# Why is it so difficult to find professional, motivated staff in Dubai?



## Stevesolar (Dec 21, 2012)

Hi,
We always see threads about how difficult it is to find jobs in Dubai - so I thought it was time to share a recent experience that i had.
*Background*
A friend of mine owns a company in Dubai that sells high end products to Spas, fitness centres, mediclinics etc.
She asked me to help her find really good (female) sales staff.
What sounded a really easy task turned out to be a nightmare!
*Recruiters*
We approached a few recruiters and found them lacking in the skills and motivation to find the right type of people. Their fees were high but their deliverables were vague and lacked a sense of urgency.
*Potential candidates*
We found a few candidates but they had the following issues:-
*CVs*
These were full of spelling mistakes, had inconsistent job history and lacked the basic information that prospective employers require.
*Punctuality*
Some arrived late and out of breath for the interview - blaming "Dubai traffic" - no excuse - plan and arrive early, calm and composed.
*Appearance*
Considering the nature of products they were going to be selling - some turned up looking like a sack of sh*t! 
*Interview planning*
Some had not even spent 5 minutes on the internet researching the companies products and services before coming to the interview! Do your basic research - so that you know something about the company and products!
*Interview skills*
Many lacked the skills to answer the common interview questions that we posed. These questions are all over the internet - so, again, easy to research.
*Summary*
What a nightmare trying to find good people in Dubai!
I know people complain about how difficult it is to find jobs in Dubai - but i really wonder how many of them do the necessary research and planning to make their job search easier.
Cheers
Steve


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## BedouGirl (Sep 15, 2011)

Great post Steve. I just love the candidates who wear sunglasses on their heads throughout the interview, turn up hearing jeans and don't put their mobiles on silent.


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## Froglet (May 7, 2014)

Do you see a correlation between the above mentioned factors and for example nationalities...


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## BedouGirl (Sep 15, 2011)

Not necessarily. I find that it's often people you wouldn't expect to behave unprofessionally who do.


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## Stevesolar (Dec 21, 2012)

BedouGirl said:


> Not necessarily. I find that it's often people you wouldn't expect to behave unprofessionally who do.


Hi,
Agreed - nationality has little to do with it.
It is more about the mindset and motivation of the individual (and the factors that drive them).
I have seen good, bad & indifferent in people from all countries & cultures - it just seems to be a more extreme range in Dubai.
This, in turn, is often to do with the way companies treat, pay & motivate their staff.
Pay peanuts - get monkeys - often springs to mind!
Fortunately, the company owners that i know treat their staff incredibly well and simply expect to get an honest days work for an honest days pay (a rather old fashioned idea maybe - but one that i always follow in business).
Cheers
Steve


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## mrussell (Nov 11, 2014)

Personally, speaking as someone who has been trying to find work in Dubai for the past couple of months and to date not succeeding (relocated here as my wife accepted a job offer at a school) one of the issues I see for both job seekers and employers are the sheer numbers of people applying for work, combined with their honesty and integrity.

On the job and agency sites that do list the number of applicants per vacancy, it is hard not find a role with less than a couple of hundred applicants. This is infuriating for all involved as I can only imagine the headache of having to go through the vast amounts of applicants and to find someone who is truly capable of achieving the job specification. 

To coincide with this there is the clear gulf between those willing to work for next to nothing and those expecting the mega bucks, with little market in between. It is a very tough and vast job market, which I don't think works in anyone's favour.


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## ccr (Jun 20, 2010)

BedouGirl said:


> I just love the candidates who wear sunglasses on their heads throughout the interview, turn up hearing jeans and don't put their mobiles on silent.


After a few phone interviews, we decided to fly a candidate to Dubai for the final in-person interview. Since his available time was short, we decided to meet at his hotel to save time.

After waiting for 30 minutes past meeting time, we had to call his room to wake him up to come downstairs for the interview. Unbelievable!


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## Stevesolar (Dec 21, 2012)

mrussell said:


> Personally, speaking as someone who has been trying to find work in Dubai for the past couple of months and to date not succeeding (relocated here as my wife accepted a job offer at a school) one of the issues I see for both job seekers and employers are the sheer numbers of people applying for work, combined with their honesty and integrity.
> 
> On the job and agency sites that do list the number of applicants per vacancy, it is hard not find a role with less than a couple of hundred applicants. This is infuriating for all involved as I can only imagine the headache of having to go through the vast amounts of applicants and to find someone who is truly capable of achieving the job specification.
> 
> To coincide with this there is the clear gulf between those willing to work for next to nothing and those expecting the mega bucks, with little market in between. It is a very tough and vast job market, which I don't think works in anyone's favour.


