How To Attract & Retain Top Talent in KSA
If your business is based in Saudi Arabia, you're already aware of the difficulties in finding and keeping top talent. In a flourishing economy where competition for top talent is high, attracting and retaining the best talent has become as important as developing products or services.
Here at TASC, we've identified four key things businesses should be doing — or should be doing more of — when recruiting and retaining employees.
Provide Career Development Opportunities That Encourage The Development Of Saudi Talent
When attracting top talent in Saudi Arabia, your company needs to be willing to provide a career path that encourages development. While the country's booming economy may seem to offer obvious opportunities for advancement and professional growth, this isn't always the case. In fact, many companies are not prepared for their employees' ambitions.
To attract top talent in Saudi Arabia, you need to focus on building programs that help employees grow their skills while providing them with opportunities for advancement within your organization. A recent survey conducted by City&Guilds Group highlighted that 86% of the respondents believe that specific career development opportunities help attract and retain local and expat talent. Clear career paths can also help you attract talented workers because it lets employees know what they need to do to move up within their organization – and how long it will take.
Top Talent Is Drawn To Innovative Companies
Talented young Saudis might be companies with a reputation for doing things differently—companies that nurture talent, allow employees to grow over time (and even invest in them) and offer top-notch benefits packages. These types of employers are becoming increasingly attractive as Saudi millennials enter the workforce in droves: According to an article on LinkedIn Pulse, "Millennials value meaningful work above everything else."
They also want to feel valued and challenged by their work—and they want it all without making too many sacrifices.
Boost Online Presence To Attract Talent In KSA
In Saudi Arabia, it is vital that companies focus on their employer branding. This includes creating a great online presence that highlights the company mission and values, showcasing career opportunities, and profiling themselves as the employer of choice. According to Saudi Arabia's General Authority for Statistics, 69% of the population are 35 years old or younger, making them heavily reliant on social media platforms as part of their daily lives - this is your chance as a business to utilize social media to its best potential!
Saudi-based businesses can leverage social media to promote their companies and career opportunities. Social media platforms provide a cost-effective way to reach potential candidates with targeted content. Additionally, they can be used as part of an overall recruitment strategy through which you can promote your employer's value proposition (EVP) or corporate culture.
Create A Compelling EVP
Companies in Saudi Arabia need to articulate what sets them apart from others by creating an EVP that appeals specifically to the local market. Consider making job descriptions specifically for Saudi nationals with roles suited to their skill sets and preferences.
According to a Harvard Business School study, an EVP should have three elements:
- A competitive salary
- An engaging and supportive work environment that allows employees to grow their careers
- Flexible work arrangements, including part-time opportunities and remote work options
Invest In Vocational Training Programs
Vocational training programs could be a powerful tool in attracting the right talent to overcome the challenges and opportunities of Vision 2030. Young talent, be it expats or Saudis, are willing to learn and want to be part of organizations that are willing to nurture their practical and work-based skills.
This change in shift offers businesses an opportunity to attract and retain talent by investing in vocational training programs for employees and youth in Saudi Arabia. This can help increase productivity and improve employee satisfaction, leading to better recruitment and retention rates for Saudi-based businesses. Moreover, according to a recent survey by City&Guilds Group, 73% of employers believe vocational programs would aid in attracting the finest available talent.
In Saudi Arabia, the Ministry of Commerce and Investment launched the Saudi National Vocational Program (SVNP) in 2017 to provide training opportunities for Saudi nationals with no prior experience or qualifications in different fields, such as IT, finance, or marketing. The program aims to provide these individuals with the skills needed to become productive members of society while helping businesses meet their labour needs now and in the future.
Attract, Recruit & Retain Top Talent With TASC
The best way to attract and retain top talent is by creating an environment that respects and rewards employees for their skills. In Saudi Arabia, the growing private sector means more opportunities for people to build careers. However, companies need to be ready for change.
If you want to recruit in Saudi Arabia, consider partnering up with us. We are Saudi Arabia's leading HR recruitment and solutions specialists to help find the best available talent for specific roles across industries.
The task of filling the right roles with the right talent is our strength. In line with the Saudi Vision for 2030, we are committed to boosting your business by providing outstanding "people solutions" across Saudi Arabia. Our 15+ years of local and global recruitment experience and a strong on-the-ground presence in Saudi Arabia have assisted businesses in overcoming their recruitment challenges in a flourishing economy by recruiting the best local and expat talent.
Curious to learn more? Talk to our recruitment experts now to find out how we can help your business find the right talent faster.
You can also subscribe to our Saudi Newsletter on LinkedIn to stay up to date on the latest news across the Kingdom.
