Is your organisation ready for the Centennial workforce?

HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, declared 2017 as The Year of Giving. To contribute to this worthy initiative, PeopleFirst collaborated with American University in Dubai (AUD) to support students undertaking the HR Management module. Dedicating time and resources to this worthy cause, PeopleFirst worked in collaboration with the Assistant Dean and Associate Professor – Raj Kapoor, offering students the opportunity to work on a current business/HR related topic that will affect all organisations over the coming years – Preparing for the Centennial workforce.

Taking into consideration the syllabus of the HR Management module, PeopleFirst designed and supervised a project that required students to apply theoretical concepts, undertake a study and develop recommendations to address a variety of HR topics (see diagram on left) that employers, employees and HR teams alike, deal with on a day to day basis.

In this newsletter, PeopleFirst will share the recommendations from the project giving potential employers insights into the expectations of the Centennial generation.
In recognition of their efforts and in order to motivate the students, PeopleFirst donated a sum of AED 1,000 to the winning team (Job Design). The money was donated to Albustan Charity Association which was chosen by the students with the highest scores.

Let’s start by understanding more about the Centennial generation
Centennials, also known as Generation Z, are the generation of people born roughly between 1995 and 2008. It is expected that by 2020, Centennials will make up 20% of the workforce, making it important for us to understand how to prepare for the next Centennial workforce.

The most prominent difference between Centennials and other generations is that Centennials have never experienced a world without the internet. They have been brought up in vastly different circumstances than the Millennials, shaping them to be more tech savvy, educated, and can achieve what they set out to do with greater efficiency because of easier access to information.
The illustration below looks at Centennials in more detail:

Winning Team: Leon Halal, Sarah Farah, Sofiya Karaboikova, Mohammad BinHendi, Richelle Soni, Diana Saloum

HR Topic:  Job Design

Task: Design the ideal job for a Centennial which includes job purpose, job title, job role and responsibilities, working hours and employee expectations

The key research findings and recommendations presented by the winning team are summarized below:

• Job Autonomy: Centennials like to be in control of their progress and are willing to work hard when they are passionate about the results. 40% of the respondents said they want to be accountable for their actions and 34% agreed that they prefer a decentralized organization structure. The students recommended that future employers take advantage of this insight by redesigning the organization’s hierarchy in a way that would allow Centennials to work under limited supervision with more room for creativity and accountability.
• Job Variety: Centennials have shorter attention spans than the generations that preceded them and they excel at multi-tasking, making them more inclined towards task variety in their jobs. Only 30% of the respondents showed preference for working on a single task at a time, while the majority (49%) of respondents wanted to experience a variety of tasks in their job roles. Therefore, we recommend that employers broaden the scope of jobs in order to boost motivation levels, employee engagement, and productivity amongst Centennials.
• Flexible Working: Centennials not only enjoy variety in job tasks, but also look for flexible working arrangements. The students reported that when it comes to flexibility about when, where and how they work, Centennials prefer not to be restricted by rigid rules such as fixed work timings and fixed desk spaces. Research indicates that Centennials find it unfair to be considered ‘late’ for work if they arrive fifteen minutes after the start time, which in their opinion, can be made up at the end of the work day.  The students recommended that employers should include flexible working hours in their HR policies and focus more on the quality of work rather than time spent at work.  In addition, we recommend introducing ‘hot-desking’ as an innovative way to encourage a flexible and friendly work environment.

Team: Ayan Ali, Joe Karam, Zubier Hammadi, Mohamed Hamoud, Saakshi Rochlani

HR Topic:  Onboarding

Task: Design an Onboarding process tailored to the needs of Centennials

The students at AUD surprised us with an in-depth report on what Centennials expect on joining the workplace. The research findings are summarized below:

• Centennials are tech savvy and learn better through interactive videos / activities as opposed to an oral introduction to concepts. We recommend that employers use gamification to introduce the organization’s vision, mission, values and key policies.
• Centennials are more productive in a friendly work environment and employers can break the ice by inviting the new joiner to a team breakfast/lunch as soon as they join. In addition, the students recommended that employers should develop a ‘buddy’ system to introduce them to the organization and guide them through the first few weeks of employment.
• On the job training was a popular recommendation amongst the students because research suggests that the education system today does not fully prepare Centennials for the workplace and they expect to develop their skills on the job.
• The students recommended that employers provide a welcome kit to all new joiners and include in it the job description, organization chart, employee handbook, etc. We recommend making it more interesting by providing the welcome kit in the form of a mobile app which they can easily download and access in their own time.
• Further research on the topic suggests that offering company branded gifts like a mug, stationery, t-shirt and stickers help develop a positive image of the company when Centennials’ share photographs of their branded welcome gifts on social media networks.

We strongly recommend that Onboarding should not be a short-term process, but rather new joiners should be mentored throughout their employment with the company.

