Atif Tufail is the Global Head of Human Resources at INTECH Process Automation – a renowned system integrator and automation solution provider for the oil and gas industry. During the last 17 years, Atif has demonstrated excellence in managing key human resource roles. Upon joining INTECH, Atif actively contributed in finding, growing, motivating, and rewarding talent. He has also been vital in helping INTECH fulfill its global staffing needs by developing improved hiring and promotion criteria. Atif is a certified Human Resource Management Professional (HRMP) from the Human Resource Certification Institute, USA. He is also a Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) from the Society of Human Resource Management, USA. Atif holds a Master’s degree in Human Resource Management. In this interview with Bayt.com, Atif talks about the culture at INTECH and provides insights into upcoming hiring trends in the MENA and across the globe.
The corporate culture at INTECH is a true reflection of management by consensus. There is no ‘power distance’ and the top management reaches out for innovative ideas across the board. At INTECH, self-disciplined individuals can thrive and people who work only when some external authority is looking over their shoulders are a misfit with the values of our company. At INTECH we believe in making a way where there is none.
We attract local talent according to our hiring needs. One of the main tools we use in hiring is the Internet. We are proud users of Bayt.com’s hiring solutions which help us find top-notch local talent across the MENA region. We have also created profiles on mainstream social media platforms in order to interact with job seekers and enforce our employer brand.
The number one advice we can give professionals who want to work at INTECH is that self-discipline, proactiveness and resourcefulness are highly valued in our company. INTECH looks for individuals who display these traits. If a candidate can demonstrate these traits and is aligned with our values, then we will most definitely consider her/him for our open positions.
Top talent can only be retained when we give them alternative career paths, along with competitive pay that are reflective of current market practices. If we restrict employees to one career path, they might feel too constrained and lose interest in the business.
Our engineers frequently travel abroad and work in culturally diverse work environment. It can be hard to work with people belonging to different nationalities and having varied belief systems and work habits. We help people in adjusting to alien cultures, by unfreezing their beliefs. We do so by carrying out one-on-one coaching sessions with them and inculcating in them curiosity for other cultures in place of a judgmental approach.
I think that getting knowledge workers with the right attitude will definitely emerge as a hiring trend globally this year. I also believe that online active hiring will thrive. I expect employer branding to gain even more prominence in the coming years as a way to source talent. As for training, a major trend that HR professionals might be following this year will be the 70:20:10 learning model.
The Bayt.com CV Search engine has proved to be a great way to reach out to potential candidates for our job vacancies, from entry-level professionals to middle managers and C-suite. The Compensation/Salary survey provided by Bayt.com has also helped us in determining the gross monthly salary packages for our GCC-based employees, among other areas in the region.