Hi,
Agreed about the number of applicants per job - so difficult to shortlist from such a huge number of applicants.
I think one of the biggest problems is that Dubai is actually a small job market (not vast, as you suggested).
Remember - Dubai is only really a largish city with around 2m inhabitants - small by many UK city standards.
Combine this with many people from around the world who are seeking a better life and think Dubai streets are paved with gold.
Many applicants simply apply for every single job - without the necessary skills or qualifications - they just blindly play the numbers game (mostly without success).
A small salary by our standards is often vast for people from less affluent countries - so European candidates are often competing with people from the East with much lower salary expectations.
Where Europeans can score is by their professionalism - having come from more customer focused countries with a sense of fair play and a good set of working rules and etiquette. The only problem is that many employers dont recognise or value these qualities and still employ useless, low cost muppets that cant communicate properly or follow up what they have promised.
Cheers
Steve


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## mrussell (Nov 11, 2014)

Hi Steve,

Very interesting insight - I have to agree wholeheartedly from my perspective. I'm happy to concede you're also correct in regard to the small job market, as jobs are few and far between within certain industries, I perhaps phrased it incorrectly, as the vastness really applies to the number of candidates vs the small number of jobs.

I have found myself in an interview situation whilst here where my qualifications completely matched the job spec and then some, but the company were only willing to pay me peanuts. But as you have stated many people coming to Dubai from various background will be willing to work for these salaries, leaving people such as myself who are mid-level with good qualifications, some experience and more importantly the right work ethic as you originally discussed are overlooked.

It also pains me that so many recruiters and employers have such strict and long lists of requirements for positions, that folk such as myself who are willing to graft and just need a shot will miss out when they could hire two cheaper members of staff, who will not provide the same dedication and commitment. 

Oh well, it is very different to Britain - I just need to get my head around it. From what you and many others have said it doesn't look like it will change any time soon....


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## keepitreal (Nov 29, 2014)

Maybe because your offer is not that good to start with !!


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## sm105 (Jan 9, 2014)

Stevesolar said:


> Many applicants simply apply for every single job - without the necessary skills or qualifications


I've been trying to hire truck drivers for the last few months. Just two basic requirements - must hold HVT license and must speak English. Out of well over 200 applicants, so far just 2 have met the minimum standards. Most fall short on the English front (which is somewhat forgiveable as we require a fairly high level of proficiency), but wtf is it with the guys who apply for a truck driver position with no driving license and a background in "sales"???


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## pamela0810 (Apr 5, 2010)

Over the last month I've been receiving CVs for my replacement. I naively volunteered to screen them for my boss and it has got to be one of the most frustrating things I've ever done. People from teachers to cabin crew to some very senior directors have all applied for my previous role and it's safe to say that about 90% of the applicants have not bothered to read the job description. 

I spoke with about 4 of them so far after giving them a week's notice that I will be calling for a screening interview. Only one of them actually knew what the role was about and she's over qualified 

People really need to read through an entire job posting before blindly applying. It looks like they do a keyword search and then apply apply apply!


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## Fat Bhoy Tim (Feb 28, 2013)

ccr said:


> After a few phone interviews, we decided to fly a candidate to Dubai for the final in-person interview. Since his available time was short, we decided to meet at his hotel to save time.
> 
> After waiting for 30 minutes past meeting time, we had to call his room to wake him up to come downstairs for the interview. Unbelievable!


Seriously?



keepitreal said:


> Maybe because your offer is not that good to start with !!


Look who didn't actually read the thread. You're the type of unprepared moron he's referring to. :second:


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## Stevesolar (Dec 21, 2012)

keepitreal said:


> Maybe because your offer is not that good to start with !!


I rest my case!


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## keepitreal (Nov 29, 2014)

You should go ahead and import a group of professional hard working staff from your 1st world country that should put an end to your suffering instead of putting down other people


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## w_man (Apr 16, 2010)

keepitreal said:


> You should go ahead and import a group of professional hard working staff from your 1st world country that should put an end to your suffering instead of putting down other people


And this is the reason aforementioned people will never learn nor change. The OP stated some very good and clear points which could help most people looking for jobs. 

Spell check? grammer? being on time? Are these difficult to follow? Was something suggested which was demeaning?

Or you could just have the attitude you are displaying in your post and continue living your life one job at a time.


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## Made in Sheffield (Mar 12, 2014)

keepitreal said:


> You should go ahead and import a group of professional hard working staff from your 1st world country that should put an end to your suffering instead of putting down other people


Touched a nerve, eh?


