Dubai is not paved with gold

10-Dec-2008 | By Kevin Edmonds, managing director and chief executive, Gulf Six

I have read a number of articles recently which seem to conclude that the answer to the economic woes of recruiters in the UK is to come and set up shop in the Middle East. I want to correct the myth that there are streets of pure gold here, and that UK recruiters are guaranteed easy fees from a region awash with dream clients with endless budgets to spend.

Firstly, recruitment in the Middle East is a long way behind UK standards — in every sense. You can dispense with your service level agreements (SLAs) promising timely feedback and a process. In many cases, HR or recruitment managers here are simply information brokers, needing permission to interview candidates from up to five or six line managers. Signoff to even an interview can take weeks if not months.

Putting your keen recruiters on a plane and expecting to sit back and reap the rewards won’t happen

Then there’s the tricky question of candidate control. I’m not exaggerating — but our last HR placement took eight months from presenting the CV to the candidate starting. You need a big pipeline to sustain a long process, not forgetting all the candidates who then drop out and find other jobs!

Secondly, we are now feeling the effects of the so-called ‘credit crunch’. Major employers in sectors such as property and travel are definitely suffering from less business as the lack of finance available globally takes hold. And as new projects are put on hold or delayed, so too are the new positions created.

Finally, with inflation levels especially rents, particularly in Dubai, out of control even if you find your candidate that dream job, the chances of being able to sustain a decent standard of living are reducing.

So while there is still opportunity in the region for those recruiters with a long-term game plan, it’s not a place to come and make easy money. It is a long-term investment which requires more skill and influence than other markets. Putting your keen and eager recruiters on a plane and expecting to sit back and reap the rewards won’t happen. I hope recruiters can take off the rose-tinted glasses and appreciate that only through hard work and constant tenacity can you bill good figures — no different to any other market.

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