Team: Heba AlSawalhi, Omar Sabban, Abdulla Ghazali, Bassem Abou Daya, Hamza Barahim, Ahmad Khaled

HR Topic:  Career Development

Task: Design a career development process that balances the needs of an organization whilst motivating Centennials to grow with the company

27% of Centennials believe they should stay in their first job for a year or less. For employers, this can mean potential employee retention problems, which they can solve through the application of career development initiatives. Research on the topic revealed:

• Centennials place great emphasis on personal growth. If their needs for personal development are not met, they will not hesitate to look for a new job that offers better professional growth opportunities.
• Centennials have received more guidance from their parents and teachers than any other generation before them, which is why they expect some direction from their employers. Therefore, they expect to be mentored and trained continuously without being micromanaged.
• Centennials want to make an impact. They have specific expectations of how they want their career to progress and they look to their managers for one to one feedback on how they can continue to develop themselves in order to achieve professional success.
• Centennials value job security. Therefore, if a company invests in the development of its employees and keeps them engaged, the employer will be able to implement a successful succession planning framework, developing the next generation to become effective leaders!

We recommend that employers focus on customizing the career development framework to meet the expectations of the new generation in order to increase employee retention and also encourage professional growth amongst their employees.

Team:Ali Owji, Deena Abu Al Saad, Gurmeet Kapoor, Jimmy Bleibel, Mutasem Kuttenie

HR Topic:  Recruitment

Task: Design a robust recruitment process that is tailored to attract Centennials

The research conducted by students on this topic focused mainly on answering the questions around what will enable potential employers to attract Centennials.

• The students found that Centennials value social aspects of the work environment more than anything else when they are looking for a new job. Having good relationships with colleagues and their bosses, working in a happy environment and being surrounded by supportive and encouraging colleagues is important to them. Therefore, we recommend that employers focus on creating a positive work environment that encourages teamwork, mentoring and positivity. Employer branding can play an important role in attracting Centennials.
• The next thing Centennials look for when they apply for a new job is promotion opportunities in the workplace and an above average compensation & benefits package. While everyone wants a better salary package, Centennials are more eager to earn their way to the top. Therefore, it is important for employers to introduce the opportunities for growth while recruiting for the new position.
• Centennials also look for challenging work and innovative employers that encourage forward-thinking. One of the ways through which employers can demonstrate this creativity and open-mindedness is by using innovative means of advertising vacancies.

We suggest that employers do not ignore any aspect of these findings when designing an advertisement for recruitment.

Team: Dana Ismail, Hakim Hussein, Sandra Ghorayeb, Sultan Mohamed, Muhammed Al Gargawi

HR Topic:  Compensation & Benefits

Task: Design a Compensation & Benefits framework to help attract and retain a young Centennial

The students found that Centennials value transparency and would like to know that the company follows a fair and transparent grading system that justifies why employees are paid differently. The research indicates:

• Centennials are not only looking for monetary rewards, but are looking for benefits such as flexibility in working hours, health club memberships, corporate discounts for retail and hospitality, health insurance and interest free car loans. The students suggested that Centennials are likely to stay longer with a company that offers such benefits.
• Centennials value having benefits and compensation personalized around their individual lives rather than receiving fixed and standard packages. Therefore, employers may benefit from looking for innovative and personalized ways to reward their employees in non-monetary terms.
• Centennials are likely to pursue further studies after starting their careers. A popular benefit that Centennials seem to seek from their employers is allowance for further studies. This can be a benefit not only for the employee, but also for the employer.

Team: Basel Abotteen, Nawar Aji, Mustafa Hassan, Khaled Rahmo, Joseph Zakhia

HR Topic:  Performance Management

Task: Design a performance appraisal process for Centennials, considering the frequency of reviews, employee ratings, link to reward and handling poor performance

The students suggest that the key to better operational performance is effective performance management.

• Centennials want instant feedback on their performance and they prefer to receive this feedback in person because they see it as an important contributor to their personal and professional growth. Therefore, we recommend that employers provide constant feedback in order to obtain immediate results. The focus of appraisals should be performance development and instant feedback is likely to have positive results.

We enjoyed the experience of working with the students and faculty at AUD and were impressed with the quality of work presented to us. We wish potential employers the best of luck in attracting and retaining the new generation workforce!

Innovation is changing the HR world today. Technology is bringing improvements in speed, service and quality, however, many HR departments have continued operating throughout the years as they have always done and have not evolved to take advantage of the opportunities available from the new technological developments.

Instead of embedding outdated processes, HR professionals should re-think the way they operate and ensure that they make the best use of technology, systems and communication. The focus should be on innovating new ways to solve old problems. HR needs to re-visit, evaluate and update its processes to ensure that the HR department provides high value-adding levels of service.