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## Fat Bhoy Tim (Feb 28, 2013)

Made in Sheffield said:


> Touched a nerve, eh?


It's those damned hardworking professionals coming here and stealing their jobs.


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## londonmandan (Jul 23, 2013)

Fat Bhoy Tim said:


> It's those damned hardworking professionals coming here and stealing their jobs.


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## pamela0810 (Apr 5, 2010)

While we're on this topic, why do people lie so much on their CV?

Your CV states that you're a director of some sort. When I ask you which company, the answer I am not expecting is that it is your goal to one day be a director and it's not really your current job title! :der:


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## Made in Sheffield (Mar 12, 2014)

pamela0810 said:


> While we're on this topic, why do people lie so much on their CV?
> 
> Your CV states that you're a director of some sort. When I ask you which company, the answer I am not expecting is that it is your goal to one day be a director and it's not really your current job title! :der:


I work on reception and get passed loads of CVs which, when I have a gander, list a great deal of skills and 'qualifications' that have absolutely sweet FA to do with the company whatsoever.

Also, when people come in off the streets, thrust their CVs into my hands and demand to speak to HR there and then. Err, hello? Strange way of 'applying' for vacancies I must say.


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## ccr (Jun 20, 2010)

pamela0810 said:


> Your CV states that you're a director of some sort. When I ask you which company, the answer I am not expecting is that it is your goal to one day be a director and it's not really your current job title! :der:


Thanks Pam for the newest job title in my CV, "CEO" (or rather goal to one day be the CEO  )...


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## ccr (Jun 20, 2010)

Fat Bhoy Tim said:


> Seriously?


I don't have good enough imagination to make something like that up... 

Needless to say, I was furious and the interview didn't go well but I had to see the idiot in person to see how he would wiggle...


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## Stevesolar (Dec 21, 2012)

ccr said:


> Thanks Pam for the newest job title in my CV, "CEO" (or rather goal to one day be the CEO  )...


Hi,
I get to meet plenty of Senior Managers and Senior Vice Presidents.
Funnily enough - as well as having strange, made up, grand job titles - these people are mostly really shocking at their jobs!
One example - one of them replied to an email about a meeting with an important client and used text speak and slang in her reply - she obviously did mot notice that she had replied to all - including to the CEO of one of Dubai's largest multi-franchise car dealerships (who happens to be a really professional, good guy!).
He was not impressed and she did not win the business with them!
Cheers
Steve


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## Minamiller (Jan 10, 2014)

I agree with OP to some extent. I was helping a friend out recently with advertising for a Chef and the number of applicants were above 300. I have received resumes with cover letters stating they have x number of years experience in secretarial or x number of years working as an electrical engineer which he knows would add a great value to the team. Most had no cover letters, or a one liner or just filled with errors and mistakes. Since I had all the time in the world, I reviewed every single applicants resume, printed those which looked promising, called them up to schedule for a 30 min phone interview, narrowed it down to 4 applicants to come in for a face to face interview. Called those who didn't make it to the 3rd round to inform them why they didn't make it to the next round. At the end of the day, the owner couldn't make up his mind which applicant to hire as all 4 were great for the job. 

Sometimes people get so tied up with their daily works which leaves them with 0 tolerance when looking for new employees. We get so comfortable with where we are and forget what it was like to be out there and desperate. If I'm not looking for a director or CEO as my replacement why would I call that applicant in the first place? Other than just to prove to them that we know they are lying and to later come on the forum and make fun of them. Unless of course you're the Director or a VP looking for a replacement in which case I highly doubt you would be the one looking through resumes yourself. 
My point, I may not be as desperate as thousands of others out there. My husband works, I live in a decent flat and my son goes to a great school. Others may not have the luxury and may be desperate. Let's give people a chance and don't get so picky over a missed coma or misspelled name. Yes it is difficult for you too I hear ya, but it can't be any more difficult than the person submitting the application.


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## Minamiller (Jan 10, 2014)

Pamela, 
You must have an easy role since volunteering to screen through resumes for your boss has been the most frustrating thing you've ever done. This is what managers and recruiters do as part of their daily job. It may be challenging at times but the most frustrating thing you've ever done? Really?




pamela0810 said:


> Over the last month I've been receiving CVs for my replacement. I naively volunteered to screen them for my boss and it has got to be one of the most frustrating things I've ever done. People from teachers to cabin crew to some very senior directors have all applied for my previous role and it's safe to say that about 90% of the applicants have not bothered to read the job description.
> 
> I spoke with about 4 of them so far after giving them a week's notice that I will be calling for a screening interview. Only one of them actually knew what the role was about and she's over qualified
> 
> People really need to read through an entire job posting before blindly applying. It looks like they do a keyword search and then apply apply apply!


