How do you like living and working in KSA?
In my opinion, I think the living and working conditions in Saudi Arabia are very good. Although there are many things that can be much improved, I can safely say that life here for both the personal and professional sides is pleasant. To benchmark Saudi Arabia with other GCCs, I say that the Kingdom scores quite strongly in these factors: Religion, Economy (in terms of inflation rate, employment, real estate and infrastructure value, commodity prices), Security and Safety.
What is your average day at work like?
As a general manager of a management consultancy firm, an average day for me does not have a typical standard pattern. There are no constants since the business environment is pretty much very dynamic. The only thing that I consider regular in my job is the existence of a new challenge every day.
What is your biggest professional challenge?
I am currently at the peak of my professional career. I have held many positions in the past and most of them are in the field of human resource management. I have had my share of big professional challenges but the one I can recall and perhaps the most recent is the challenge to make a relatively new business profitable despite the current economic situation.
To successfully market an unknown entity in the field where only the “brand-names” are given credit is a huge challenge. But, I am getting there. This is part of my strategy for 360 Degrees Management Consultancies. It is not about the name but it is about the values associated with the name. My company abides by the values of integrity, ethics and professionalism.
What is the most important thing you look for in new hires?
I cannot pinpoint one most important thing in looking for a new hire. The reason for this is I believe that competencies for each job are unique. There is no common factor - what may be essential for a certain job may be dispensable for another. So when I look at an applicant's CV- and of course, the CV is the first point of contact - I go back to the Job Description competency requirements and that is when I start to dig in.
As soon as I have all the necessary competencies mapped out, then I evaluate the candidate's fitness for the role based on the required standards for the position. But I also want to reiterate the fact that CVs play an important role in the job-hunting process as it serves as a 'key' to open the door so to speak.
What do you think is the biggest mistake shortlisted candidates make during a job interview?
The biggest mistake that I think candidates make during a job interview is their lack of initiative in asking questions. I think this is because of the fact that they feel that the interview process is the employer's 'ball field.' They don't consider that the interview is a chance for them to get to 'throw the ball back.'
I encourage candidates to field questions to the interviewer making it a more active process and during its course, the interview session provides both the employer and the applicant a more accurate picture of each side of the ball game. Candidates must use the interview sessions as a way to learn more about the job, about the company - its culture, its financial conditions, its practices - and by this, they can assess whether this job is really what they want and if it fits them with regards to their values, skills, experience and physique.
What is the biggest challenge you face in hiring talent?
I find that hiring talent is both an art and a science. It is an art because there are certain styles which are applied in order to produce a beautiful 'piece' (for example, the style on how to choose the best channels in sourcing candidates.) It is a science because you have to apply certain principles and techniques in order to arrive at your expected results (for example, the science of candidates' assessment and evaluations.)
So for me the biggest challenge in hiring talent is basically how effective you can be as a recruiter or hiring manager when you merge the styles, the principles and techniques. Ideally, you need to have all these but sometimes they cannot be possible. Sometimes, the best 'style' may not be the most cost-effective and the principles and techniques cannot be applied because you do not even have the right candidates to start with.
What is your favorite part of your role?
My favorite part in my role as the general manager of 360 Degrees Management Consultancies is the dynamic nature of the job. I, as a person, welcome challenges and constant change. These are my 'key drivers.' I like to always try something new and my job now makes that possible. It gives me the spirit and excitement which I look for in my undertakings. I like to find a challenge and overcome it. That's what cuts it for me professionally.
What has been the highlight of your career in HR?
The highlight of my career in HR, I would say, is the fact that I was able to build several HR teams from scratch in my affiliations with several multinational companies. Building an efficient and successful team to serve the whole organization is very important in a company - considering the service-oriented nature of HR as a department.
To be the only person in HR when an organization is young (around 80 employees) and to build it in stages as the organization matures (around 400 employees) is one of my significant accomplishments in my HR career. Not only that I built it but I also made it work; building the team was one thing, making it successful was another.
What do you read to keep abreast of industry developments?
I read journals, newsletters from SHRM and other internet-based HR communities. I also read survey reports which I receive from several web-based online recruiters (bayt.com has released several good ones).
What is your advice to someone looking for a job in HR in the Middle East?
I advise those who are looking for an HR job in the Middle East to be aggressive and persistent and continuously improve their skills as HR is a dynamic and constantly changing field.
Trends come and go; there are always new things to learn and discover in various HR disciplines such as recruitment (the advent of the internet and social networking has changed the face of sourcing candidates), employee relations, strategic HR (the HR role has become more of a business partner rather than ordinary operations), HR metrics and measurement among others.
How is the Middle East evolving as a place to practice HR?
The Middle East has come a long way and it is evolving to be a good working place for HR professionals. There is so much awareness now of the strategic importance of the HR science. More companies have realized the importance of the HR Manager role and recognize the relationship when it comes to creating value for the company through people.
If you could wave your magic stick and make a significant development in one specific area of HR practices worldwide, where would that fall?
I would have to stay Leadership Development. Worldwide, I agree that there is a shortage of excellent leaders who are pro-active. I cannot emphasize the fact more than enough that good leaders are what companies need. Leadership is earned and to do so, one must have the right values.
Values these days come very rare - they have some sort of become like a written 'cliché' for company profiles. I believe that when we develop our leaders the way we should - companies will not experience the downfall that most companies are experiencing now. Regrettably, we have professionally skilled leaders, maybe even over-qualified when it comes to education and experience but we need more ethical leaders. Successful leadership is a combination of knowledge, skills, values and virtues.
Anything else you'd like to share with the community of Bayt.com Employers?
I would just like to say thank you to Bayt.com for the opportunity to share my views and opinions. I also would like to congratulate Bayt.com for a good job - please keep up the good work.
