It’s the time of year when most people take stock of the past 12 months and reflect on what awaits them in the New Year. Everyone has different hopes and dreams for 2014. Some look forward for a better career, a better salary or a better life.
Whatever the aspirations may be, it is worth taking the time to look at what lies ahead, in order to chart the best way forward. Interesting and exciting times await for sure, but here’s a quick look at the major trends that are sure to shape up on the career front this year:
Good performers take the lead
As companies seek to strengthen their position in an increasingly competitive market, it is only natural that those that have made significant contributions to their company will be highly sought after.
According to Coren Marra, manager for Talent2 in Abu Dhabi, professionals in the hospitality, financial services and infrastructure “with experience in growing revenue or achieving efficiencies within the organisation will always be valued” this year.
“Those individuals who have proved successful in building relationships over the last 24 to 36 months will be sought after. As the market continues its upward trajectory, business will be looking to capitalize and increase their market share as well as take advantage of a growing market,” said Marra
Geetu Ahuja, head of GCC at the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (Cima), said the job market has been on an upswing over the last 12 months, and as businesses continue to expand, employee headcount across all levels will increase.
“More and more companies are now investing in hiring skilled staff and this demand will only continue to grow,” she added
Social media plays increasing role
With more people spending time and doing business on the Internet, the use of social media in recruitment and job search will continue to enjoy prominent significance in 2014. So, those who fail to adapt to the growing trend of online networking will trail behind their counterparts
“Although social media is already playing a role in most companies’ hiring processes, HR departments that don’t adapt to using a reliable social media recruiting process may be left behind,” said Marra.
Marra said they are using several media platforms to find suitable candidates and advertise, and the use of twitter is becoming increasingly popular within their industry. One of the online tools that have most immediate impact, however, is video interviewing.
“The UAE has been one of the early adopters of using social media for recruitment in the region and today it has become the de rigueur for recruiters and jobseekers. This is a trend that will only continue to grow, as technology and related platforms transcends current communication barriers,” said Ahuja.
Finance, construction, hospitality professionals in demand
Hiring trends are influenced largely by the current economic landscape. This year, with Dubai’s successful bid to host the World Expo in 2020, coupled with the uptick in the local economy, companies in the financial, construction and hospitality sectors will have a big appetite for hiring this year.
Tarun Aggarwal, business head of Naukrigulf.com, said the financial sector has created demand for bankers, while the construction industry is on the lookout for architects, surveyors and project managers. With the number of hotel rooms in the region expected to grow further, Aggarwal also foresees an increase in demand for jobs related to hotel management, facilities management and customer relationship.
Ahuja added there is also a strong demand for employees with a good foundation in management accounting.
Loyalty is the name of the game
There will always be people looking to change jobs next year, but based on current statistics, employee turnover might not be the flavour of the season.
Marra noted that the percentage of people changing jobs regularly has decreased, as people are beginning to understand that in a competitive market, organisations value loyalty and longevity in their new recruits. “It’s not necessarily a candidate market right now,” said Marra.
Emiratisation continues, but office demographics stay the same
With the constant push to make way for Emirati nationals in the private sector, some expatriates working outside the government may expect to see locals joining their team this year. However, the office demographics won’t see a drastic change.
Private companies in the country have put in place UAE National graduate programmes, such as management trainee positions.
“This is the most effective way to encourage UAE nationals into the private sector and has been successful for the few companies who have been implementing such traineeships,” said Marra. “There needs to be an increase in organisations participating in this area to see a drastic change as soon as next year.”
“Emiratisation is a focus area in the UAE and will remain so. However, we do not expect it to change the workplace demographics significantly as the numbers of skilled workforce required in the UAE are much more than the unemployed nationals of the region,” added Aggarwal.