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## Minamiller (Jan 10, 2014)

I always say be EXTREMELY nice and professional to the receptionist. I would always ask our receptionist for her feedback on a candidate. As some people don't think much of it but it's how you present yourself to those who are not the decision makers.



Made in Sheffield said:


> I work on reception and get passed loads of CVs which, when I have a gander, list a great deal of skills and 'qualifications' that have absolutely sweet FA to do with the company whatsoever.
> 
> Let me guess, their resumes ended up in the trash can!
> Also, when people come in off the streets, thrust their CVs into my hands and demand to speak to HR there and then. Err, hello? Strange way of 'applying' for vacancies I must say.


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## pamela0810 (Apr 5, 2010)

Minamiller said:


> Pamela,
> You must have an easy role since volunteering to screen through resumes for your boss has been the most frustrating thing you've ever done. This is what managers and recruiters do as part of their daily job. It may be challenging at times but the most frustrating thing you've ever done? Really?


Would you like to go back and read my post again?


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## Minamiller (Jan 10, 2014)

The question is:
1) CV states he/she is a director. CV doesn't state which company?
2) Why would you look for someone who has senior management experience as your replacement. Are you in a senior management role?
3) If he/she hadn't mentioned a director level of some sort, would you have picked his resume out of hundreds and still call?





pamela0810 said:


> While we're on this topic, why do people lie so much on their CV?
> 
> Your CV states that you're a director of some sort. When I ask you which company, the answer I am not expecting is that it is your goal to one day be a director and it's not really your current job title! :der:


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## Minamiller (Jan 10, 2014)

Trust me, I've read it. I still don't get how this is the most frustrating thing you've ever done in your life. 


pamela0810 said:


> Would you like to go back and read my post again?


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## pamela0810 (Apr 5, 2010)

Minamiller said:


> Trust me, I've read it. I still don't get how this is the most frustrating thing you've ever done in your life.


No you haven't. It is not THE most frustrating thing I have ever done; it is ONE of the most frustrating things that I have ever done. Big difference.


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## BedouGirl (Sep 15, 2011)

keepitreal said:


> You should go ahead and import a group of professional hard working staff from your 1st world country that should put an end to your suffering instead of putting down other people


Ummm, perhaps I'm missing something, but where is anyone specifically mentioning nationalities being the issue here? This thread is talking about the standards of candidates. This has expanded to cover such as aspects as how people blindly apply for jobs that they obviously cannot do because they do not have the relevant experience and other related subjects.

And to expand further. I constantly receive CVs from folk (and even agencies) who have somehow gotten hold of my email ID (I am not in Recruitment or HR in my firm) but they think I am a possible inroad. I do not enter into correspondence or communication with these people because it is not appropriate. I forward everything to our Recruitment team for their attention. Our protocol is to acknowledge all CVs received, however, I am sure there are many companies that do not and I am sure this is why many people never hear anything having sent their CV to someone in an organization who has nothing to do with recruitment! Just my 2 fils!


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## Minamiller (Jan 10, 2014)

Well it shouldn't be "ONE" of the most frustrating things. If that's the case, then it may be best to leave it to the professionals who are paid to this. In this case, your boss. Do you know how many applicants have lost a great opportunity just because the person reviewing resumes was not competent enough or qualified to be reviewing resumes in the first place? I've had people call me to conduct a phone interview and had no idea what my background is. They can't pronounce my previous titles or don't understand what ITIL or ITSM is. Of course they go on to the next applicant. I've gone to face to face interviews where the person on the other end of the table pretends to understand what I'm saying but in reality has no idea what I'm talking about. They take personal calls while conducting the interview, leave the room for 30 minutes and don't ask if I have any questions for him. When asked specific questions about the company or the role, they have no clue where they work or what exactly their company does. When they ask you to come in for an interview at say 2:00 PM that same day, you confirm at the end of the conversation so see you at 2:00 PM, they respond with "Inshallah". Your 2 PM turns to 3:30 PM because the HR guy took a late lunch. So please don't volunteer to do something that you're not qualified for as this causes a great deal of loss to those who were a great fit for the role but lost the opportunity due to the incompetency of the person on the other end of the table.



pamela0810 said:


> No you haven't. It is not THE most frustrating thing I have ever done; it is ONE of the most frustrating things that I have ever done. Big difference.


