UAE companies still recruiting amid job cuts

Dubai:  Considering the number of professionals who have been hit by headcount reductions, competition for a new job may be getting tough.

At least three major banks had slashed about 350 positions in the UAE as businesses now focus on managing budgets and maintaining a profitable operation.

But while companies may be trimming their workforce and reconsidering their hiring plans, it doesn’t mean it’s time to quit the job hunt.

As recruitment specialists say,  don't let downturns discourage you as they are just "part of the game".

The good news is that some employers in the UAE are not abandoning their recruitment plans completely and the key to landing a new position when times are tight is to know the latest trends in the employment market - and keep your eyes peeled for new job openings.

“We encourage jobseekers to look at occupation [and industry] hiring trends. We still see good demand for specific occupations across sectors,” assured Sanjay Modi, managing director, Monster.com (India, Middle East, South East Asia and Hong Kong).

“Specifically, demand is high for professionals specialized in sales and business development, HR [human resources] and administrative roles and healthcare professionals.”

Rajiv Ramanathan, associate partner at Aon Hewitt Middle East, noted that organisations in the medical industry, in particular, is definitely worth looking into. “With a large public and private sector collaboration in place, one can expect a surge in demand,” he said.

Top and lowest growth industries

Monster.com, which regularly tracks online hiring across sectors and various occupations, said that the healthcare sector posted a 34 per cent year-on-year growth in job demand in October.

Hiring by companies in the retail, trade and logistics grew by 30 per cent, while those dealing in consumer goods, food manufacturing and consumer goods (FMCG), food and packaged food, home appliance, garments, textiles, leather, gems and jewellery increased by 32  per cent.

However, competition looks heating up in the banking, financial services and insurance industry. Hiring in the sector grew only a modest three per cent year-on-year in October.

Those looking for jobs in advertising, market research, public relations, media and entertainment could also expect tough search, with companies in the industry posting only a 3 per cent increase in recruitment.

The oil and gas industry is the worst hit, with online hiring dropping by a massive 20 per cent, the biggest decline among the sectors monitored by Monster.com.

Top and lowest growth occupations

In terms of what companies are currently looking for, those with qualifications and experience in sales and business development are in luck, as demand for their roles have increased by 53 per cent.

Search for new human resources and administration personnel also went up by 31 per cent, while recruitment of health care professionals grew by 22 per cent.

Candidates with marketing and communications, arts or creative skills are not as lucky, as demand for their expertise has dropped by 2 per cent.  Hiring of customer service professionals is also down by 20 per cent.