Eighty-six per cent of recruiters in the Mena region expect remote hiring to increase this year, as the jobs market returns to pre-coronavirus levels amid a broader economic recovery, a new survey shows.
Seventy-seven per cent of recruiters said their company has a clear plan to keep up with expected changes in the recruitment landscape after Covid-19, according to jobs portal Bayt.com, which polled 2,025 respondents from countries including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and Lebanon between December 15, 2021, and January 18, 2022.
About 82 per cent of those surveyed said online interviews are fast becoming a reliable alternative to physical interviews.
Eighty-five per cent of recruiters said their company is adopting or planning to adopt a fully online recruitment process in 2022, the research revealed, while 91 per cent are looking to use an online recruitment solution this year to find talent in organisations across the Mena region.
“This data … provides a glimpse into the current employment landscape and its opportunities, helping job seekers make the right career decisions,” said Ola Haddad, director of human resources at Bayt.com.
Employers in the UAE are set to embark on a hiring spree in 2022 and raise salaries by an average of 4 per cent as demand for jobs pick up amid the UAE’s post-coronavirus economic recovery, a November report by Mercer found.
Attracting and retaining employees will also require an increased focus on flexible working policies such as hybrid or remote working, Mercer said in its 2021 Total Remuneration Survey.
The technology and energy sectors are lagging behind slightly on salary increases of 3.5 per cent and 3.4 per cent, respectively, the survey found.
However, industries expected to outpace growth include life sciences and consumer goods, at 4 per cent, as a result of the “robust performance of the sectors during the pandemic”, Mercer said.
With digital recruitment becoming indispensable for recruiters across the Mena region, 40 per cent of those polled picked the adoption of online recruitment technology as a top priority this year while 27 per cent opted to improve the quality of new hires. Sixteen per cent cited the need to reduce time taken to recruit staff and 8 per cent identified the need to increase retention rates, according to Bayt.com.
Half of all recruiters in the region said they found CV search to be the most useful digital tool while hiring while 27 per cent picked job postings. One in 10 chose video interviewing platforms and another 10 per cent cited online applicant tracking systems, the survey findings revealed.
About 22 per cent of recruiters picked lack of talent as the biggest challenge associated with recruitment while 19 per cent cited communication with candidates and 15 per cent chose health and safety concerns related to the spread of Covid-19. Twelve per cent referred to misalignment between recruiters and hiring managers, according to Bayt.com.
Three in 10 recruiters said the ability to screen and filter candidates efficiently is key to a successful hire while 29 per cent picked having access to the largest talent base and 22 per cent cited the ability to conduct streamlined onboarding. A fifth chose the ability to test and assess candidates online, the research found.
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Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
Our legal advisor
Ahmad El Sayed is Senior Associate at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.
Experience: Commercial litigator who has assisted clients with overseas judgments before UAE courts. His specialties are cases related to banking, real estate, shareholder disputes, company liquidations and criminal matters as well as employment related litigation.
Education: Sagesse University, Beirut, Lebanon, in 2005.
Brief scoreline:
Manchester United 2
Rashford 28', Martial 72'
Watford 1
Doucoure 90'
The specs: 2019 Mini Cooper
Price, base: Dh141,740 (three-door) / Dh165,900 (five-door)
Engine: 1.5-litre four-cylinder (Cooper) / 2.0-litre four-cylinder (Cooper S)
Power: 136hp @ 4,500rpm (Cooper) / 192hp @ 5,000rpm (Cooper S)
Torque: 220Nm @ 1,480rpm (Cooper) / 280Nm @ 1,350rpm (Cooper S)
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 4.8L to 5.4L / 100km
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
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What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
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How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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