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## Minamiller (Jan 10, 2014)

My point exactly. Leave it to the professionals. You can't do anything with it, forward it to someone who CAN. Well done BedouGirl.



BedouGirl said:


> And to expand further. I constantly receive CVs from folk (and even agencies) who have somehow gotten hold of my email ID (I am not in Recruitment or HR in my firm) but they think I am a possible inroad. I do not enter into correspondence or communication with these people because it is not appropriate. I forward everything to our Recruitment team for their attention. Our protocol is to acknowledge all CVs received, however, I am sure there are many companies that do not and I am sure this is why many people never hear anything having sent their CV to someone in an organization who has nothing to do with recruitment! Just my 2 fils!


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## QOFE (Apr 28, 2013)

Minamiller said:


> Well it shouldn't be "ONE" of the most frustrating things. If that's the case, then it may be best to leave it to the professionals who are paid to this. In this case, your boss. Do you know how many applicants have lost a great opportunity just because the person reviewing resumes was not competent enough or qualified to be reviewing resumes in the first place? I've had people call me to conduct a phone interview and had no idea what my background is. They can't pronounce my previous titles or don't understand what ITIL or ITSM is. Of course they go on to the next applicant. I've gone to face to face interviews where the person on the other end of the table pretends to understand what I'm saying but in reality has no idea what I'm talking about. They take personal calls while conducting the interview, leave the room for 30 minutes and don't ask if I have any questions for him. When asked specific questions about the company or the role, they have no clue where they work or what exactly their company does. When they ask you to come in for an interview at say 2:00 PM that same day, you confirm at the end of the conversation so see you at 2:00 PM, they respond with "Inshallah". Your 2 PM turns to 3:30 PM because the HR guy took a late lunch. So please don't volunteer to do something that you're not qualified for as this causes a great deal of loss to those who were a great fit for the role but lost the opportunity due to the incompetency of the person on the other end of the table.


I have to disagree with you. Pamela said she was looking through the CVs of the applicants applying for her job. I would think she would be pretty qualified to do so as she would know what is required to do the job.
In my previous jobs I have interviewed applicants and sometimes wondered how the hick did HR pass this one though to the interview stages.

However, no matter how useless the candidate was I would be conducting the interview in the same manner as with a good candidate. What a lot of interviewers seem to forget here is that they are representing their company and should always behave professionally.


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## The Rascal (Aug 6, 2014)

Minamiller said:


> Well it shouldn't be "ONE" of the most frustrating things. If that's the case, then it may be best to leave it to the professionals who are paid to this. In this case, your boss. Do you know how many applicants have lost a great opportunity just because the person reviewing resumes was not competent enough or qualified to be reviewing resumes in the first place? I've had people call me to conduct a phone interview and had no idea what my background is. They can't pronounce my previous titles or don't understand what ITIL or ITSM is. Of course they go on to the next applicant. I've gone to face to face interviews where the person on the other end of the table pretends to understand what I'm saying but in reality has no idea what I'm talking about. They take personal calls while conducting the interview, leave the room for 30 minutes and don't ask if I have any questions for him. When asked specific questions about the company or the role, they have no clue where they work or what exactly their company does. When they ask you to come in for an interview at say 2:00 PM that same day, you confirm at the end of the conversation so see you at 2:00 PM, they respond with "Inshallah". Your 2 PM turns to 3:30 PM because the HR guy took a late lunch. So please don't volunteer to do something that you're not qualified for as this causes a great deal of loss to those who were a great fit for the role but lost the opportunity due to the incompetency of the person on the other end of the table.


This post is so true, the employer isn't the only one doing the interview, the employee is also interviewing the company. 

If you come across really professional and know your job, the company, it's values, products, ethos etc., then regularly you won't get past "Johnny Mustache" as you threaten his job.

It also won't help you that you're female, that'll scare the living daylights out of them.

Good luck in your search.

And pamela810 - :yield:


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## QOFE (Apr 28, 2013)

The Rascal said:


> This post is so true, the employer isn't the only one doing the interview, the employee is also interviewing the company.
> 
> If you come across really professional and know your job, the company, it's values, products, ethos etc., then regularly you won't get past "Johnny Mustache" as you threaten his job.
> 
> ...


Ha ha ha. There seems to be a Johnny Moustache everywhere. In jewellery shops and in meeting rooms conducting unprofessional interviews...


