The private sector in the UAE is experiencing an impressive transformation. Not long ago, many companies only considered employing local manpower as a way of checking off a requirement to be compliant and escape penalties from the government.
In fact, local hiring has become the business core activity now, which has been primarily triggered by the implementation of the Nafis program. If your business is located in the UAE, you are already acquainted with the fact that complying with targets is essential. However, the Nafis project has converted a mere regulatory obligation into a true chance to develop your workforce.
This article is an elementary look at how the Nafis program is influencing private sector talent strategy and what it will imply for your business.
Previously, few companies were content with any solution that would help them to meet quotas, and they preferred to keep such solutions secret.
Beneath the surface, however, these "solutions" were usually nothing more than temporary staff or outsourcing arrangements that would be dismantled in a few months when management no longer paid attention.
Therefore, businesses have an opportunity to hire new graduates and mold them into very accomplished professionals. Companies also have no excuse for not being able to hire a UAE native who does not require retraining, and they can even take the chance if a person only needs some orientation to be a professional.
Maintaining the parity between the level of salaries in the private sector and those offered in the public sector was one of the biggest challenges that the private business had to overcome. Nafis, the program, deals directly with this problem by eliminating the price difference.
Direct salary support, monthly child allowances, and pension support are among the perks that the program gives to El-Maktoub (El-Maktoub is the new name of Emirati National Service, which is used in some official documents instead of the old acronym 'ED') employees who are not full-time.
These benefits not only provide incentives for local talent but also lower the costs that a private company incurs in employing such a talented person as their staff. As a result, the level of attractiveness between the public sector and the private sector among skilled UAE nationals is much closer than before.
As the UAE government checks the achievement of mid-year and end-of-year targets for compliance, companies should not be delaying hiring till the end of the year as a way of preparing for the new year. Well-matured companies are now including the recruitment of local talent in the monthly planning cycle.
This method depends on having a consistent source or pool of potential candidates. Several companies in the industry have been moving away from the usual platforms that are used to post jobs and instead partnering with a specialized agency on Emiratisation that helps them get ahead of their hiring requirements by months.
Recruiting an Emirati professional is not the only requirement, and it is getting even harder with time to retain them as well. In order to attract and retain talent, businesses are focusing on workplace culture, mentorship programs, and clearly defined promotion tracks.
Companies nowadays are offering structured onboarding programs and internal support mechanisms to ensure that new hires are not left guessing and are, therefore, more inclined to be happy and loyal as time goes by.
Keeping up with changing laws, portal requirements, and identifying candidates who are a good cultural fit are major challenges for HR professionals and can lead to several mistakes. That is why large corporations rely on the help of professional Emiratisation recruitment agency.
A reliable partner can take all the pressure and guesswork out of your Emiratisation program and at the same time make sure that the UAE Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation is always your top priority, and also you as the client will benefit more by saving your time and money.
Compliance shouldn't be something that occupies your time and mind; it's a distraction from business growth. TASC Outsourcing, the region's largest partner in people solutions, has been around as a local workforce expert.
It's not about us only putting you in touch with the right people; you can count on us to develop your strategic approach, so your hiring is effective, economical, and totally conforms to the regulations.
The talent hunt will be facilitated via our exclusive networks while the employee's introduction, salaries, and MOHRE compliance requirements will be fully taken off your back. Everything is handled seamlessly from one place.
Get the right talent that suits the needs of your business and be ahead of your competition with TASC Outsourcing. Reach out to them to schedule your consultation session about how they can help you become fully compliant.
To be more precise, NAFIS is the acronym for the UAE government's initiative that is designed primarily for nationals of the country to make them take on the roles offered in the private sector and thereby develop them as working professionals. Besides salary top-ups and pensions, Nafis also covers training grants and facilitates collaboration between employers and private businesses.
Businesses located in the private sector and having a workforce of 50 employees or more are required by law to fulfill the minimum number of skilled roles each year. Also, businesses with 20 to 49 employees in certain industries are under the targets set.
Underperformance results in the imposition of heavy monthly fines levied directly on the non-compliant company by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE). Not only may it result in a reduction in the company's classification but also restrict the issuing of new work permits.
Yes, whereas the mainland companies have to meet their quotas on the basis of mandatory regulations, the free zone companies can still enjoy the benefits of Nafis and use the platforms to hire Emirati professionals with skills and thus help the country achieve its goals.
You only have to turn to a recruiting agency for an instant list of potential candidates, whose backgrounds have already been checked. Not just that they know what you're looking for but also take care of legal compliance, etc., so that you can comply with your quotas swiftly and without a hiccup in your day-to-day activities.