, the phenomenon of moving to the private sector is much more prevalent. He cited several reasons for this including a lack of incentives in the public sector, absence of criteria to determine competence and a lack of a mechanism to precisely monitor who is working and who is not.
“It is evident that only about 30 percent of employees are scoring excellent performance results with their innovative skills while the overwhelming 70 percent are poor in their performance and they in turn become a burden on their colleagues who are good in their work.”
When employees switch over to the private sector, the government incurs huge losses in many respects. In addition to the high cost for appointing new employees, the sector also loses employees who have many years of experience and expertise in their respective fields. This results in decreased productivity levels of employees and leakage of government secrets to the private sector.
According to Salman Al-Dosary, editor in chief of Al-Eqtisadiyah business daily, alienation at workplace is the major reason for this phenomenon. “In this scenario, the employee feels that the profession is neither suitable for him nor satisfying. Therefore, he tries to find excuses for not performing well. This professional apathy leads him to abandon his job and search for another one,” he said while stressing that professional growth is one of the major factors that helps prevent government employees from leaving the sector.
Citing his own experience, Al-Dosary said: “I was an employee of the Ministry of Education but it was not gratifying for me. I had a strong feeling and confidence that my potential and capabilities demanded something more than what I was doing. I realized my potential after switching over to the media field where I started a career as a contributor and then rose gradually up the ranks to my current position as the editor in chief of a leading Saudi newspaper,” he said adding that if he had remained at the Ministry of Education, he might have been promoted to a higher pay grade. “What is the advantage of remaining in a job for 30 or 40 years without any scope for improving?”
Essam Al-Amri, who switched over to the private sector after quitting a government job, shared his experience: “I worked with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry for more than 17 years. During my time there, I was able to reach a position that many people aspired to reach but it was not gratifying to my ambitions and aspirations. Moreover, the financial benefits were also not very rewarding.”
Al-Amri said he availed early retirement after contemplating it for a long time and then turned to the private sector. “Within four years, I was able to achieve what I could not get during my 17-year service in the public sector. Now I am the owner and general manager of a company that gives me more job satisfaction, success and money,” he added.
