Bayt.com, the Middle East's #1 job site, has recently conducted a new survey to discern shifting industry hiring patterns and fundamental changes MENA professionals face when looking for jobs amid the COVID-19 crisis. According to the survey,88% of professionals use online job sites to look for remote jobs during COVID-19.
The Modern Job Search Strategies in the MENA Poll aims to promote understanding of how much has changed in the job market to increase candidate’s chances of finding a job under the current circumstances. A majority of respondents (88%) agree that job seekers should upskill and update their CVs to adjust to the market requirements post-COVID-19.
Respondents provided insights on the most important aspects of the job search journey during the COVID-19 crisis. These include creating a strong online CV and cover letter (34%), searching for jobs online (28%), learning new skills including enrolling in online courses (22%), considering freelancing, remote and part-time jobs (11%), and attending virtual job fairs (4%).
The skills and traits companies are looking for are changing. Survey respondents reveal a variety of skills that they believe have become the most important during COVID-19: ability to work without supervision (30%), flexibility and adjusting to change (27%), self-motivation and discipline (22%), familiarity with virtual work tools (18%) and communication (written and verbal) (3%). Job seekers should highlight these skills and traits on their resume and job applications.
Ola Haddad, Director of Human Resources at Bayt.com said: “The COVID-19 pandemic has made it challenging for job seekers to secure relevant positions. Our Modern Job Search Strategies in the MENA Poll highlights the importance of staying consistent, leveraging networks, and adapting to the changing work environment as the key to make yourself the right candidate for the job.”
One thing that COVID-19 has highlighted is the need for technology. According to the survey respondents, online job sites are effective because they group all jobs in one easy to access place (35%), send job alerts (9%), help them improve CV and professional profile (6%), allow them to track applications (2%) and offer all of the aforementioned benefits (48%).
Unsurprisingly, a vast majority of respondents have reported an increase in online and virtual job search activities – with61% of job seekers applying for relevant positions online daily,19% applying2 –3 times per week and13% a few times a month.
In addition, video job interviews have become the new normal. According to the survey,51% of respondents are very familiar with video interviews,29% are slightly familiar and20% only are not at all familiar with video interviews. Candidates who do not use video chat and meeting tools often should get familiar with them so they are comfortable and natural if they need to be ready for a video interview.
Also, the concept of virtual career fairs as a hiring strategy has been gaining ground since the pandemic began –31% of survey respondents have attended an online job fair and60% are planning to attend one.
According to the survey, finding a job (52%) is one of the biggest challenges candidates are currently facing, followed by creating a good CV and cover letter (30%). Other challenging aspects of the job search journey include applying and following up (8%), interviewing (7%) and learning new skills (3%).
Data for the Bayt.com Modern Job Search Strategies in the MENA Poll was collected online from August29,2020 to September28,2020. Results are based on a sample of2,586 respondents from the following countries: UAE, KSA, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Palestine, Syria, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Sudan, and others.