What is HR process re-engineering?

HR process re-engineering is all about optimization and continuous improvement. It is the fundamental rethinking and radical redesign that leads to an increase in productivity. The aim of process re-engineering is to improve the level of process performance in order to achieve significant and sustainable improvements in the performance of your HR department. Through HR process re-engineering, HR professionals can re-think how they operate and find better or improved ways to provide HR services.

What steps are involved?

HR process re-engineering consists of six fundamental steps as shown in the figure below:

HR process re-engineering starts with data gathering to understand the current activities and processes. It is important to involve the key subject experts at this stage as they know the processes and problematic areas in detail. A focus should be placed on the analysis stage, considering end users and internal requirements to ensure a successful outcome. When re-designing, each activity should be challenged to ensure that duplications and blockages are removed and unnecessary steps and processes are eliminated. Implementation is one of key steps in successful process re-engineering. To effectively implement the HR processes, change needs to be managed effectively and HR should communicate and address issues upfront to obtain buy-in.

What are the benefits and ROI?

There are many benefits of using this tool and some of the expected outcomes include:

• Reduced Cost – There are a number of areas where your company can achieve cost reduction. This includes time-savings and a reduction of error rates. In addition, when a self-service option is provided to employees there is potential saving in cost by reducing manpower requirements.
• Increase in departmental efficiency – Process re-engineering will drive the automation of a lot of repetitive elements and therefore you will be able to remove duplicate steps and parallel processing. The improvement will give the HR team the capacity to focus on value-added activities moving away from transactional to strategic HR.
• Employee engagement – By optimizing your HR processes you can make your employees happier as issues that they are facing can be handled faster through automation.
• Improvement in customer service levels – Process re-engineering ensures that the quality of HR services and information is delivered efficiently and consistently across the business.

When is HR process re-engineering the answer?

Knowing when and how to innovate is a challenge for every HR function. A close and critical assessment of HR processes will provide clarity and focus on whether a re-design of an HR process is required. Some of the red flags include:

• The presence of non value-added activities e.g. using both excel/spreadsheets and I.T for tracking purposes
• Duplication in steps for process completion e.g. multiple data entry
• Deviations in the process e.g. difference in requirements for the same service
• SLAs are not adhered to
• Disconnect between end-user requirements and the services provided

PeopleFirst is experienced in HR process re-engineering. We have worked with a range of clients to analyse their current HR processes and systems and aligned them to business needs, thus helping the organization move forward towards fulfilling its long- term vision. We further provide end-to-end outsourcing solutions through an online, cloud-based portal where we help companies to streamline and automate their HR processes.

On behalf of PeopleFirst, I am pleased to formally launch the Leaders for Tomorrow programme. This is a CSR initiative developed and managed by PeopleFirst and is aimed at providing young individuals (graduates & post graduates) across the UAE with an opportunity to connect and interact with experienced professionals from different industry sectors through a structured mentoring programme.

The programme provides a structured framework to initiate and facilitate mentoring relationships that will support many young individuals across the region in their professional development. At the same time it will give working professionals the opportunity to give back to their communities and shape the future generation of leaders.

We need your support to help make this programme a success. Download the programme guidelines (see link below) that tell you everything you need to know about the programme. Please take a moment to read this and get in contact if you would like to be a Mentor or if you would like to take part in the programme as a Mentee.

Click here to download the Programme Guidelines

Contact us at leaders@peoplefirstme.com and lets give back by sharing our experiences and developing talent for the future!

Although the beginning of the year started off with a feeling of uncertainty, it appears we are now finally headed towards some positive news. GDP growth which was at 2.0% at the beginning of the year has picked up and is expected to continue to rise, reaching an expected figure of around 3.4% in 2018. On the other hand, the introduction of VAT is likely to raise inflation from 3.7% in 2017 to 4.8% in 2018.

So, what does this all mean for salary pay trends in the UAE for 2017-2018, and how will this affect employers and employees?

Basic Salary

In 2016-2017, the overall trend for increase in basic salary was about 2.5% in the UAE. The diagram on the left summarizes the percentage of people that received an increase in basic salary versus those who received no increase, in companies that implemented a pay review in 2017. 66% of the employees received an average increase of 3.6% in their basic salary, while 34% of the employees did not receive any increase in basic salary.

So how did this further break down across all job levels, grades and industry sectors? The tables below summarize the differences in basic pay trends at different job levels and across industry sectors during 2017.

While senior management and management level employees enjoyed pay rises between 2.4% to 3.0%, increases for clerical roles were as low as 1.8%. Moreover, there was a complete reversal in the pay trends across industry sectors this year. In 2016 we saw Healthcare, FMCG, Technology and Automotive industries enjoy the highest increase which went up to as high as 7.0%. However, this year, these very industry sectors have seen the lowest increase. In fact, the Healthcare industry saw a decrease of up to -1.0% in 2017.  The Transportation, Logistics and Cargo industries enjoyed the highest increase during 2017 which went up to 4.0%, followed by the Insurance, Retail, Pharma and Education sectors.

