Top tips when hiring new recruits in the UAE

Up to 10 per cent of new recruits in the UAE are considered as a ‘poor hiring decision’ by HR directors, according to a new survey by recruitment specialist Robert Half UAE.

The survey found that 77 per cent of HR directors admitted hiring someone who did not meet expectations.

When asked the single greatest impact of a bad-hiring decision, 55 per cent of the respondents claimed it was lost productivity, while 35 per cent said that a poor hire reduces staff morale.

A further 11 per cent said that the move resulted in significant financial costs such as the employee’s salary and lost performance, education and training costs, impacted productivity of the employee and colleagues, the potential loss of revenue and the cost to re-recruit for the role.

Gareth El Mettouri, associate director at Robert Half UAE, said: “Businesses are looking to hire to support growth plans, but are finding it challenging to hire skilled professionals. This is partly due to demand for skilled professionals outweighing supply, leaving UAE companies at risk of not being able to hire the right people they need.”

Research by Robert Half UAE found that 80 per cent of HR directors find it difficult to identify and recruit skilled professionals.

The main problems faced in recruiting talent were cited as a lack of niche or technical experts, general demand outweighing supply and a lack of commercial business skills.

“The prevailing war for talent is anticipated to increase substantially over the next 12 months due to an ongoing skills shortage in the UAE market,” the report added.

It offered the following tips to recruiters:

Don’t

1. Go it alone

Consult colleagues on attributes and competencies for the open role, and work with a specialised recruitment consultancy to find the best candidates.

2. Neglect the job description

Providing detail to ‘sell’ the job will result in better applications. Details such as team size, reporting lines, corporate values and training opportunities will all prove attractive to potential candidates.

3. Think the internet has all the answers

Cultivate a talent pipeline by personally reaching out to your network and recruiting sources. Online tools can be valuable, but personal interaction is the most important aspect of the hiring process.

4. Take too long

Extend an offer once you identify your top candidate. Companies that don’t move quickly risk losing good people to other opportunities.

5. Offer a low salary

Offer a remuneration package that, at a minimum, meets the market standard.

6. Fail to differentiate between must-have and nice-to-have candidate attributes

Identify the skills that are mandatory and those that can be developed. The goal is to hire the person who is the best match for the job and your work environment.