Biography
George Kavala comes with several years of experience in Business Development and Full Cycle Support for Recruitment and Staffing. His interaction with clients at various levels of CXO's,prospective, job seekers & other stakeholders has enriched his understanding of the HR domain. He nurtures the desire to pursue and acquire relevant knowledge and lives with a passion, culture and discipline that could precede success.
How do you like living and working in UAE?
Working in the UAE is a very lively and charming experience. We get to meet people from different nationalities and cultures. The country itself has such fantastic infrastructure and facilities that it makes living and working here an enjoyable experience. Almost anything and everything is available at an affordable cost and at best quality. I definitely enjoy living and working in the UAE.
What is your average day at work like?
I have a two way approach to my job. On one side I interact with my clients as a vendor and on the other side I become the client and interact with people who seek business or jobs. It's a typical Recruitment Consultant job which involves a lot of selling either to the client in the form of available resources or selling to the candidate in the form of best opportunities available. It's a busy day with meeting clients, meeting and interviewing candidates and plenty of research. Of course, I also spend considerable time on Bayt.
What is your biggest professional challenge?
Getting the right resources with every single document and procedure in place is one of the challenging things. We need to constantly chase our clients and candidates to comply with procedures and documentation. While it may seem as a part of the job it still stands out as a challenge when you do not see the results of certain things, results which are almost the obvious.
What is the most important thing you look for in new hires?
Two of the most important things that set apart a good employee are his attitude and his sincerity. These factors determine how well the employee gets ingrained into the company system and loyalty dynamics. Once an employee brings in these qualities, the company can then look forward to an honest, mature and enjoyable growth within the market and its geography. It is important for us to identify such character & strength within a new hire. All the learning and experience can then be influenced to bring about a holistic growth both to the company and the employee.
What is the biggest challenge you face in hiring talent?
The general perception is that the new visitors are much eager to take up an assignment and hence would go through with the system and procedures without much fuss or delay. However, the same is not the case with most people who have had a considerable length of stay in the UAE. Another major factor is the policy limitations which do not give us the freedom to work with resources who are willing to change only because their change does not comply with employment regulations and transfer policies.
What is your favorite part of your role?
Customer feedback is the favorite part of my job where we get to hear how happy the customer is with our services and how willing his is to recommend the good work and dedication we have shown in our efforts to service him.
What has been the highlight of your career in HR?
Sometime ago, I had the privilege of working with an IT Solutions company and while we did a lot of recruitment and contract staffing business, we developed very strong competencies on the ERP front. We were able to eventually create a centre of excellence in the organization for a particular ERP and that achievement was very fulfilling in terms of not only having done the business but to have developed a technology based competency and to be reckoned as a technology enriched business unit.
What do you read to keep abreast of industry developments?
I keep track of news articles, I google a lot, definitely read MEED updates and motivational literature from Less Brown.
What is your advice to someone looking to enter the field of HR?
Enter the field if you have the ability to understand and summarize a person by speaking to them for a little while or by reading their resume. It is this ability to understand, pick and propose an opportunity which makes the difference between a good recruiter and any recruiter.
How is the Middle East evolving as a place to practice HR?
The UAE seasons any HR person way beyond what most other geographies could do. It takes you through the grind of the regular HR processes of selecting and recruiting a candidate and then it takes you through the intricate process of documentation and policy compliance matters. I feel anybody who spends a couple of years in the UAE in HR field will find it very easy and adaptable to working in any other geography. Certainly a good place for anybody who wants to start a HR career.
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 love to enhance the technology part where we could break distance and time barriers and work a lot on Video conferencing. I would also love for the home office based concept to be promoted.
Anything else you'd like to share with the community of Bayt.com Employers?
Sustainability and longevity are two very important factors for the growth and development of any team. I wish for our employers to create community based and employee welfare based platforms where the entire organization could connect as one family and be able to relate to each other with some regard of oneness and fraternity. Everybody gets employed and everybody has been working and moving from one place to another. But it is only one place or just those few choice places of work that people cherish. It is for the employer to create that ambience which will be cherished for all times
