IT Recruitment Trends In Dubai Now
Author: Daniyal Chishti
It is difficult to recall a more challenging time for tech recruiters. While the number of new coronavirus cases fluctuates, the pandemic has affected employee engagement, turnover, and working behaviours. It is common to hear that it is a job-seekers market. Nowadays, companies are competing in an era of talent scarcity. To source, attract, and retain the top IT talent, HR leaders and IT headhunters in the UAE will need to keep in mind these three tech recruitment trends.
Remote Work Is The New Norm for IT Recruitment
The world of flexible work is calling. According to a remote work survey conducted by Bayt.com and YouGov for the MENA region, nearly two-thirds of UAE respondents believe that remote working will either increase or remain the same in its current form. If it were entirely up to UAE employees and job searchers, more than 60% of the workforce would prefer to be able to work remotely full-time, resulting in a paradigm shift in the country towards remote working as the new norm. Working from home allows professionals to achieve a better work-life balance. In Dubai, almost 38% of respondents felt more motivated, with the figure much higher in other UAE emirates. A motivated workforce ultimately leads to higher productivity levels and employee retention rates for organizations.
The question is whether companies will listen to their employees and accommodate their desire to work from home. Offering candidates a remote work option is one of the ways organizations can attract and hire the tech talent they are seeking if they want to reduce attrition and survive an increasingly competitive tech recruitment market.
Pay Transparency On The Rise
Transparency in salary communication is one of the most current trends in a rising number of firms around the world! Transparency about how much each team member earns has shown to have some fairly spectacular benefits as one of the most radical improvements a company can adopt in its employee and tech recruitment process.
According to studies, IT staffing postings that provide salary ranges attract more applicants. Such tech staffing postings, in particular, draw 43% more applicants than job postings that do not mention salary. Furthermore, whereas 67% of job searchers believe salaries to be the most significant aspect of a job description, only 12.6% of businesses and IT headhunters disclose this information. Salary transparency, according to research, also promotes gender and racial equality in the workplace.
Employees will be able to observe how they are progressing in a more open environment. Knowing what salary, they can expect in a year or two if they continue to advance within the organization offers everyone a sense of direction. In past years, the trend in the UAE has revealed that most company-wide pay increases have been less than 5%, which is unlikely to be enough to retain candidates seeking a career change based on salary.
Comprehensive Benefits Package
When it comes to attracting and hiring tech and IT talent, salaries, incentives, and benefits are critical. However, in the midst of the pandemic, candidates’ expectations have changed and they are now expecting more. This has compelled firms in the UAE to re-evaluate their benefits packages in order to attract and hire tech talent. One survey stated that 74% of UAE companies expect to implement incentive schemes in 2022, with 46% indicating they will pay one to two months’ gross salary and 21% saying they will pay three to five months’ gross salary.
Employers and technical recruiters are also making attempts to improve workplace culture to avoid burnout by implementing mental health workshops and remote working initiatives, which are popular among employees. One of the most attractive benefits companies can offer is the child education allowance. It is one of the most important pull factors to hiring tech talent in the UAE since school fees account for a significant portion of any income.
So, What Needs To Be Done For IT Recruitment Now?
Organizations and IT headhunters can draw actionable insights. Candidates prefer companies who promote a transparent work environment, supportive benefits, professional growth, and work-life balance.
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