WorkPanda, a leading construction headhunting firm, seeks to support the Kingdom’s public developers, international consultancy firms and local contracting companies in sourcing world-leading talent.
The Dubai-based recruitment firm specializes in technical roles across construction, design, and engineering. It offers clients and candidates alike a more insightful, knowledgeable, and mature approach to their niche chosen sectors. WorkPanda’s founding team are former technical delivery professionals, which gives it an unparalleled advantage over its regional competitors.
A spokesman for WorkPanda said: “Our team have over 10 years’ experience on the front line delivering complex construction projects across the region. We’ve held senior positions at Saudi development companies and international consultancies and have been involved in building and scaling project teams. We understand first-hand what it takes to resource projects in the region – this gives us first move advantage.”
Over half of Saudi employers (53%) struggle to recruit and retain staff
According to a recent study, over half of Saudi employers (53%) struggle to recruit and retain staff. Technical and job-specific skills were the hardest to find (65%), followed by leadership skills (62%). 80% of businesses recruit a mixture of national and expatriate workers, often relying on expats to fill such skills gaps. Furthermore, there is a mismatch between the outputs of higher education and the requirements of the job market, said 82% of respondents.
When it comes to the nationalities of expatriate talent, 68% of employers said they recruited most of their staff from India; 49% from the UK/Europe; 34% from Pakistan; 32% from the US; 29% from Egypt; 20% from Jordan; 17% from the Philippines; 12% from Australasia; and the same from Turkey.
In addition, 10% were recruited from the Sudan, 7% from Bangladesh, 5% from Sri Lanka, and the same number from both Syria and Palestine. A total of 2% of recruits came from Yemen and the same number from Indonesia, while 12% of employers mostly recruited from other countries.
Benefits mentioned that help retain staff include reward and recognition schemes
Unsurprisingly, given the strong emphasis on Saudization in government policy and related incentives and penalties, 81% of respondents would like to increase the number of nationals employed in their business.
Why do People Currently Leave Jobs?
The most common reason for staff to leave their jobs is that they are ‘moving elsewhere’ (58%), followed by ‘contracts ending’ and ‘lack of career opportunities’ (both 10%); ‘insufficient pay/rewards’ (8%); and ‘lack of job security’ (3%). Other reasons were cited by 13% of survey participants. Additional comments highlighted ‘high competition’ as a contributory factor.
Benefits mentioned that help retain (and attract) staff include reward and recognition schemes, cultural and wellbeing programs (some involving flexible working) and positive use of social media.