What Business Leaders Should Prioritise When Building Multi-Location Teams in UAE

Setting up business operations across different cities in the UAE would definitely be an exciting venture. Whether it's an initial expansion from Dubai to Abu Dhabi or establishing smaller bases scattered across the Northeastern areas, having a multi-city setup really means you can take your market potential to a very large level.

Nonetheless, managing the staff that is distributed all over different cityscapes brings new difficulties. Although the UAE is pretty small in area, each emirate has its own business customs, laws, and workforce characteristics that can cause differences from one to another.

You need to know what to focus on at first hand if you are a top executive trying to develop a highly efficient multi-office staff.

1. Labour Laws Compliance Locally

Rigorous employment regulations are a reality under which companies operate in the Gulf. In the context of the UAE, keeping abreast of these rules at an individual level is simply impossible, as the business would soon find itself operating unlawfully. 

Visa-related requirements, such as processing timelines and the percentage of local citizens the company must employ (Emiratisation quotas), are all things that a business leader has to track and manage. 

So the main task of leaders is ensuring that a compliance management system is put into place such that each branch of the business is conducting its business activities in adherence to regulations.

2. Creating Common Workplace Culture

One thing that working from different office setups can easily bring is a sense of division. The employees in Dubai may get the impression that there is quite a difference in how they work from those of the team in Abu Dhabi.

Preventing the emergence of different working cultures through different locations can be a leader's task. To this end, defining a company culture that is uniform and shared everywhere is a must. Leaders must regularly remind their employees of the company's core values in the course of business and through different means, e.g., webinars, online team collaboration tools, and physical office visits. 

3. Clear Communication Channels

Physical workspace sharing is a luxury that minimizes communication issues. You are responsible for providing good-quality tools so teams from different locations can be on the same wavelength.

Define a few easy guidelines:

• Instant messaging apps can be used for daily quick catch-ups.
• Screen-sharing is your ally for team sync-ups.
• Use a common repository where you and the team can upload important files.

If people can find information easily, the system works well, and your workflow will be smoother. 

4. Smarter Onboarding Systems

A fresh employee will know the company's vibe from how he/she is welcomed and guided. A new employee at a local branch should not be left to sit down and work alone. That will bring down performance and the spirit.

If branches are to be run by the same standards and the process should remain uniform, the training plan should be the same across branches. A well-structured training plan helps remote employees understand the same processes, workflows, and standards followed at the main office. 

5. The Right Local Hiring Partners

Sourcing talent will be a lot of work for those not familiar with a certain region. It's very different between hiring a highly educated international candidate in Dubai versus hiring someone with very specific skills in government-related projects in Abu Dhabi.

Working with a dedicated staffing agency in Abu Dhabi ensures you tap into the right regional talent pools. Likewise, collaborating with an experienced recruitment agency in Dubai helps you navigate the fast-paced competitive market there. We get local knowledge and expert advice, which makes the recruitment process much faster and easier for us.

Ready to Scale Your UAE Teams Seamlessly?

Setting up international teams has never been easy. If you need temporary help for a contract or long-term executive team, TASC Outsourcing is there to make your expansion a breeze. As a local provider of staffing and recruitment services in the UAE, we manage the legal, payroll, and hiring issues so you can spend your time growing your company. Get in touch with TASC Outsourcing today and form the team of your dreams.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can an employee holding a Dubai visa work legally in an office in Abu Dhabi?

Yes, according to UAE labor laws, an employee can work across different locations where there are branches of the same legal entity in the country. Nonetheless, make sure that your company licenses and corporate registration are updated properly at both locations to avoid inspection problems from local authorities.

2. How large are the talent pools in Dubai and Abu Dhabi?

Dubai has a very big pool of international commercial and tech talents who work quickly, while Abu Dhabi focuses mainly on public sector jobs, energy, defense, and corporate infrastructure, which most of the time require the staff to have good regional understanding as well as be able to meet Emiratisation targets.

3. What is the most efficient way to raise a small team in a new Emirate?

It is through contract staffing or PEO that you will be set up quickly. It allows you to have compliant staff hired through the legal set-up of your partnering employer immediately and not have to go through the lengthy procedure of opening a new physical company entity yourself.

4. How can we maintain a consistent standard of performance across multiple offices?

Define identical key performance indicators for roles doing similar work, employ a central collaborative tool for project management, and appoint dependable regional managers capable of checking in regularly with the teams and keeping standards high.

5. What is the rationale for using an agency instead of the internal HR team for multi-site hiring?

A local recruitment agency already has pre-screened talent pools and an in-depth understanding of local rules and regulations. They take care of candidate sourcing and compliance, enabling the internal HR team to concentrate on the company's core activities.