'Smart' UAE employees work on holidays, too

It is no longer a choice. Whether you like it or not, your daily communication traffic follows you wherever you are, now that most people have opted to channel all means of communication through a single device called the smartphone.

Even during holidays.
 
"It is very simple; my mail gets pushed onto my iPhone whether I like it or not," says Kuram Raj, a Dubai-based journalist who is currently on vacation in India. The reaction time after being quizzed whether he stays in touch with his work mates proved this point; 20 minutes sharp.

With the latest technology covering the bulk of UAE's working population, work never seems to be far away. For some the innovation could not come sooner – while others would kill for a day without a phone.

[Click here to learn how to land a job in the UAE]

"When you are in a senior position, being accessible is part and parcel of your job, because you fulfill a decision-making function. Decisions need to be made at all times, even during your holidays!" says Moaz Khan, marketing manager at Eton language institute.

Moaz can be reached at all times, and this does not change when he is on holidays. "I think it is not really a big deal. I do not have to do this, but I do not need to go out of my way to do it. Having a smartphone makes this very easy.  I can reply to an email very fast."

For Prince Chanai, a Dubai-based real estate lawyer, keeping in touch with his work-related contacts is more than just a responsibility. "It is a must. We are obliged to be accessible at all times, wherever we are," he says.

The Nigerian lawyer says it is not only about being in touch. "I need to see documents, sign papers, talk to clients; I take my work with me wherever I am. But that comes with the job I have chosen for," he says admitting that he is engaged in work about 3 to 5 times a week on a regular holiday.

Other than following strict dogma many labourers find it important to keep up with work during holidays.

"It is very stressful to come back to work not understanding what is going on. I prefer to stay updated all the time," says Vala Setareh, executive director of Insure Me, a web-based insurance consultancy.

"You can consider it a personal choice, because I care a lot for the clients I work for. Other colleagues just switch off their phones," says Salma Zuhair al Madhoun, who works in the public relations sector.

"However, I don't find it convenient at all. Even during my wedding vacation, I had to be in touch to confirm one of the clients' interviews!" says the Jordanian expat based in Dubai.

Last year the German automobile fabricant Volkswagen decided to call off a communication blackout during the Christmas holidays, and another German company, Deutsche Telekom, went as far as introducing an after-hour phone call ban for its employees.

"I think this is a good initiative, because the essence of a holiday is to retreat," says Ahad Khalid, a Dubai-based resident who works in the insurance sector.

"I refuse to check my mails during my holidays, and I only reply to emergency cases. I believe that if I answer one mail,  I will create the impression that it is OK for my work mates to contact me during my holiday, and I will get caught up in the communication cycle before I know it. There might be sectors where it is necessary, but for me it is a no go," says the Pakistani.

Get ready for a pay hike in UAE this year - even if it's just 5%

For all those, waiting anxiously, with fingers crossed, and hoping to see their hard work translated into a heftier pay cheque, can heave a sigh of relief. If a recent job survey is anything to go by, then there’s money luck awaiting employees this year.

According to the GulfTalent.com research ‘Employment and Salary Trends in the Gulf’, UAE salaries are expected to rise by an average of 5.1 per cent in 2012.

Last year, the income was raised by 4.9 per cent, compared to inflation at 0.9 per cent, with HR professionals receiving the highest pay rises, and marketing the lowest. Among the sectors, healthcare and retail offered the highest pay rises, while real estate had the lowest.

The survey enlisted that Saudi Arabia enjoyed the highest rate of job creation in the region, with firms increasing their headcount from 55 per cent in 2010 to 62 per cent in 2011, emphasising its strong economic growth and massive government investment. Bahrain logged the lowest.

Over the same period, the UAE listed a 15 per cent jump (to 37 per cent) in the number of firms creating new jobs. It echoed how Dubai’s regional recruitment has picked up after the two-year economic meltdown.

Dubai has strengthened its position as the most attractive city on Gulf expat job market, with Qatar and Saudi Arabia following closely behind.

The survey detailed that the largest headcount expansion will be focused on Oil & Gas, Healthcare and retail sectors, with the worst prospect for banking and construction industries.

