August 24th, 2014, YouGov
The latest Middle East and North Africa Job Index Survey, conducted by YouGov and Bayt.com, the Middle East’s number one job site, reveals that 36% of companies in MENA are definitely hiring in the coming 3 months. 67% of these will be looking to hire up to 10 people, mostly for junior executive positions.
Hiring Expectations
In addition to 36% of companies in MENA definitely hiring in the next 3 months, 26% claim they will probably be hiring within the same time period. In a year’s time, 70% claim they will either ‘definitely’ or ‘probably’ be hiring. 22% of companies will look to fill up to between 6-10 positions, most of which (38%) will be for junior executive roles. More specifically, in the next 3 months MENA companies will seek accountants (16%), sales managers (14%), human resources professionals (14%) and project managers (14%). Private multinationals are most likely to hire, with 41% claiming to be ‘definitely’ hiring in the next 3 months.
Candidate Qualifications and Skills
The most sought-after qualification amongst candidates in the MENA region is business management at graduate or post-graduate level, according to 27% of respondents. This is followed by engineering (25%), commerce (21%) and administration (21%). Employers in MENA are looking for candidates who have good communication skills in Arabic and English (62%), who are team players (49%), and have good leadership skills (47%).
In terms of experience, employers in MENA like candidates who have the ability to manage a team (42%), who have computer skills (31%), and have worked in sales and marketing (30%).
Recent Hires and Job Attractiveness
63% of MENA companies have hired new employees in the last 6 months. According to 41% of respondents, their country of residence is more attractive as a job market than any other country in the region. 49% also consider their current industry to be more attractive as a potential employer than any other business.
Respondents believe that the most attractive industries in the country they live in, those that are retaining the top talent are construction (35%), banking and finance (35%), telecommunications (30%), and oil, gas and petrochemicals (30%).
Suhail Al-Masri, VP of Sales, Bayt.com said: “Overall, the region’s hiring outlook is looking quite positive for the coming 3 and 12 months. This will particularly be the case for multinationals, which could provide professional residents a foot in the door for some of the world’s largest companies. We can also see an increase in plans to hire in the public sector with 37% definitely hiring in the next 3 months, compared to 31% in January 2014. The trend continues from past waves with most employers planning to hire people for junior or middle-level executive positions. At Bayt.com, we are committed to providing employers and job seekers alike with a full perspective of the recruitment environment on a timely basis, empowering them with the tools and knowledge they need to make informed decisions.”
Sundip Chahal, CEO, YouGov, said: “By monitoring the trends for the most desirable job roles – such as accounts, sales and project managers and HR professionals in the MENA region, job seekers can hone their talents in these areas to improve their chances of employment. The specific qualifications and skills preferred region-wide and in each country provide an important benchmark for job seekers to strive for; bilingualism, leadership skills and the ability to work under pressure while being a team player, are consistently desirable traits.”
Data for the Bayt.com Middle East and North Africa Job Index Survey, July 2014, was collected online from June 10-July 31 2014. Results are reported on a base of 2,279 respondents, of which 2,001 were of working status. Countries that participated are the UAE, KSA, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia.
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This article originally appeared on Bayt.com.