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Dubai / Emirates Business
According to the recent Bayt.com “Skills Gap in the Middle East and North Africa†survey, conducted by Bayt.com – the Middle East’s leading job site – and YouGov – a research and consulting agency – among the 352 UAE employers surveyed, respondents are experiencing difficulty filling open positions as they struggle to find employees with the relevant skills that they need.
This is particularly surprising due to the fact that the job market is difficult these days. In the UAE, only 16% of companies surveyed are currently searching for new employees. From these, most demand is seen for entry-level positions, with only 3% of employers surveyed currently searching for director-level candidates.
Yet, even with such limited hiring demand, it is still challenging for employers to find candidates with the required skill sets, particularly for senior positions. In fact, 57% of companies in the UAE say that finding candidates for senior positions with the required skills is difficult (17% say it is ‘very difficult’), and 43% say that finding candidates for junior positions with the required skills is difficult (just 9% say it is ‘very difficult’). Interestingly, ‘technical skills’ are often seen as posing the least challenge, while ‘soft skills’ are regarded as most lacking. Indeed, ‘critical thinking/problem solving’ (62%), ‘adaptability /managing multiple priorities’ (60%) and ‘creative thinking’ (59%) were seen as the most difficult skills to find at a senior level.