Nearly 95% of UAE professionals interested in job opportunities

Nearly 95 per cent of professionals in the UAE are interested in hearing about new job opportunities even if they are not actively looking for change, according to a survey by professional networking site LinkedIn.

In its Middle East and North Africa Talent Trends study the firm also found that 53 per cent of respondents were actively looking for new roles, significantly higher than the global average of 53 per cent.

“The region’s job market is evolving as a result of many external socio-economic factors. In this environment, it is essential for companies to assess their recruiting strategy and ensure it is aligned with the priorities of today’s professionals,” said LinkedIn Talent Solutions Southern Europe, Middle East and North Africa head Ali Matar.

Investing in channels for the public to research jobs before they apply and empowering employees to contribute towards recruitment needs are particularly advantageous

In the survey, LinkedIn explored the biggest roadblocks for job seekers. It found that 32 per cent of MENA respondents cited a lack of response from a company after an application as a challenge and 31 per cent found it difficult to negotiate their salary, both higher than the global average.

The firm said a lack of transparency of information between recruiters and job seekers could be blamed for this disparity.

The number one request from candidates in the UAE was more information about a company’s culture and values , with 69 per cent asking for this information.

Professionals in MENA said they were more likely to find a job through a corporate recruiter (13 per cent) or someone in their personal network (25 per cent) than reading articles online.

More than half said they research a company in detail before applying and nearly 50 per cent said they update their CV.

UAE respondents were also found to be more likely to land a job by applying through social networks (40 per cent) and through company careers websites than their global counterparts.

The annual report is based on surveys conducted between January and March 2016 with 33,000 professionals globally. Of these 3,298 were from the MENA region.