Expats Should Understand Nationalisation Role During Hiring – Expert

I was recently interviewed by Gulf Business News which is the Gulf Region [UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia] first and leading Business Magazine on the subject of nationalisation which is a big concern for employers in the Middle East

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Nationalisation goals should be explained in companies' expat hiring processes, says HR expert.

GCC Companies hiring expats for their expertise should explain the role they will play towards nationalisation schemes during the hiring process, according to an HR expert.

Many Gulf companies still rely on expats to fill skilled positions, but government backed nationalisation programmes in countries including the UAE and Saudi Arabia aim to bring more locals into the work force.

“I know that nationalisation is an issue but if you need the talent today you may have to take the expat route. But that expat role should come in with the understanding of nationalisation,” said Ronald Thomas, chief human resources officer at RGTS Group, on the sidelines of the Human Assets Expansion Summit in Dubai.

Thomas advised companies to explain their nationalisation goals to new hires, telling expats how they should imbue their skills within an organisation’s structure before they move on.

“Leave your department a better place than you found it and build a marketing theme around that for expats,” he said.

The reasons for hiring skilled expats should also be explained to nationals to prevent any distrust or conflicts in the workplace, according to Thomas

“There is schooling on both sides. How do we push for this model of building up our expertise level with expats but also how do we not disengage our nationals.”

“So inform them of the strategy that we’re trying to accomplish and every side has to understand the importance of the other side.”

He argued that there would always be certain national workers that would look for easier roles in the public sector.

“There is a perception that you get to public you don’t have to work as hard for life. I don’t have to really produce; I don’t have to be innovative. You will always find people that will look for that.”