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## NiceToqueEh (May 4, 2014)

Minamiller said:


> Well it shouldn't be "ONE" of the most frustrating things. If that's the case, then it may be best to leave it to the professionals who are paid to this. In this case, your boss. Do you know how many applicants have lost a great opportunity just because the person reviewing resumes was not competent enough or qualified to be reviewing resumes in the first place? I've had people call me to conduct a phone interview and had no idea what my background is. They can't pronounce my previous titles or don't understand what ITIL or ITSM is. Of course they go on to the next applicant. I've gone to face to face interviews where the person on the other end of the table pretends to understand what I'm saying but in reality has no idea what I'm talking about. They take personal calls while conducting the interview, leave the room for 30 minutes and don't ask if I have any questions for him. When asked specific questions about the company or the role, they have no clue where they work or what exactly their company does. When they ask you to come in for an interview at say 2:00 PM that same day, you confirm at the end of the conversation so see you at 2:00 PM, they respond with "Inshallah". Your 2 PM turns to 3:30 PM because the HR guy took a late lunch. So please don't volunteer to do something that you're not qualified for as this causes a great deal of loss to those who were a great fit for the role but lost the opportunity due to the incompetency of the person on the other end of the table.


I totally understand your frustration and agree that this happens here A LOT, but it's got nothing to do with what Pamela wrote. She said she is frustrated by having to trawl through piles of useless CV's - not that she is not qualified to do it.


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## TallyHo (Aug 21, 2011)

Some years ago I was chatting to a woman who'd been recruited from overseas and was in the process of hiring someone for her team. It was her first experience hiring locally within Dubai.

After some frustrating weeks reviewing inadequate CVs sent to her by the HR department, she happened to stop by HR and noticed that there were a bunch of CVs that'd been binned. Out of curiosity she picked up the CVs and started glancing through them. 

In her words, "there were some really bloody good candidates." She demanded to know why the CVs were in the bin and the specialist told her that she automatically threw away all the CVs that didn't come with a photograph. 

D'oh!


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## The Rascal (Aug 6, 2014)

TallyHo said:


> Some years ago I was chatting to a woman who'd been recruited from overseas and was in the process of hiring someone for her team. It was her first experience hiring locally within Dubai.
> 
> After some frustrating weeks reviewing inadequate CVs sent to her by the HR department, she happened to stop by HR and noticed that there were a bunch of CVs that'd been binned. Out of curiosity she picked up the CVs and started glancing through them.
> 
> ...


Was she a "Janey Moustache"?


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## Minamiller (Jan 10, 2014)

I understand NiceToqueEh but that's my point exactly. Having to trawl through piles of useless CV's is part of the job. If it frustrates you, then you shouldn't be shortlisting candidates. Frustration tends to interfere with our judgement and decision making skills. Whenever I needed to replace an employee, I would have him/ her attend the interview for 2 main reasons; 1- The applicant would get a better picture of what he/she is getting in to as to challenges, pros and cons of day to day operation of the role. 2- The employee (the subject matter expert) can provide the job applicant the better picture with specific details of the role. The employee can assess and recommend which candidates they think would be best suitable for their role but may not yet be qualified enough to be the decision makers. In other words, I would not let him/ her browse through CV's or conduct the interview on their own. Hiring a replacement is not about the person having the specific experience, education or hard skills. That's just 20-30% of the story. It's about how they present themselves over the phone, in person, their tone, their attitude, their people skills, soft skills, how would they fit within the team, the culture, the company etc... When I say you have to be qualified, it means you have to have the necessary skills, training, experience, capabilities in order to decide if a candidate is the right fit, all of this over a 30 min phone call.



NiceToqueEh said:


> I totally understand your frustration and agree that this happens here A LOT, but it's got nothing to do with what Pamela wrote. She said she is frustrated by having to trawl through piles of useless CV's - not that she is not qualified to do it.


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## NiceToqueEh (May 4, 2014)

Minamiller said:


> I understand NiceToqueEh but that's my point exactly. Having to trawl through piles of useless CV's is part of the job. If it frustrates you, then you shouldn't be shortlisting candidates. Frustration tends to interfere with our judgement and decision making skills. Whenever I needed to replace an employee, I would have him/ her attend the interview for 2 main reasons; 1- The applicant would get a better picture of what he/she is getting in to as to challenges, pros and cons of day to day operation of the role. 2- The employee (the subject matter expert) can provide the job applicant the better picture with specific details of the role. The employee can assess and recommend which candidates they think would be best suitable for their role but may not yet be qualified enough to be the decision makers. In other words, I would not let him/ her browse through CV's or conduct the interview on their own. Hiring a replacement is not about the person having the specific experience, education or hard skills. That's just 20-30% of the story. It's about how they present themselves over the phone, in person, their tone, their attitude, their people skills, soft skills, how would they fit within the team, the culture, the company etc... When I say you have to be qualified, it means you have to have the necessary skills, training, experience, capabilities in order to decide if a candidate is the right fit, all of this over a 30 min phone call.


