Dubai: Human resources (HR) and recruitment professionals say there is an increasing need for internationalisation within companies in the UAE. They spoke at the Talent & Career Development Conference 2013 held in Dubai earlier last week addressing the challenges and trends in the industry.
“Companies need to increase diversity if they want to be truly international. Putting a woman on the board is not enough,” Stacey Reynolds, UAE managing director of consultancy firm 10Eighty, said.
International experience has become increasingly important when assessing potential candidates, particularly when applying for positions out of your home country and even for people managing internationally-based staff.
Reynolds said there was a growing expectation that home country managers with overseas staff should have international experience.
Abdul Muttalib Al Hashemi, managing director of national employment and development solutions firm Next Level, said Emiratis should consider working abroad in an effort to improve their future employment opportunities in the UAE.
Unemployment among UAE nationals
Al Hashemi said unemployment among UAE nationals is 12 per cent, with less than one per cent working in the private sector.
Attendees at the conference highlighted several challenges in recruiting nationals, including company loyalty and salary expectations.
Al Hashemi said despite stereotypes, it was no longer about compensation for Emiratis looking to enter the workforce to change companies. He said that career development was becoming increasingly important for Emiratis.
HR professionals agreed that career development should be outlined during the recruitment stage for both expatriate and national employees. They said this gives staff a clear outline of their future in the company.
Aisha M. Al Shareef, director of talent and organisation development at Dubai Holding, said recruitment was becoming an increasingly longer process as companies looking to find the right candidate. She said it can now take four to five months to find a candidate with the necessary skills and calibre.
