Rami Hamze is a change agent who takes effective initiatives to optimize businesses, processes, and operations through the efficient and effective utilization of Human Resources. He derives HR metrics and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to analyze and evaluate optimal Human Capital and organizational performances. Rami is also an innovative professional with the ingenuity to spearhead and streamline progressive strategies to improve talent acquisition and employee retention programs and initiatives.
He is a strategic partner that supports organizational agility by aligning its functional teams to its organizational strategy and by harmonizing cross-functional operations through employee engagement and compliance with HR policies, procedures, and best practices. He manages employee relations to alleviate grievances, legal disputes, and attrition. Rami is also a leader and an expert in case-study analysis as well as a specialist in crafting new processes and in re-engineering existing ones to enhance organizational efficiency. He’s an experienced facilitator for training, seminars, synergies, mergers and acquisitions.
Rami joined Jenaan Investment and Daar Yaas Group in November 2012 as the Group Head of HR, overlooking all HR Functions of the Group and continuously engaging with senior management to implement the best HR practices throughout the company. Before joining Jenaan and Daar Yaas, Rami had several HR Start-up projects which added value to his hands-on experience, transforming his knowledge and practice into a unique blend.
Rami has earned both his Master’s in Business Administration (with emphasis on Human Resources Management and Business Strategy Innovation), as well as his Bachelor’s Degree (Business Administration- Management) after graduating from the Lebanese American University in Beirut-Lebanon. As a member of the reputed Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM), Rami has completed the Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) course work and has become a Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). Throughout his professional journey, Rami has earned the Human Resources Management Professional (HRMP) Certificate of the internationally recognized HRCI (Human Resources Certification Institute) and has expanded his professional network by joining the Human Resources Professionals Association (HRPA)- Toronto Chapter.
1. What’s the best part about working at Jenaan Investment and Daar Yaas Group?
Daar Yaas Group & Jenaan Investment are an Emirati growing business conglomerate, providing their existing and prospective employees with opportunities to widen their exposure, to gain new set of skills and competencies through continuous development and various assignments, to excel in a family working environment, to work with high-caliber professionals, and to progress in their career aspirations. Shareholders and Senior Management trust and empower their high performers which is always translated in excellent results. The cultural values of honesty, integrity, respect, and loyalty emphasize on doing business professionally; yet, adhering to the family values. This working environment adds a sense of ownership to employees, increases their effectiveness, unleashes innovative ideas, and helps them engage constructively with one another as a team.
2. How is recruiting in the UAE different from other countries?
The advanced ways of doing business nowadays in the UAE, supported with the Hi-Tech and digitized environment, has made the country-specific experience almost mandatory as a selection criteria. On the other hand, diversity in the UAE is a value-added to the talent pool.
3. What are the top three skills you look for in new hires for your company?
It always depends on the job where the emphasis varies between technical and behavioral competencies. However, I usually look for specific competencies. If I have to go with the top three skills that can be considered a competency for the majority of jobs, they would represent the essential basic skills that can drive businesses to success. First, Communication skills including Interpersonal, effective listening, verbal/written correspondence…etc. Second, innovative Problem-Solving Skills, which include finding creative and optimal solutions after analyzing business problems. Lastly, Self-Initiation, which may include under its umbrella improvement initiatives, self-development and attempting to gain more knowledge and acquire new skills, and self-motivation that reflects the passion in doing the job.
4. What are the top mistakes candidates who are looking for a job make on their CV?
Plagiarism, falsification of information, and poor presentation of candidate’s Strengths/Competencies.
A resume is a double-edged sword. “ A resume will seldom get you a job offer. A resume will often lose you a job offer.”
5. What is the biggest challenge you face when recruiting new employees?
Sourcing for the right talent can be a time-consuming task where lots of efforts has to be invested throughout the recruitment and selection processes. On the other hand, the regional and global leading roles that the UAE is currently playing in attracting multinational businesses, retaining existing successful companies, and encouraging entrepreneurs to locally invest in new business ideas, is creating a challenge in attracting talent to our company amongst other well-recognized competition. Instead of asking talented candidates the most common interview question “Why should we hire you?” , we nowadays ask ourselves “How can we stand out from competition and become an employer of choice for the top talent?”
In addition to that, I find it very challenging to retain the recently hired talent. Sometimes, companies are not even getting the expected Return on Investment (ROI) from their new recruits.
6. What do you like most about using Bayt.com? What is your favorite feature? Why?
Bayt.com is both Employer and Candidate Friendly. For employers specifically, it facilitates search tools that save time by narrowing down the search criteria. The job posting mechanism is also well structured. Tagging is a great feature that saves time when revisiting shortlisted profiles.
7. Any advice for employers who want to retain their top talent?
A balanced Employee-Employer relationship would be summarized in the following equation:
Employee Satisfaction + Employee Motivation = Productivity + Retention
(Any increase on the left side of the equation will result in an increase on the right side of the equation).
Therefore, my advice is that all employers should consider their top talent as a scarce resource in nowadays competitive environment. Employers should reward, engage, develop, involve, and challenge top talent in order to retain them. In addition, running a cyclical employee satisfaction survey in order to address employee needs would also help retain the top-performing employees in any organization.