Again, I agree with most of what you have written although I think any intelligent, reasonable person can screen CV's and weed out the completely irrelevant ones (NB I agree there are many unintelligent, unreasonable people performing this task). However, to say that you shouldn't be doing it if it frustrates you is a bit of an odd statement. Everyone has aspects of their jobs that are frustrating that they can still perform well - that's life.

Pamela was merely trying to point out how frustrating it can be looking for a candidate with a specific skillset when 99% of the applicants are time-wasters with zero chance of being able to perform the job.


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## Gavtek (Aug 23, 2009)

You're imagining that every company is a huge corporation with a dedicated HR department.

When I hired people in my last job, we had between 5 and 7 employees in our office in total with no HR staff whatsoever. When I needed to hire someone, I had to place the advert and review the CV's myself.

When the bulk of them are completely unsuitable, I don't really care how unfair it is on candidates who are down on their luck and are trying their best, if they come from the demographic that tends to be most at fault for unsuitable applications, they get a 5-10 second glance at their CV and if I can't immediately see they have the qualification and experience I'm looking for, it goes straight into my deleted items folder. If their cover letter/e-mail is poorly formatted, doesn't use proper English or even if they don't capitalise the first letter of their names, I don't even bother opening the CV as there's a 99% chance it's a "receptionist cum accountant" applying to be a Finance Manager with experience in a very specific part of a particular industry.

Yes there's a 1% chance I'm going to miss out on a good candidate, but I'm happy with the odds that this is unlikely to be mohammed aqbal who writes "plz review my profile. thx".


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## w_man (Apr 16, 2010)

Minamiller said:


> I understand NiceToqueEh but that's my point exactly. Having to trawl through piles of useless CV's is part of the job. If it frustrates you, then you shouldn't be shortlisting candidates. Frustration tends to interfere with our judgement and decision making skills. Whenever I needed to replace an employee, I would have him/ her attend the interview for 2 main reasons; 1- The applicant would get a better picture of what he/she is getting in to as to challenges, pros and cons of day to day operation of the role. 2- The employee (the subject matter expert) can provide the job applicant the better picture with specific details of the role. The employee can assess and recommend which candidates they think would be best suitable for their role but may not yet be qualified enough to be the decision makers. In other words, I would not let him/ her browse through CV's or conduct the interview on their own. Hiring a replacement is not about the person having the specific experience, education or hard skills. That's just 20-30% of the story. It's about how they present themselves over the phone, in person, their tone, their attitude, their people skills, soft skills, how would they fit within the team, the culture, the company etc... When I say you have to be qualified, it means you have to have the necessary skills, training, experience, capabilities in order to decide if a candidate is the right fit, all of this over a 30 min phone call.


I don't think anyone will argue that proper HR responsibilities are rare in this part of the world. I know people working for large 'western' companies while their Dubai office HR couldn't answer a single question in regards to labor laws. They don't have any idea how to screen resumes and certainly have no clue on how to conduct a professional interview. I am certain everyone will agree with you on this point because you always see threads where this is discussed - I believe one of the threads is started by yourself and most people sympathize with you.

Having said that - being desperate shouldn't be a reason to blindly throw out resumes. If anything, by doing so, you are creating the mess you are experiencing yourself. Doesn't matter how 'professional' you are - when you are hiring an chef while getting resumes for receptionists or electrical engineers - you will go through the 300 resumes quicker than you should.

I am not sure why some people are looking at this thread as an attack towards people who are looking for jobs. I would say it simply shows the other side of the story - and by learning the other side of the story, perhaps you can better prepare yourself to find that 'perfect' job. 

Just sayin - can't we all just get along? :yield:


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## The Rascal (Aug 6, 2014)

w_man said:


> Just sayin - can't we all just get along? :yield:


And how boring would that be, no-one has a difference of opinion or a different thought in their head, isn't that exactly what stifles growth, especially here?

Just sayin'...


