More than half of the region’s employers (53 per cent) are either ‘definitely’ or ‘probably’ hiring in the next three months, according to a survey.

The same holds true for employers in the UAE; 53 per cent will ‘definitely’ or ‘probably’ hire in the next three months, while 29 per cent will ‘definitely’ hire within a year, said the latest Job Index survey conducted by Bayt.com, the Middle East’s number one jobsite, and YouGov, a research and consulting organisation.

The majority of jobs across the region, both in the next three months and in a year’s time, will come from multinationals or large local companies, the survey said.

“It is interesting to note that there is a healthy expectancy for the number of available jobs to increase in the coming quarter and in the next 12 months,” said Suhail Masri, VP of Sales at Bayt.com.

“That most of these will come from multinational companies – 34 per cent of which are looking to hire in the next three months, and 35 per cent in a year’s time – is proof that such establishments provide a significant source of employment in the region. This suggests that making conditions more favourable for such companies will prove even more beneficial to the Middle East’s economic and employment situation."

“Bayt.com conducts in-depth surveys to establish the factors that affect employers and job seekers across the region. Based on this information, we develop unique applications on our job site to provide the best possible recruitment environment for all involved.”

Availability of Jobs

Of those companies in the Middle East looking to hire in the next three months, most (45 per cent) will have less than five positions available. Roughly a quarter (24 per cent) will have up to 10 jobs available. The most sought-after employees will be those at a junior executive level (36 per cent), followed by executives (30 per cent), coordinators (26 per cent) and senior executives (25 per cent).

In the UAE, 44 per cent of companies will be hiring for less than five jobs, and 22 per cent will have up to 10 positions available.

Qualifications

The region’s most desirable graduate/post graduate qualification is in Business Management, according to 25 per cent of the survey’s respondents. This is closely followed by Engineering (24 per cent), Commerce (22 per cent) and Computer Science (21 per cent).

Job seekers in the UAE will have the best chance of being hired with qualifications in Engineering (27 per cent), Business Management (22 per cent) or Commerce (20 per cent).

Skills and experience

Fifty per cent of employers across the Middle East are looking for candidates who are cooperative, helpful and flexible team players, and who have good communication skills in English and Arabic (50 per cent). The most desirable experience is managerial, with the ability to manage a team (37 per cent), followed by computer skills (32 per cent).

UAE-based employers also value the same skills (49 per cent look for team player qualities; 48 per cent want good communicators). They also search for candidates with managerial experience (35 per cent) mid-level experience of 3 to 7 years (27 per cent) and engineering experience (27 per cent).

Country and industry attractiveness

Across the region, respondents are almost equally split in their opinion on the attractiveness of their current country of residence in comparison to other Middle Eastern countries. Four in ten (39 per cent) find their current country of residence to be ‘slightly less’ or ‘much less’ attractive, while three in ten (32 per cent) claim that where they live is ‘much more’ or ‘slightly more’ attractive than the alternatives.

Residents in the UAE are most happy, with 43 per cent finding it much more attractive than other countries in the region, followed by residents in KSA and Qatar (each with 40 per cent believing the same).

In terms of industry, the majority of respondents (41 per cent) are content with their current sector, while 25 per cent state that it is equally attractive to others. The belief is that the industries that attract and retain the top talent in the region are Banking and Finance (34 per cent), Telecommunications (33 per cent) and Construction (31 per cent).

The three most attractive industries in the UAE are Banking and Finance (34 per cent); Oil, Gas and Petrochemicals (32 per cent) and Telecommunications (27 per cent).

“Though there seems to be a general level of contentment with current countries of residence and industries, it would appear that there is the potential for more people than ever to consider their options elsewhere in the region,” said Sundip Chahal, CEO at YouGov.

“Job seekers and students would do well to look at those industries and skills that are held in most high regard, as becoming qualified within those areas will increase their possibilities for employment within the Middle East,” he added. – TradeArabia News Service