UAE Nationals

2016-2017 saw the gap between the salaries paid to UAE Nationals versus Expatriates grow, with UAE Nationals being paid 40% to 60% higher on guaranteed cash. At lower level roles the difference was around AED 2,500 per month, however at higher level management roles this gap was as big as AED 10,000 per month.

Allowances

While basic salary increased by 2.5%, allowances increased by only about 1.5% in 2016-2017. This means that guaranteed fixed cash increased by 2.1% this year. Allowances remained at the 60:40 split and housing allowances were as good as frozen. While this may not have affected residents of Dubai negatively, as housing rental costs dropped by 5.0%, residents in Abu Dhabi would have felt the squeeze as housing rental costs in Abu Dhabi increased this year.

Bonus Payment

Actual bonus payments in early-2017 were at about 85% of On-Target which was down from 90% of On-Target from the previous year. The overall impact of this puts the increase of total cash earnings at about 2.0% compared to 1.9% in 2016.

Benefits

This year, the average school fees and medical insurance costs in the UAE increased as illustrated in the table below.

As a result of this, the overall cost of benefits rose by 5.0% to 7.0% and became a cause for concern as the limits were not in line with the actual expenditure. In fact, education allowances in 2016-2017 were seen to be reimbursed at an average of 70.0% to 75.0% of the actual costs, continuing to make it more of a subsidy rather than an allowance.

In conclusion, after studying the pay trends from 2012 up to 2017, and analyzing the forecasts for 2018, it seems that pay trends will remain stable at 3.0% in 2018. However, if we look at this in terms of real increases (after the impact of inflation), it appears that pay increases will not keep pace with inflation in 2018, just like 2017.

What Should You Be Doing in 2018?

The Market seems to have picked up in the Q3 & Q4 of 2017, and there is a positive feeling that things will continue to look up in 2018 as Expo approaches. The biggest indicator of this is the double-digit attrition rates, which has been the highest since 2007 and is expected to fuel a boom in the economy.

Here are our top two tips for employers and business owners that will help to prepare for 2018:

• It will be important to have robust retention policies to retain talent, however these should cover more than just elements of compensation and benefits. More and more young talent are looking at more than just the pay cheque to keep them motivated and engaged with an organisation and therefore having robust retention policies in place can add value to the organisation

• Consider your readiness to attract talent from Generation Z which has already started to enter the workforce. This generation has very different expectations from their future employers, so you may need to review your HR practices in order to be prepared. For more information on how to prepare for Generation Z, refer to our newsletters on ‘The Future Summit’  and ‘Ready for the Centennial Workforce?’

If you would like assistance and support with any of the recommendations above, or to review your compensation and benefits packages please do not hesitate to get in touch with us on info@peoplefirstme.com.

Our Managing Director, Asma Bajawa, was invited to speak at a conference in Karachi, Pakistan in October. This conference, called The Future Summit, focused on the digital era and explored how leadership is likely to develop in the years to come. As one of the guest speakers and panel members, Asma spoke about Generation Z (people born between 1995 –2010) and how this future workforce is shaping up in Pakistan. The focus of Asma’s session was to help employers prepare for this upcoming generation of employees.

Building on our collaboration with the American University in Dubai (AUD) earlier this year, we decided to extend our research into Generation Z to include Pakistan. Our aim was to look closer into this generation and see if there were any significant differences between the UAE and Pakistan as an indication of cross country and cross-cultural differences. As a result, PeopleFirst conducted an online survey and face to face interviews of c200 Generation Z university students in Pakistan.

Our research found that there are no significant differences in the views and expectations of our sample of Generation Z, in Pakistan versus the UAE; in fact there were many similarities. This exercise led us to investigate further and understand more about the factors that have shaped and influenced this generation; what makes them tick and what are their expectations when it comes to the work place.

Generation Z, a generation of ‘digital natives’ have been shaped by a number of different factors such as globalization, which has a lot to do with how fast digital technology has spread and connected people across the world. They have lived their whole lives in an information age where they don’t need to wait for a response. The answers they want come to them immediately through smartphones and tablets. They prefer communicating in real-time, which is made easy for them through digital technology.

Generation Z has been brought up by Generation X and have spent their formative years listening to bad news about the economy. Some of them have seen their parents lose jobs and struggle to pay the bills and therefore, this has played an important role in shaping their thoughts on debt, fiscal planning and job security.

Moreover, having been exposed to constant news about global warming, Generation Z feels strongly about taking action to fix global issues rather than ignore them, which has shaped their thoughts on social responsibility. All this helps to explain some interesting facts about Generation Z as illustrated on the right.

