Bayt.com & YouGov Survey Reveals Most Sought-After Skills And Jobs By UAE Employers In The Next 3 Months
The latest Job Index Survey from Bayt.com, the Middle East’s #1 job site, and YouGov, global online market research company, has revealed that Sales Managers (18%), Receptionists (16%), and Customer Service Representatives (14%) are the top roles that UAE employers are hiring for over the next three months. Interestingly, most employers in the UAE demand good communication in English and Arabic (55%) as well as being a team player (41%) as top skills for their hires.
Released bi-annually, the survey is an in-depth study that aims to measure the job availability and hiring trends. The study also identifies trends in the MENA job market and provides an understanding of required skill sets and qualifications in the region.
Hiring intentions in the UAE
The top industries looking to hire the highest number of candidates in the next three months across the MENA region are Business Consultancy/Business Management/Management Consulting (58%), Healthcare/Medical Services and Oil/Gas/Petrochemicals (both at 55%).
UAE companies will be mainly hiring entry level staff especially Junior Executives (38%), followed by Managers (36%) and Coordinators (26%). Furthermore, Sales Managers (18%), Receptionists (16%), and Customer Service Representatives (14%) are the top roles UAE employers are looking for.
Echoing the short term, Business Consultancy/Business Management/Management Consulting industry (81%) continue to have the highest hiring intentions in the next one year in MENA, followed by IT/Internet/E-commerce (68%) and Consumer Goods/FMCG (66%).
Ola Haddad, Director of Human Resources at Bayt.com said: “The Bayt.com Job Index Survey gives us the opportunity to measure the job availability and hiring trends, twice a year. Faced with an unprecedented global crisis in the form of the COVID-19 pandemic, our region continues to evolve and transform affecting the most in-demand jobs and skills, as well as the factors which are crucial in attracting and retaining top talent.”
Skills and qualifications
When it comes to skill sets in the UAE, good communication skills in both English and Arabic languages are highly sought after (55%), followed by being a team player (41%) and ability to take on new challenges (38%).
One-third of UAE employers (33%) state that they are looking for candidates with managerial experience (ability to manage a team), while 31% want candidates with sales and marketing experience and 30% are searching for those with mid-level experience (3 to 7 years).
In terms of academic qualifications, Business Management (30%), Engineering (25%) and Information Technology (16%) are the most sought-after amongst employers in the UAE.
Industries attracting top talent
Overall, Healthcare/Medical services (32%) is seen as the industry that attracts or retains top talent in the UAE, followed by IT/Internet/E-commerce and Oil/Gas/Petrochemicals (both 23%).
Healthcare/Medical Services (28%) emerges as the main industry attracting national talent, followed by Oil/Gas/Petrochemicals (27%). On the other hand, Real Estate/Construction/Property Development (25%) attracts the most fresh graduates, followed by Banking/Finance (24%).
When it comes to female talent, Healthcare/Medical Services and Hospitality/Recreation/Entertainment (both 37%) are considered the most attractive, followed by Advertising/Marketing/Public Relations (33%).
“The Job Index Survey is a key indicator of the MENA region’s hiring activities. For job seekers, this survey is a useful guide outlining the general perspectives and sentiments regarding matters like job availability and skills required. For employers and managers, the survey depicts many findings and predictions regarding the regional business and job market,” said Zafar Shah, Research Director, Data Services at YouGov.
Data for the Middle East Job Index Survey 2020 was collected online from June 23, 2020 to August 6, 2020. Results are based on a sample of 1,055 respondents from the following countries: UAE, KSA, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Palestine, Syria, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Sudan, and others.
