Industrialists Career Exhibition marks its third edition since launching in October 2023
jobs3 weeks ago
UAE nationals are speaking out against private sector companies that recently went into hiring overdrive to recruit Emiratis only to meet the deadline and quota for Emiratisation.
Some companies have been seeking Emiratis on job platforms, such as LinkedIn, primarily based on nationality, without considering their skills and qualifications. Emiratis underline their skills should be the primary reason companies hire them.
Maryam Hamad, a freelance artist, is searching for a job she specialises in: Arts. She received many interview requests from employers trying to convince her for roles that did not match her skills. She said some of them called many times and even offered higher salaries. "It's not about the money; I love art because it is a hobby, and hopefully, I can find a job that I am passionate about."
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The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (Mohre) had set June 30 as the deadline for private sector companies to achieve nationalisation targets for the first half of 2024 — which is to add one per cent more Emiratis to their workforce.
As reported by Khaleej Times earlier, in the weeks leading up to the deadline, job-seekers were inundated with calls from companies to sign job contracts, even if the roles didn’t necessarily match their skills or experience.
Emirati job-seekers pointed out that the ministry gave sufficient time to private firms to hire locals. Some said they even received job contracts without formal interviews.
Maryam H, an engineering graduate, was hired by a holding company with many subsidiaries. Although she wanted to work for a company that aligned with her qualifications, the recruiters placed her in one that was unrelated to her major. Maryam has now requested that she be transferred to an engineering company under the corporation.
Hajar Hassan, a media and communication graduate from Zayed University, expressed her gratitude for the Emiratisation programme. "I believe the private sector is filled with opportunities to build a career and develop skills.”
However, her job search journey as a fresh graduate was difficult as many media companies required experience.
She said this past April, she started getting offers from companies she did not even apply to. "I had between two to three interviews daily, but nothing was related to my skills. They all were looking for someone who spoke English.”
Having received numerous similar offers, she finally accepted the job with the highest salary. Fortunately, before she completed the joining formalities, she received an offer that matched her qualifications. "My prayers were answered, and I believe that this job is a result of my hard work in searching for a suitable role and handling the massive volume of interview calls I received daily.”
Another Emirati, Sabta Mubarak has eight years of experience in data entry. She left her previous job due to a health issue.
Recently, she got a job offer, with the recruiter saying she was selected based on her experience. She joined the company despite the low salary it offered. However, the job was different from what she thought it would be. "They kept shifting me every two weeks to different departments. Most of the departments did not offer anything that matched my experience," Sabta said.
She said many Emiratis miss finding a suitable job due to last-minute hiring done by companies just to fulfil their quotas.
Private companies in the country are required to increase the percentage of Emirati workforce by two per cent every year to reach at least 10 per cent by 2026. This target is divided into two: 1 per cent in the first half and another 1 per cent in the second. Non-compliance results in fines worth thousands of dirhams for every national not hired.
Experts have previously highlighted how Emiratisation should have a year-round strategy rather than rushing at the last minute to meet requirements.
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