Coming back to the conference, Asma also took into consideration some local issues in Pakistan that will impact what employers need to think about going forward:

• There has been a 50% increase in the number of female workers in Pakistan since 2000
• There is an increase in the number of students receiving higher education
• Technology has made processes more efficient
• Businesses don’t just serve local markets anymore, they go global
• Employment laws and working practices are evolving

Keeping in mind the expectations of Generation Z along with the evolving trends in Pakistan, Asma discussed HR initiatives that employers can take to attract and retain bright young talent. This covered the following areas:

1. Recruitment and Selection

• Employer branding matters! Employers should focus on CSR initiatives to attract young talent that care about your company’s cause
• CV screening may not be the most appropriate method of shortlisting as many young people have not worked before and therefore they do not believe a CV is the best way to shortlist them
• Games and face-to-face interviews along with a ‘’one-day trial’’ may be a good way to assess potential employees

2. Onboarding

• During the orientation process, employers should include information about the company’s internal culture and team rather than information readily available online
• The onboarding process should be interactive to help new joiners mingle and get to know their new colleagues
• Branded give-aways are a great idea as new joiners from Generation Z will definitely post a picture on social media which is great for employer branding

3. Job Design

• Allow them to take responsibility but be on hand to support and coach them if needed
• Assign a mentor, but don’t micro manage!
• Create an office environment that gives a sense of belonging and ‘my space’
• Consider flexible working options. Generation Z do not want to me be manged by the clock. They are happy to work hard and be stretched but don’t want to hang around if there is nothing to do
• Don’t exclude Generation Z just because they are new. They are happy to have a go so give them a chance

4. Compensation and Benefits

• Rethink your compensation and benefits packages as Generation Z would prefer a balance of monetary and non-monetary elements such as sports club memberships and travel opportunities which are little more unconventional
• Generation Z want to be recognized if they do good work so it will be important to have reward schemes that can give on the spot recognition

5. Performance Management

• Do away with annual appraisals. Instead, incorporate a mechanism for regular/continuous feedback conversations
• Provide feedback through face-to-face conversations where the focus should be on development and recommending ways to improve
• When they do well make sure you recognise and celebrate their successes and achievements

6. Career Development

• Generation Z definitely learn differently so offering a more diverse range of training options will be important
• Explore methods to provide training outside of the work space

Our insights into Generation Z have helped us to understand some of the specific needs of this generation and the potential benefits they will bring to the workplace. We cannot wait to see these changes start to take place in the organisations that we work with!

As a business owner and employer, I am always looking for good talent but finding talented people with the right skills, qualifications and attitude isn’t always easy. What I have learnt over 33 years of experience is never to recruit someone in a hurry, as you are likely to make mistakes and overlook things and that can be costly. Not only can it be expensive to hire the wrong person but it can have a disruptive effect on the team if people come and go because they are the wrong fit or don’t have the right skills.

Applying for jobs can be easy, nowadays; just upload your CV and click ‘send’ or ‘submit’ and the job is done; but is that enough? Applying for a job and marketing yourself in the right way must be taken seriously and can take time and due consideration. It takes effort, commitment and creativity in today’s competitive world; at least that’s what I expect to see as a prospective employer.

So, if your CV is at the bottom of huge pile of other CVs and you are one of a dozen other candidates to be interviewed, how are you going to stand out and make a positive lasting impression?

Step 1 – Imagine yourself in this job

Marketing yourself starts from the point that you are thinking of applying for a job. When you see a job advertised that you think is suitable, straight away you will start to think about whether or not this is the right role for you. One aspect of this is thinking about the company and the job role and if this is what you are looking for. The other, equally important aspect, is thinking about whether or not you are a good fit for this role and what you have to offer so that you can present yourself as the best person for this job. You may ask yourself: do I have the skills? can I do the job? do I have the relevant experience? All of these are the right questions to set yourself in the right direction of marketing yourself in a positive way.

Step 2 – Introducing yourself through your CV

Your CV is the first impression; it’s how you introduce yourself to a prospective employer without having the opportunity to see them face to face or verbally talk to them. Whether you are presenting yourself on paper, through a traditional CV, or through a video application, think about what you want to say and what the employer is looking for. Some simple tips:

• Your CV should be easy to read; keep it to a maximum of 2-3 pages
• Structure your CV it in a way so that it is logical and the most important information is on the first page
• Customise your CV to the job role you are applying for so it highlights your suitability for the role
• When detailing your experience think about what you achieved in each role and highlight this rather than just listing tasks
• Make sure the information is correct e.g. dates of employment
• Check your contact information is correct and up to date
• Presentation is important so pay attention to detail, the layout of the CV, formatting and of course the spelling!

