How to answer dreaded job question: ‘Why should we hire you’? Don’t repeat what’s already mentioned on CV.

Most often those on the interview board ask candidates the same set of questions and one of them that figures prominently on the list is ‘why should we hire you’?

And, here candidates make the mistake of just repeating what’s already mentioned on the CV. The recruiters are not looking for that. They want to hear a smart and witty answer than the old boring things like you are a hard working employee, sincere and well experienced.

On the contrary, your answer you should serve as an opportunity to let your employer know what you have to offer, why you are the perfect candidate for the job and can bring things to the table which other may not and this can be done in three steps.

Step 1# Research the role and the company

If you are shortlisted and called for an interview, the first thing is to do a thorough research of the company and the job applied for.

Quite often candidates just turn for the interview without even knowing what is expected of them and this will definitely show during the interview process.

The secret is to review the job description and the company and then match it with your resume and ask yourself some questions. What are the necessary qualifications for this position from the company’s perspective and do you meet them? In which areas of expertise do you really shine and if you are lacking something prepare some answers to cover that area? How your strengths far outweigh if something is missing?

Step 2# How are you different?

You have to come up with some convincing answers that make you different from the typical candidate. For example, if you’ve applied for a marketing job, you should have something more than a simple marketer can offer. It could be your presentation making skills, social media skills or a big network of clients and this is what could differentiate you from the crowd.

Step 3# How are you passionate about the job?

An individual will do his best and succeed in his job only if he is passionate about the job. And, that’s what the employers want to hear from you. They want a candidate who is full of energy and looking forward to work for them. Blank statement like, “I like the company and its culture,” are too mundane and won’t sell you.

And, if you’ve researched the company and compared it with competitors in the market you will have an idea of how to differentiate it and why it makes an employer of choice.

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Pakistani alert: How to land a job legally in the UAE

Labour Attaché at Pakistan consulate in Dubai offers checklist for Pakistanis looking for jobs in Gulf.

Millions of Pakistanis are working overseas with many of them in the UAE and the neighbouring Gulf states.

Many more are looking to move overseas in search of greener pastures.

Spending hundreds of thousands of rupees, some of them are trapped by unauthorised agents luring them by offering jobs.

Since using unauthorised agents is illegal and also fraught with risks, Pakistani job-seekers have now been advised to go through proper government channels.

A senior labour official here in Dubai has suggested young Pakistanis looking for jobs in the Gulf region to have properly documented contracts and also utilise government-approved employment agencies to get jobs.

Read: Dubai helps 7 stranded Pakistanis return home

“People should come through government-approved recruitment agencies rather than unauthorised private agents,” Haroon Malik, Community Welfare and Labour Attaché at Pakistan consulate in Dubai.

Replying to a query on how young Pakistanis looking for jobs in the UAE can get jobs through proper legal process and without involving unauthorised agents, Malik said the procedure is the that the employer in the UAE or any other country will have an agreement with Pakistan Overseas Employment Promoters Association.

The two parties negotiate the terms and conditions for the recruitment of the labourers on their behalf in Pakistan. That document is then attested by the Labour Attaché Office there in Pakistan.

The parametres that have been set by consulate here in Dubai is that the people pay a visit to the employer and the company to enquire about the work and living conditions of the workers.

During the interview, the consulate assesses the company or employer’s profile and attests the documents.

Then the jobs are advertised in the media based on the terms and conditions set between the two parties.

The interested candidates can then apply for jobs and interviews.

Malik noted that the employees must go through the contract and fully understand the terms and conditions. “They (candidates) should trust the salary mentioned on the contract with the employer rather than verbal agreement.”

Below is a guide for Pakistanis looking to seek employment in the UAE and other Gulf states through legal channels which will also help them ensure their rights are protected.

Step 1: Employer and Pakistan Overseas Employment Promoters Association sign contract

Step 2: Two parties negotiate terms and conditions for hiring the candidates from Pakistan for overseas employment

Step 3: Documents are attested by the Labour Attaché Office in Pakistan

Step 4: Dubai consulate officials visit employer to ascertain work and living conditions of workers coming here

Step 5: After assessment, jobs are advertised in Pakistan and prospective candidates are invited for interview

Step 6: After clearing the interview, the candidates are given contracts and jobs

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1 in 10 new recruits are 'poor hiring decision': Research

Cost of hiring a bad employee and how to avoid it?

One in 10 new recruits are regarded as a ‘poor hiring decision’ according to new research from recruitment company, Robert Half UAE, with 77 per cent of HR directors admitting that they have hired someone who did not meet expectations.

The impact of a bad hire stretches beyond the financial cost, it can have a wide affect across a company.

More than half (55 per cent) of HR directors said that loss of productivity is the biggest impact associated with making the wrong recruitment decision.

Over a third (35 per cent) said that a poor hire reduces staff morale while only one in ten (11 per cent) HR directors said that it has resulted in significant financial costs, such as the employee’s salary and lost performance; education and training costs to raise performance levels; impacted productivity of the employee, colleagues and management; potential loss of revenue and the ultimate cost to re-recruit for the role.

UAE hiring managers were asked in the survey, “Which one of the following, in your opinion, is the single greatest impact of a bad hiring decision?” Their responses included lost productivity (55 per cent), lower staff morale (35 per cent) and monetary costs (11 per cent).