Across the GCC, the average private sector salary upswing has remained stable but is much lower than pre-recession levels. Oman saw the highest salary increase in 2011 (6.5 per cent), prompted in part by widespread strikes by Omani nationals and a pay hike awarded by the government to public sector employees. Saudi Arabia and Qatar saw increases of 6 per cent and 5.6 per cent respectively on the back of strong economic developments. The UAE experienced an average increase of 4.9 per cent, while Bahrain recorded the region’s lowest salary increase of 4.5 per cent.

However, the real salary ascent, marked by average pay rise net of inflation, was highest in the UAE and Bahrain, with Saudi Arabia and Kuwait clocking the lowest salary increases.

Sever political tensions impacted Bahrain, with only 8 per cent of firms reporting creation of any news jobs last year, registering a dip from 23 per cent in 2010. Even its popularity received a setback with Bahrain, dropping from the fourth position to become the Gulf’s least attractive destination for expats in 2011.

The report highlighted how the global economic unrest has shown an increase in the Western expat work force, with Gulf employers finding it easier to hire Western nationals than Asian candidates. Some findings, however, disputed this claim, with few employers reporting difficulty in attracting Western candidates because of their perception that the region is unsafe following widespread media coverage of the Arab Spring.

The online survey was conducted based on 35,000 professionals, aged between 22 to 60 years and earning annual incomes in the range of $12,000 to $200,000, and 2,100 employers based across the Gulf. Sixty executives and HR managers in the GCC, across all industries, were also interviewed, and it also depended heavily on the press and macro-economic sources.

Top 3 questions by UAE employers at interview

You may prepare yourself many days ahead of a job interview, but in the end it all boils down to three questions that most candidates are asked during the interview process; even though it may be worded differently, according to leading experts in the recruitment industry.

Emirates 24|7 spoke with some experts in the industry and the most common questions that employers ask revolve around the strengths/weakness of the candidate, why she/he is suited for the job and what can she/he add to the prospective company.

However, these may differ as roles become more complicated.  “I need to stress that [interview] questions are by no means exhaustive, and, depending on what the company needs to identify during the interview, the questions will vary.

“The style of interview, the kind of position, and the seniority of the candidate will guide the exact questions that will be asked.

“It is not correct to make simplistic generalisations when human talent is concerned,” said Konstantina Sakellariou, Partner, Marketing & Operations Director at Stanton Chase.
Here are the top questions that experts believe you may be asked during an interview.

James Sayer, Associate Director at Robert Half UAE While there are different nuances by industry and individual, applicants should be prepared for the following questions in every job interview:

- Describe your greatest strengths and weaknesses. This question is designed to not only allow you to boast about your accolades, but to also allow you to reflect upon those areas where you may need improvement. It is important to be honest while also explaining the steps you plan to take to improve your weaknesses.

- Why do you want to work for our company? This is your chance to prove your knowledge about the company, its industry position and its competitive advantage.

With so many tools on the web – from websites, social media feeds, news articles and search engines, you should be able to wow your interviewer with your knowledge, including how you will add value to the organisation.

- Do you have any questions? The answer to this question is always ‘yes’. Like above, this is your chance to cover any questions that you think the interviewer has missed that will present you in a favourable light.

It will also allow you to find out information to help you make the decision on whether you want to take the job. One word of advice, however – don’t ask about remuneration within the first or second interview as this may give employers the impression that you are only motivated by financial remuneration.

Konstantina Sakellariou, Partner, Marketing & Operations Director at Stanton Chase The three important questions in interviews focus on:

- What did the candidate achieve in his/her previous position(s) that is relevant to the position for which he/she is interviewed?

- How did he/she achieve these results and what was exactly his/her personal contribution to the achievement?

- What are some of the main lessons from past experiences that he/she would reconsider and change future positions?

- Why would he/she wish to explore the specific new opportunity, what are they looking for and how do they believe they will achieve it in the new position?

Suhail Masri, VP of Sales at Bayt.com

It is known that some interview questions are common among most employers and do not depend on the country per se, such as:

-  Tell me about yourself, your strengths/weakness and your greatest accomplishments.

-  Why are you applying for this particular job? What makes you qualified for it?

-  Why do you want to work for us? Why should we hire you?

Shane Phillips, MENA Regional Practice Leader, Financial& Professional Services at Stanton Chase Why do you want to work here?  This is a question about your personal vision and it should match the vision and direction of the company.

Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.