If you are building an online CV through a job portal or company website make sure you give yourself enough time to do this. Think about the search engine used to screen your CV and what words might be used to filter CVs. It is important to tailor your CV / application to make it relevant to the vacancy. If you make the recruiters job easy by presenting your CV in a reader friendly manner they are less likely to put your CV aside because it too lengthy or difficult to read.

Step 3 – Preparing for the Interview

If you have been invited for an interview this is great news because the prospective employer thinks you can do the job. It’s unlikely that anyone is going to waste their time interviewing candidates that they don’t think are suitable. It’s natural to be nervous and a little anxious but try and channel this nervous energy in a positive way. Don’t find reasons to tell yourself why you won’t get the job e.g. I’m too young or too old, instead focus on what you have to offer and how you are going to use the interview to communicate what the interviewer wants to know about you.

Good preparation is the key to marketing yourself in the right way and ultimately a successful interview.  Most interviewers will ask some standard questions like ‘tell me about yourself’ or ‘why should I hire you’. These are your golden opportunities to really sell yourself. Think about what you have to offer and prepare a response that highlights why you should be hired and what you have to offer. If you are unprepared for these types of questions you may lose valuable time in the interview thinking of what to say and the likelihood is you will forget the most important things. Take time to think about how you will respond to these type of questions and don’t be afraid to practice. Remember your response to a question like this should be concise and hard hitting so try not to waffle and make sure you bring out the skills and experience relevant to the job vacancy.

If you take time to prepare and think about the interview you should come up with a list of questions that the interviewer is likely to ask you, so all you have to do is be ready with your answers. In doing this, think about examples you can use if you are asked questions like ‘tell me about a time’ ‘give me an example of when’  ‘have you ever had a situation’. It’s hard to remember good examples on the spot so take time to recall your experiences so that you can share this in the interview and demonstrate how you dealt with similar experiences or situations in the past. This demonstrates what you have done in the past and that you are likely you do again in the future; using hypothetical examples are less convincing.

Whist you are preparing don’t forget to think about what questions you would like to ask. Most interviews will ask you if you have any questions at the end of the interview so don’t be afraid to say ‘yes I do have some questions I have prepared’. It’s ok to have them written down so you don’t forget them. Again it demonstrates you are taking this seriously and you are well prepared. Avoid asking questions related to salary (in particular during the first interview).  Some examples of questions you may wish to ask:

• What are the opportunities for growth in the company?
• What is the interviewer’s experience of working in the company?
• What is the work environment or organisational culture like?
• Could you explain your organisational structure?
• What do you most enjoy about your organisation?

So now you are ready for your interview and all you need to do is ‘look the part’ so make sure you think about your dress code and appearance. Its always better to be more formally dressed than under dressed for an interview. This is all part and parcel of how you market yourself.

Step 4  – Handling the Interview

The interview is your ‘stage’ and your opportunity to really promote and market yourself. The only challenge is that you have a limited time slot to convey the messages you want by answering the questions that are posed to you. This is where your preparation will be helpful. If you know what you want to say, use the questions as opportunities to highlight these things. In doing this it is important to listen to the questions and make sure you answer these fully, however the focus should be on highlighting your skills and experience. All of this, in a genuine, warm and friendly manner. If this is your first job interview then draw on examples of your academic career where possible otherwise your personal life.  One important thing to remember is always be honest during the interview otherwise you are likely to get caught out.

‘So how did you prepare for this interview?’ This is a question I always ask in a face to face interview and I am always surprised when some candidates proudly tell me they didn’t prepare! It’s almost as if they are telling me they didn’t need to prepare! What I want to hear is that someone has taken the time to consider the job role, researched the company and then thought about how they were going to promote themselves and impress me enough to be offered a job. It’s important to demonstrate that you have taken the time to prepare and this says a lot about how you approach things.

Remember, the interviewer has limited time in which to get to know you, understand your experience and then make a decision on whether or not to hire you, so make sure you use this opportunity in the best way possible. The interviewer may not know anything about you so they will be relying on the information you give them during the interview.

Finally, during the interview (particular the first interview) try and avoid asking questions related to the salary and focus using this opportunity to ask questions to understand more about the company and demonstrate that you have done your research.

Step 5 – After the Interview

Make sure you send a thank you email to the interviewer. If you missed something really important in the interview that you want to include, you could do this in the follow up email however, you must keep this brief.

Do’s and Don’ts

Do’s

• Mention volunteering experience (if any)
• Mention your accomplishments
• Make sure the start and end dates for previous work history are correct
• Make sure there are no spelling and grammatical errors in your CV
• Mention your contact details
• Be prepared

Don’ts

• Don’t be dishonest or over exaggerate your experience or qualifications
• Don’t be late for the interview
• Don’t talk negatively about your current employer
• Don’t use someone’s name when giving examples

Recent headlines about performance management suggest that something significant is happening. Headlines such as “Companies Getting Rid of Performance Appraisals” and “Performance Management is Not Performing” seem to be dominating the HR world. Are you confused about what this all means and what you should be doing going forward? Well you are not alone. Many business leaders, managers and HR professionals alike are unsure of what this means. This article seeks to answer some of the questions about the recent changes and trends in performance management and provides guidance to managers and HR professionals on what they should be thinking about in respect of their performance management practices.