Businesses are looking to hire to support growth plans, but are finding it challenging to hire skilled professionals. This is partly due to demand for skilled professionals outweighing supply, leaving UAE companies at risk of not being able to hire the right people they need. It is therefore essential that every employee demonstrates the value they can offer through measurable results,” said Gareth El Mettouri, Associate Director at Robert Half UAE.

The research also shows that the vast majority (80 per cent) of HR directors find it challenging to identify and recruit skilled professionals.

The prevailing war for talent is anticipated to increase substantially over the next 12 months due to an ongoing skills shortage in the UAE market.

When identifying the challenges faced in sourcing and recruiting talent, half (48 per cent) of HR directors cited a lack of niche or technical experts, followed by general demand outweighing supply (30 per cent) and a lack of commercial business skills (15 per cent). Only 7 per cent cited slowed hiring during the recession resulting in a lack of candidates with the right skills.

Here are some do’s and don’ts to deal with this problem:

1# Providing detail to ‘sell’ the job will result in better applications. Details such as team size, reporting lines, corporate values and training opportunities will all prove attractive to potential candidates.

2# Cultivate a talent pipeline by personally reaching out to your network and recruiting sources. Online tools can be valuable, but personal interaction is the most important aspect of the hiring process.

3# Extend an offer once you identify your top candidate. Companies that don't move quickly risk, are losing good people to other opportunities.

4# Offer a remuneration package that, at a minimum, meets the market standard. Stay current on prevailing trends by reviewing resources such industry salary guides.

5# Identify the skills that are mandatory and those that can be developed. The goal is to hire the person who is the best match for the job and your work environment.

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Job hunting in UAE? 5 factors that will make employers hire you Perfect resume to online presence… it all counts.

Employers want to hire the ideal candidate who has it all but there are certain factors that are more important than others that can make you more employable. If you are on the job hunt here are five factors that will weigh a lot more in your favour making you a perfect match for the job you vie for.

1# A perfect resume

Your resume is the first impression on your potential employers and it’s very important that you give your best shot here.

This one page document should be packed with your professional experience and should package all your achievements and laurels that speak of you as a die-hard professional. Take the time to create a customised resume for every job application instead of a generic one making it more meaningful.

And, do away with information that was considered essential about a decade back or so. These include a long CV, things like my objective, references available upon request, hobbies and personal details. These are outdated now. Instead, load it with any web presence you may have so recruiters can see all about you with a click. A good example here is providing a link to your blog or published work.

2# Get regional experience

Regional experience is now more important than a fancy degree. An increasing number of hiring managers in the country are looking for candidates who have prior work experience in the UAE or at least in the region.

This can be seen in many sectors across the country. Most employers now prefer somebody who has knowledge of the market and you’ll definitely have slimmer chances if you are running against a candidate who has worked for local firms.

3# Clean online presence

Most hiring managers do a simple Google search on the candidates so it’s very important that you have a clean online presence. To fit into that slot avoid doing things that may put you in an embarrassing situation. Have strict privacy settings to make sure not everyone can access all that you post.

Some companies also go ahead with doing background checks so ensure that you have nothing to hide and refrain from giving any false information that can be traced back. Honesty is the best policy here.

4# Have a strong network

Networking is not an optional thing in today’s world. It not only helps you land a job but is considered vital to the employer as well. The hiring manager should know that you are well connected and if hired will bring in strong connections from the industry that can be important for business.

And take networking as a long-term thing. This means it is a long term give-and-take process that puts you on the inside track in the area that interests you and establishes you in the running for any attractive position that comes up in the future and makes you a recruit with strong contacts.

5# Brand yourself and market it well

You have to make a strong personal brand. HR experts believe developing a personal brand is similar to product branding with the aim to differentiate yourself from others and highlight your USP that others lack.

And just as with a product, you need to market it as well. Define your brand, brand attributes, position and sell it in a way that puts you ahead of your competitor.

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UAE jobs market declines after summer lull and oil slump

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The number of available professional jobs in the UAE declined 5 per cent year on year in the third quarter as the economy slowed amid falling oil prices and the lull of summer and Ramadan, according to the latest Morgan McKinley employment report.

The number of new jobs available from July to September fell to 7,621 from 8,002 jobs in the same period last year. Quarter on quarter new jobs dropped 6 per cent, it said.

Meanwhile, the number of professionals seeking jobs in the UAE rose 4 per cent year on year to 39,183, the recruitment consultancy said.

“This is the first quarter-on-quarter drop of this magnitude that we have recorded but the underlying trend is still positive, and we see no reason for pessimism,” said Trefor Murphy, managing director at Morgan McKinley.

“The coincidence of Ramadan and summer has undoubtedly had an unusually strong impact.”

The slump in oil has put a brake on the UAE’s economic growth, with the IMF forecasting 3.2 per cent growth this year. The UAE is the sixth-largest producer of oil in the world and uses revenue from crude sales to fund more than 60 per cent of the federal budget. Since last summer the price of crude has shed more than 50 per cent of its value.

According to a survey late last month by Gulf Finance, the SME lending arm of the Dubai-based investment bank Shuaa Capital, small businesses are becoming more pessimistic about the outlook for growth.

Nervousness on the hiring front has also hit SMEs, with the Gulf Finance survey showing that 4 per cent of SMEs surveyed in the third quarter reduced staff compared to the second quarter, when the headcount was steady.

But Morgan McKinley expressed optimism that there was light at the end of the tunnel and that hiring would pick up in the final quarter. “Things were already picking up at the end of September and the trend consolidated at the start of October,” Mr Murphy said.

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