There’s no getting around it: Emiratisation is the key to future economic growth in the region. While Emiratisation has been a high-profile and contentious topic among UAE-based companies for the last decade, it’s now becoming an increasingly important consideration for businesses recruiting in the UAE.
For companies to remain competitive, embracing Emiratisation is the key to future success in the region. The sooner more private companies come on board with this initiative, the more of an edge they’ll ultimately have in the market. With that in mind, here are some pivotal ways you can attract well-qualified UAE nationals who are right for your company.
Refining Your Employer Branding
Building a magnetic employer brand allows organisations to attract the right people for future growth. Having a reputation that precedes client experience, allows you to compete beyond things like remuneration and job titles, allowing you, instead, to offer people opportunities that fit with their personal and professional goals. While the benefits of this strategy are numerous, the question is, what characteristics do you need to show to attract the best UAE talent?
As automation leaves candidates worried about their future, and growing numbers of applicants in the workforce make it harder to achieve long-term employment, people are searching more for reassurance from the brands they apply to work with.
Though salary and security are still at the top of the list for many candidates, the number of people who prioritise these factors has dropped significantly since 2014. This might be because things like cultural fit, company ethos, advancement opportunities and greater flexibility are starting to be more appealing to younger talent, than the promise of a large salary.
Ultimately, employer branding is about offering your future hires, and current employees something that will resonate with them. It’s a reputation that instantly makes any business more appealing, convincing the best UAE talent that the opportunities your brand can offer are more compelling than any job title or salary amount. Though branding your organisation can seem like a complicated process, it’s simply about clarifying what sets you apart as different and unique in the market.
Reassess your online appearance
Now that technology and social media has made it easier than ever for companies to promote themselves online, it’s not enough to advertise in your local newspaper. The average applicant wants complete transparency from the organisation they plan on working with before they ever consider taking part in an interview. Your online presence is your opportunity to show candidates what it’s like to work for your organisation before they get a job offer. The easiest way to assess your current reputation online is to look at the following:
- How engaging are your job descriptions? Have you worked with a specialist recruitment company to ensure that you’re attracting the right people with keywords, action terms, and useful information about your brand?
- What is the recruitment experience like? How simple or complicated is it for potential recruits to communicate with you and learn more about your available positions? Would you benefit from adding case studies that demonstrate how your staff feel about you as an employer?
- Are you optimised for the digital world? Are you adequately equipped to advertise your brand on the right platforms and does your digital media show up correctly on mobile devices?
Know what you’re looking for in a candidate
The more you know about the kind of UAE National talent you want to attract into your organisation, the more you can adjust your brand to appeal to the right type of person. For instance, if you’re a financial services business who wants to recruit experts who have a passion for all things new in the financial technology space, then you’ll need to demonstrate to your candidates that you have plenty of opportunities for them to work with updated technology.
On the other hand, if you’re searching for Millennial employees who can help you to take your company into the modern world, you might want to consider things like flexible working and corporate social responsibility programs, designed to attract people who are more interested in the experience they get from a job, than the salary offered.
A great place to start may be by writing up a list of critical characteristics you want for your company. Then, compare that list with your mission statement and business vision, and think about how you can incorporate specific features into your brand to engage key UAE National talent.
How Kinetic Can Help
Kinetic specialise in sourcing professionals for leading organisations. If you need advice on how you can best implement these strategies and hire people who will help drive your business forward, contact us today.