Question: Is performance management redundant and now a thing of the past?

Answer: No. Performance management is still very much alive and needed.  However, the process of how organisations manage the performance of their people is starting to change. The aim of performance management is still very valid and strives to improve individual performance in order to enhance the overall performance of an organisation. However, the ‘how we do this’ is where the key changes are happening.

Question: What has changed and why?

Answer: In summary, recent changes are leaning towards simplifying the performance management process making it more agile and relevant to the business needs.

Delving more deeply, we have identified two (2) key things that are changing in the performance management process. Firstly, the ‘annual performance review’ or the ‘annual appraisal’ that traditionally takes place at the end of the year is being replaced by more regular informal reviews. Organisations have begun to question if the traditional approach of a ‘once a year appraisal’, which is seen as an administrative and burdensome task, is adding value, and are realizing that the value added does not reflect the time and effort spent.

The second change is the focus of the performance management discussion. Traditionally, the focus of the discussion has been to review progress against each objective and competency, and provide feedback on what was achieved during the last year. In other words the discussion is focused retrospectively on past performance.

New thinking is shifting towards a greater focus on what an individual needs to do to achieve the desired results for the upcoming weeks/months rather than what happened in the past. The focus is on communication, coaching and support.

In addition to the above, new technology tools are supporting these changes in helping companies to make their performance management system more agile through setting and sharing goals and providing feedback in real time.

Question: Is objective setting still important?

Answer: Yes. Objective setting is still important as this process helps organisations break down and cascade the strategy into specific objectives which provides clarity and direction for employees. However, the traditional approach to setting objectives only once a year is no longer seen to be fit for purpose and organisations are shifting towards setting objectives more frequently throughout the year to meet the dynamics of the business e.g. monthly or quarterly.

New approaches are emerging such as the “MSC” approach. This is summarised below:

• M – What must an individual do this month
• S – What should an individual do this month
• C – What extra could an individual do this month

The approach allows managers to adapt more easily to constant changes in their business demands and environment.

Question: Are performance ratings alive?

Answer: Yes. Performance ratings are alive and still being used by organisations to differentiate performance for reward and pay decisions.

Although some major players such as Microsoft have removed ratings, this is still being tried and tested. Some organisations have found this to be a successful strategy but more organisations have reported that this has not been successful. Without ratings managers find it hard to explain to employees how they are performing and employees find it hard to understand their level of performance. For this strategy to work it requires significant investment to ensure that managers have the capability to implement the change.

Question: Is calibration still practiced?

Answer: Yes. Calibration remains a key driver for performance management success. Through the process, companies ensure fairness and consistency in how managers rate employees’ performance which is important as promotions, career and compensation decisions are all based on the performance evaluation. Even in a no rating environment, organizations are still making performance based pay decisions through a combination of business metrics and calibration committees.

Question: Is forced distribution still practiced?

Answer: No. Forced distribution is becoming unpopular and companies are avoiding using it. Forced distribution describes a comparison measure where managers are obliged to rate their employees according to a set distribution. It generates negative employee reactions and managers feel they have not been able to evaluate their teams fairly.

Question: How can I ensure my performance management framework is effective?  

Establishing an effective approach to performance management is a challenge. Is your company taking steps to address the problem? Contact us to find out how PeopleFirst can help you revamp your performance management system.

Whilst reviewing the recent changes in the world of performance management, two companies that are pioneering the process caught our attention. We would like to share their new practices with you.

Booking.com

Booking.com have re-defined their performance management system and are no longer relying on a once-a-year performance appraisal. The company is now using a technology tool to conduct regular 360 degree feedback where employees give and receive instant feedback using their smartphone. Through the data collected, the responses are weighted in real time which allows for a complete picture of how people are performing from different perspectives.

Deloitte

Deloitte has shifted their performance assessment from evaluating past results to evaluating future performance. At the end of projects, Deloitte is now asking its team leaders to respond to statements about their employees which are future focused e.g. “Given what I know of this person’s performance, I would always want him or her on my team [measures ability to work well with others on the same five-point scale]”. The company has implemented this change to bring consistency in their rating system.

Talk by Founder & Managing Director, PeopleFirst Middle East, Asma Bajawa @ The Future Summit

In our November newsletter we published an article titled ‘The Future Summit’, which detailed our Managing Director, Asma Bajawa’s talk on Generation Z at The Future Summit which was held in Karachi, Pakistan. The summit focused on the digital era and explored how leadership is likely to develop in the years to come.

