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29 March 2024

These HR skills will get you hired in UAE

Published
By Shuchita Kapur

The continued business evolution in the UAE and the region at large is fuelling demand for talented HR professionals.

Those who are most in demand right now include recruitment specialists, payroll managers, HR officers, senior HR directors, senior learning and development managers, as per a survey from recruitment firm Robert Half.

Employers are most on the look-out for ones with multinational corporation experience with a strong knowledge of UAE employment laws, those who have HR system knowledge, including SAP and Oracle as well as performance management applications and CIPD/SHRM qualified, preferably with a degree in HR or psychology.

The survey data highlights that it’s difficult to find HR professionals with specialist skills in learning and development, remuneration and benefits, and organisational culture. Those with longer term tenure in previous roles and 15-plus years’ experience are in highest demand.

If you are an HR professional you will see maximum opportunities in industries such as FMCG, pharmaceutical, construction, retail, and hospitality and boutique investment firms as these are showing the strongest demand for talent.

“Companies in these sectors are the most likely to develop their teams in anticipation of imminent revenue growth so require HR support to both fill their vacant positions and ensure compliance.”

As the demand for technical skills and knowledge is going up finding the right candidate remains a challenge for heads of HR in the region.

The study reveals that almost half (48 per cent) of senior HR leaders say that a lack of niche, technical experts is holding back their recruitment efforts, while a further 30 per cent say that general demand for talented professionals is causing concerns.

Lack of commercial and business skills among potential candidates is a problem for 15 per cent, while a small minority (7 per cent) say that the general slowdown in hiring during the recession has resulted in a lack of candidates with the right skills.

The study maintains that there remains a trend for companies to maximise the cost-effectiveness of their HR operations by centralising or decentralising processes and outsourcing them to third-party providers operating offshore in India or Eastern Europe.