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## Minamiller (Jan 10, 2014)

I certainly don't look at this thread as an attack towards job seekers. I agreed with the OP that it can be challenging at times. But not just in Dubai, everywhere. However, I question the professionalism and motivation of a few who come here and vent about a certain job applicant and how frustrating it is to find a decent candidate and worst call them names or make fun of them. How professional and motivated are you to make such statements? The title of the thread is "Why is it so difficult to find professional, motivated staff in Dubai" Let's discuss it as professionals without referring to job seekers (good or bad) as idiots or liars. 
I can't stand such personalities and that is my biggest weakness. Especially here in Dubai. I used to just step back and ignore them but sometimes I have to speak up.




w_man said:


> I don't think anyone will argue that proper HR responsibilities are rare in this part of the world. I know people working for large 'western' companies while their Dubai office HR couldn't answer a single question in regards to labor laws. They don't have any idea how to screen resumes and certainly have no clue on how to conduct a professional interview. I am certain everyone will agree with you on this point because you always see threads where this is discussed - I believe one of the threads is started by yourself and most people sympathize with you.
> 
> Having said that - being desperate shouldn't be a reason to blindly throw out resumes. If anything, by doing so, you are creating the mess you are experiencing yourself. Doesn't matter how 'professional' you are - when you are hiring an chef while getting resumes for receptionists or electrical engineers - you will go through the 300 resumes quicker than you should.
> 
> ...


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## NiceToqueEh (May 4, 2014)

Minamiller said:


> I certainly don't look at this thread as an attack towards job seekers. I agreed with the OP that it can be challenging at times. But not just in Dubai, everywhere. However, I question the professionalism and motivation of a few who come here and vent about a certain job applicant and how frustrating it is to find a decent candidate and worst call them names or make fun of them. How professional and motivated are you to make such statements? The title of the thread is "Why is it so difficult to find professional, motivated staff in Dubai" Let's discuss it as professionals without referring to job seekers (good or bad) as idiots or liars.
> I can't stand such personalities and that is my biggest weakness. Especially here in Dubai. I used to just step back and ignore them but sometimes I have to speak up.


I might have missed something, but I don't recall seeing any name-calling on this thread. I don't see what is unprofessional about stating that a lot of people lie on their CV's - they do! It's an observation rather than a judgment, and if pointing this out will make someone think twice about inflating their title then mission accomplished.


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## pamela0810 (Apr 5, 2010)

Minamiller said:


> I certainly don't look at this thread as an attack towards job seekers. I agreed with the OP that it can be challenging at times. But not just in Dubai, everywhere. However, I question the professionalism and motivation of a few who come here and vent about a certain job applicant and how frustrating it is to find a decent candidate and worst call them names or make fun of them. How professional and motivated are you to make such statements? The title of the thread is "Why is it so difficult to find professional, motivated staff in Dubai" Let's discuss it as professionals without referring to job seekers (good or bad) as idiots or liars.
> I can't stand such personalities and that is my biggest weakness. Especially here in Dubai. I used to just step back and ignore them but sometimes I have to speak up.


Alright then, I have read all 5 pages of this thread once again and cannot find any instance where a poster (myself included) has called anyone an idiot or a liar.

This is a public forum and everyone is free to post their opinion as long as it is within the forum rules. If you feel that someone is personally insulting you or violating any forum rules, please report it and the moderators will deal with it.

Thank you.


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## BedouGirl (Sep 15, 2011)

I'm also wondering how it is that certain statements are being made that appear to presume others are making assumptions. This thread is useful to all those who are looking for work and also a good platform for those who are looking for staff. Let's try not to take it to another level and if we see something we feel is not right, use our common sense to keep things on an even keel.


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## The Rascal (Aug 6, 2014)

When I'm looking for senior staff, especially native Persian speakers, my first port of call is usually LinkedIn, you'd be amazed at just how many people, especially in the IT industry, aren't on there. Let's face it Bayt is OK but LinkedIn is defacto surely?


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## twowheelsgood (Feb 21, 2013)

LinkedIn is a Western US construct - not many Persians will necessarily feel comfortable with using it.

There are plenty of alternatives out there and probably some regional specific variants


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## Minamiller (Jan 10, 2014)

I disagree. Persians currently residing in Iran won't be able to use LinkedIn as it is filtered and there's no comfort issue for those living outside of Iran. I use LinkedIn excessively and have many Persian connections. 



twowheelsgood said:


> LinkedIn is a Western US construct - not many Persians will necessarily feel comfortable with using it.
> 
> There are plenty of alternatives out there and probably some regional specific variants


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## Fat Bhoy Tim (Feb 28, 2013)

Well if it's any consolation to you guys, I'm in Doha facilitating a training event for our new graduate hires. Bunch of really smart kids so they'll make my life fairly easy.


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