As one of the guest speakers and panel members, Asma spoke about Generation Z (people born between 1995 – 2010) and how this future workforce is shaping up in Pakistan. The focus of Asma’s session was to help employers prepare for this upcoming generation of employees.

Building on our collaboration with the American University in Dubai (AUD), PeopleFirst’s Managing Director had the privilege of working with Dr. Raj Kapoor, Professor of HRM at AUD to assess Sheikha Meera Hazza’s HRM project. Sheikha Meera Hazza delivered a project on ‘Job Design’ however expanded her research to cover both the UAE and USA to understand and compare what future employees across both countries expect from an ideal job and how employers can attract and retain this new generation. A summary of Sheikha Meera Hazza’s project is presented below:

Working Hours

“Young adults are more likely to choose jobs that offer flexible work options.” Sheikha Meera Hazza explored various flexible working options such as flexible working hours and flexible working methods like telecommuting.

Sheikha Meera Hazza’s research found that respondents in UAE showed a higher preference for flexible working hours, while respondents from both countries had a very low preference for flexible working methods such as telecommuting.

Exploring this further, Sheikha Meera Hazza asked the respondents to describe themselves as either introverts or extroverts to see if this had any correlation to their preferences. 71% of the respondents described themselves as extroverts which may explain why telecommuting is not a preferred option for this generation. Further research suggests that telecommuting may inhibit creativity and teamwork.

Job Autonomy

“Millennials are motivated in an environment that grants them freedom and trust.”

The results from the UAE showed a preference for working in organizations with an informal structure that enables autonomy and allows people the freedom to make decisions. On the other hand, the respondents in USA were more inclined towards working in organisations with a formal structure as they seem to prefer guidance and direction from their leaders. This is illustrated in the diagrams above. Sheikha Meera Hazza feels that this difference could be attributed to the entrepreneurial mindset of people in UAE which may influence the younger generation.

Job Responsibility and Accountability

The results below show that respondents in both UAE and USA would like to take responsibility and be accountable for their work.

Jobholder Expectations

The chart below illustrates what the young generation in the UAE and USA expect from their future jobs:

The most important concern for the young generation in the UAE and USA seems to be ‘giving back to the environment’ with 63% of the respondents choosing it as one of the most important aspects of their job. Second to that is the opportunity for career growth, while monetary rewards are the least important for most respondents. Based on the research Sheikha Meera Hazza recommends that employers focus on CSR activities and providing opportunities for career growth to the young employees in their organizations in order to attract and retain young talent.

Corporate Culture and Atmosphere

All respondents showed a clear preference for working in organisations that promote friendly work relationships. Sheikha Meera Hazza further explored the culture of a globally recognized employer ‘Google’ and found that Google has taken measures to ensure that employees get time and opportunities to socialize with one another in the workplace, which Google believes promotes creativity. Sheikha Meera Hazza recommends that a friendly and collaborative working environment should become the foundation of any company’s work culture.

We found that Sheikha Meera Hazza’s research was aligned with the research conducted by other students at AUD last year. Therefore, we recommend that employers take advantage of these findings to update their HR frameworks which in turn will help them to attract and retain young talent.

Developing effective, efficient and compliant HR policies can be a difficult and time-consuming task and we are happy to announce that our ‘HR Essentials’ pack is now here to help. Developed by PeopleFirst, our ‘HR Essentials’ pack includes a comprehensive ready to use HR Policy Handbook that can help companies manage the HR requirements for their organization in an efficient and compliant manner. The ‘HR Essentials’ pack is ideal for startup organizations and SME’s that would like to ensure their HR practices are aligned to the regulatory requirements, administered effectively, and provide a foundation for their HR practices to support the business.

WHAT ARE THE KEY BENEFITS?

➤ Ready to use immediately
➤ Ensures compliance with UAE legislation and regulatory standards
➤ Provide clear guidelines on how to deal with all contractual HR related matters
➤ Branded to your company requirements
➤ Provides a point of reference for managers and employees
➤ Clearly outlines the responsibilities of both the employer and the employee in the employment relationship

WHAT DOES THE HR ESSENTIALS KIT INCLUDE?

◉ A Contractual HR Policy Handbook

The HR policy handbook is fully aligned and compliant to UAE legal regulations. The handbook covers all contractual elements as required by law (detailed in figure 1 below)

◉ HR Forms & Templates

The HR forms and templates support the full employee lifecycle from joining right through to separation from the company

◉ An Employment Contract Template

The ready to use legally compliant employment contract template ensures that the contractual relationship between the employer and the employee(s) is clearly defined

◉ Complimentary HR Advisory Services

Benefit from complementary HR technical expertise across all areas of HR to support the requirements of your business