Sharjah: A good company makes money but a great company positively impacts the society, said Abdulla Al Sahil, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Economy at the second Sharjah Human Resources Conference that took place at the American University of Sharjah on Wednesday.

With Emirati employees in the private sector adding up to only 11 per cent, and an estimate of up to 300,000 Emiratis searching for jobs, Al Sahil addressed the urgent need for companies in the private sector to adopt a strategy to fulfil its social responsibility. “We cannot separate the relationship between the profits of a company and its social responsibility towards its employees, and its contribution to solving problems in the society such as unemployment,” he said.

With the UAE promoting Emiratisation in the job market, the conference which was opened by Shaikh Abdullah Bin Salem Bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, highlighted the challenges and possible solutions to reduce unemployment among citizens.

Debating the idea of government intervention through new laws as a possible solution to changing the low numbers of Emirati employees in the private sector, Al Sahil suggested solving the problem at its roots. Educational institutions should advice students to enter majors that will qualify them for jobs that are in demand in the job market and that will cater to the society’s needs, he explained. “Out of 100,000 students who graduated last year, 61,000 are Emiratis,” he said addressing other speakers at the discussion panel.

Citizens need protection

Adding to Al Sahil’s suggested solution, Humaid Rashid Bin Dimas, Assistant Undersecretary for Labour Affairs at the Ministry of Labour said that citizens looking for jobs need to feel protected when applying to companies in the private sector. While there’s a salary gap and a noticeable difference in employee benefits between both sectors, he highlighted the need for private companies to enhance their employment packages in order to appeal to job seekers.

Creating laws to enforce a fragment of the UAE’s citizens to work in the private sector while others enjoy the benefits of the public sector is not a fair or practical solution to be suggested, added Demas.

Allocation of skills and resources

Focusing on efficiency, Hussain Al Mahmoudi, General Manager at Chamber of Commerce and Industry pointed out that the country needs to allocate its citizens in different sectors based on their talents and expertise.

“There is a lot of room for growth in the UAE… and citizens should be employed in either sector according to their set of skills,” he said.

Al Mahmoudi added that instead of focusing only on profits, large companies branched in Dubai should also consider the society’s needs in the employment process.

The brainstorming session was the first of four sessions to take place at the two-day conference, which carries the slogan “Social responsibility of the private sector in supporting human resources.”