'War for talent' back in UAE

Nothing can be better than waking up in the morning and finding out two or multiple job offers in your mail box and then having the luxury of time to negotiate and decide which one is most suited to you.

It’s difficult to believe that we are living in such a world but if recruiters in the country are to go by, then employers are once again struggling to find and retain key staff in a competitive job market – leading to what headhunters best describe as ‘war for talent’.

According to a salary survey published by leading global recruitment firm Robert Half International, this scrambling for employees, is back.

“The job market for experienced professionals across the Middle East has tightened. What was proving to be a shallow talent pool has further diminished, leaving companies struggling to find local talent and often turning to expatriates to fill critical roles,” says James Sayer, Director, Middle East at the recruitment firm.

“In fact, a large majority (84 per cent) of HR directors tell us that they are challenged in finding skilled, professional-level employees and that the need to hire niche specialists with the requisite skills and experience to deliver growth strategies exacerbates this. Many of the most in-demand professionals are again receiving multiple offers and counteroffers in what can aptly be called a ‘war for talent’,” he emphasizes.

In an earlier article published by Emirates 24|7 other recruitment companies in the country had pointed out at a similar pattern shaping up.

Even when the job market was not doing well in the past years, companies in the country had to look for talented professionals. “Firms will always compete for top talent irrespective of market conditions as this is a major way to retain and attain competitive advantage,” Hasnain Qazi, Middle East Business Manager at Huxley Associates had told this website.

Now, in the midst of all this are you feeling left out? Recruiters stress this is primarily limited to top roles in an organisation where local talent is difficult to find leading to the ‘war of talent’ that we are talking about.

Thus, finding top talent and retaining is becoming a cause of concern for many companies in the country. “Employee retention remains a chief concern and challenge for organisations as the lure of additional remuneration and perks from competing firms entices many professionals to frequently change employer.

“Staff turnover is reportedly on the rise, with remuneration, company performance and work–life balance topping the list of reasons employees leave. Counteroffers are common as companies struggle to keep their most valued employees on board, a reflection of the challenges they face in recruiting new ones,” reads out the Robert Half survey.

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