Look around at your office furniture, it might very well have been fitted by Al Reyami Interiors! Indeed, Al Reyami are one of the largest providers of office furniture, interior solutions and office equipment in the UAE and beyond. In this interview, Saridha Nair, HR manager at Al Reyami Group, tells us more about what makes this company a coveted one among top talent in the region. Saridha has close to six years of experience in the UAE and Oman. She holds an MBA in Human Resources (MBA/ HR) from the School of Communication and Management Studies in Kerala, India. Let’s see what Saridha had to say about working in the UAE, the work culture at Al Reyami Interiors and her advice to both employers and job seekers:
I consider myself to be a Jack of All Trades, but wouldn’t say a master of none. I am a learner by nature and firmly believe that we regularly need to update and upgrade ourselves to be relevant in today’s competitive world. According to me, learning and mastering a skill or set of skills is a continuous process with no limits.
The best part about being employed at Al Reyami Group is the feeling that you are working for one shared purpose in a friendly, family-like atmosphere. Every employee contributes to the positive work environment. We have a very diverse workforce, and we ensure that everyone is part of every stage of the work done - from beginning to end.
We focus on three main aspects. One is the candidate's total relevant years of experience. For example, if a person is a project manager we check the relevant project management years on their CV. The second thing we look for is educational background; what their graduation and post-graduation qualifications are, i.e.. The third, and most important thing, is their technical know-how of the subject at hand. Our interviews usually have two stages, the first being technical and the second being non-technical.
I would tell employers to focus on training and development. I would also say that even though monetary compensation is important, it is not the sole way to keep your employees. You have to have a proper development plan in place. At Al-Reyami we conduct a training need analysis and create individual employee development plans. We also conduct training based on real-life case studies. Managers present these to their team in order to discuss the do’s and don’ts of a particular project. Another area I implore employers to pay attention to is developing a performance appraisal scheme to keep the performance of not only top talent, but the entire company, in check. Finally, I recommend conducting rewards and recognition schemes to boost employee satisfaction.
In a lot of cases, candidates make the CV impressive but don’t give an entirely truthful picture. When you call the person for an interview you feel this person has changed and the CV might have been over-exaggerated. Write what you have done in your CV and be true to yourself. Even in a job interview, if you are asked a question and you feel you don’t know the answer just say so. It’s important to maintain your integrity at all times.
