Mahmoud Turki is a Business Consultant at Arbah Group. His experience covers 17 years of working in different sectors in Asia, Africa, Europe, and Indo-China. With a firm belief in valuable consultation, Mahmoud thinks that most of today’s consultation is concerned with face value; it does not have any added value and that shouldn’t be the case.
Mahmoud believes that leaders need to focus more on the value they create and add to all constituents rather than purely on money; as the latter is a product of value. This philosophy is realized through Mahmoud’s private business: TaksimAQUA.
1. What are the top three skills you look for when hiring recent graduates?
I do not focus on skills to be exact, as they are the byproduct of experience and accomplishments. I seek experience in the relevant field, from internships, part-time jobs, and university projects and papers; anything related that can be of value to our company is what I look for.
Another thing I search for in a candidate is their achievements. Things like taking initiatives and being project leaders indicate that the candidate’s future contribution is worthy.
2. What is the biggest challenge you face when searching for top talent?
At the initial stage of the selection process, the biggest challenge is to find a candidate that matches the new job requirements; to find the perfect fit. At the later stages, the challenge becomes trustworthiness. It requires some time before that is validated.
3. What do you like most about using Bayt.com? What is your favorite feature? Why?
My favorite part about using Bayt.com is that it has a massive database, which is what every employer needs when hunting for potential employees. Although it may seem that the huge number of job seekers makes the search process overwhelming, Bayt.com’s advanced filtering tools make this concern nonexistent. My favorite feature would have to be the Boolean Search. Employers can use a combination of keywords to retrieve highly relevant CVs that match what they are looking for. It effectively saves time and offers me results that are suitable to the job requirements.
4. What is your advice for employers who want to retain their top talent?
My advice for all employers is to always remember that they are dealing with humans at the end of the day, and not just an asset to their organization. Employers should seek the needs of the employees, whether it is financial, organizational, or emotional and attempt to address them. Communication should be genuine and from within. When you are able to tap into your employees’ emotions and mind in order to help them, they will think twice before leaving your company.
