Home to the world’s second most valuable natural resource, i.e., petroleum and its largest exporter, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ranks among the top 20 economies of the world. The country offers an attractive prospect for business expansion.
While there is enough potential for growth, it does not come without its fair share of challenges. The 2019 Deloitte’s Global Human Capital Trends highlighted that attracting and retaining quality talent is one of the major challenges that recruiters face in Saudi Arabia. From navigating through the Nitaqat System to screening through large volumes of applications, roadblocks are a reality while hiring in Saudi Arabia.
So, what should companies do to find and hire the best talent? Before we delve into the topic further, it’s important to understand why attracting the best talent is necessary for employers.
Why Is It Important to Attract the Best?
Simply put, hiring wrong can cost a company – and not just in the financial sense. When a company hires the wrong talent, not only do they lose money and time, but they also have to restart the lengthy and tedious recruitment process all over again.
While as, if the company hires the right talent from the start, it is likely to experience an 8x productivity hike as per Scott Keller, a senior partner at Mckinsey.
The end goal of every business is to grow, and productivity is at the heart of it. Implementing the right staffing solutions is the key to building a team that will help the business soar anywhere in the world.
Establishing an Effective Hiring Process
Before a company looks at other options, its first job would be to streamline the inhouse hiring process as smoothly as possible. If it is leveraging the services of a recruitment consultant, it would mean taking a considerable amount of time to plan and choose the right partner firm for future endeavours.
Some of the things to be considered while setting up a hiring process for a company in Saudi Arabia are mentioned below.
- As notice periods vary from 1-3 months across Saudi Arabia, it is necessary to be swift and prompt with all recruitment decisions, tasks, and processes to avoid hold-ups or delays.
- Set timelines by working backward to make it save time. The company can start with the time it needs the candidates to join, then the time when expatriates need to relocate for joining, and so on.
- From taxes to the Nitaqat System, the company must take all possible scenarios into account to accumulate realistic timelines and avoid hurried or wrong decisions at the last minute.
Partnering with an experienced Recruitment Agency
Do not shy away from hiring a recruitment agency to find candidates suited for specific roles. Many companies delegate the task of recruiting to staffing specialists like TASC because they offer varied workforce solutions and because they can help locate and onboard highly skilled and talented people to fill vacancies - fast.
Keeping Up with Talent Branding Requirements
Around 67% of job seekers value workplace diversity while looking for employment. Glassdoor
If a business wishes to attract the best talent, start branding the organisation as a diverse and inclusive place that offers opportunities to grow professionally and create impact while providing incredible benefits and compensation.
3 Essentials of Talent Branding:
- Identifying talent pools based on the needs.
- Deciding CTC and employee benefits for new hires.
- Working on brand image to provide a positive candidate experience.
Knowing When to Hire Locally and Internationally
Before a company begins the hiring process, it must identify the type of talent best suited for the role. For business development and sales positions, it is best to source local talent and use their network and contacts. On the other hand, international talent comes in handy when working with cutting-edge technology or roles that can create an immediate impact.
Setting Up an Employee Referral Program
If one thinks about it, the employees can act as an incredible recruitment tool for the business. Because of this reason, many companies have an employee referral program that allows employees to refer former colleagues, family members, or friends for opportunities or positions whenever they arise. Some organisations also request their employees to distribute ‘recruitment cards’ to people they might consider a good fit for the company.
According to a research study by LinkedIn (https://business.linkedin.com/content/dam/business/talent-solutions/global/en_us/c/pdfs/Ultimate-List-of-Hiring-Stats-v02.04.pdf) –
- Around 35% of employees send out referrals to help their friends.
- Around 32% of employees send out referrals to help the company.
- Around 26% of employees send out referrals to be considered as valuable colleagues.
- Around 6% of employees send out referrals for financial rewards.
While you can offer referral rewards, such as time off, gift cards, or cash bonuses, many of your employees will do it because they want to have someone they value and trust working in the organisation. For you, it would mean less time and monetary investment while ensuring the quality of hire.
Closing Thoughts
Attracting and recruiting the best talent is essential for securing the future of the company. Because the job market is fiercely competitive, the company needs to do more to make sure the brand stands out. By keeping these five techniques in mind, the company will be one step closer to discovering the right talent for the business needs.
References –
- https://www.qualtrics.com/experience-management/employee/how-can-you-attract-top-talent/
- https://www.setupinsaudi.com/post/saudi-market-entry-series-episode-3-practical-tips-for-hiring-top-talent-in-ksa
- https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/5-ways-attract-employees-passionate-work-you-tarik-solomon
- https://nhglobalpartners.com/how-to-attract-the-best-employees/
- https://www.bayt.com/en/blog/4237/top-3-ways-to-hire-talents-in-saudi-arabia/
- https://www.globalization-partners.com/blog/guide-to-hiring-in-saudi-arabia/#gref
- https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/attracting-and-retaining-the-right-talent
