11 years ago I relocated to Dubai, and for many years worked as a Dubai recruiter.
The experience of looking for a job in Dubai, coupled with experience working for recruitment agencies, has given me a deep insight into how Dubai recruitment works.
I know firsthand just how important it is to find the right recruitment agency for your job search. I also know what a difference working with a great recruiter can make to your Dubai career.
In this article I'm going to tell you exactly how to find and begin a relationship with the best recruiter for your Dubai job search.
I'll guide you through the process of making contact with a recruiter and how to get the best out of the relationship. I'll also point out some common mistakes that you'll want to avoid along the way!
You can also access our list of the 20 Top Recruiters In Dubai right here.
A Dubai recruitment agency, or recruitment consultancy, is a company that helps organisations fill job vacancies, build teams and hire staff.
You'll find recruitment firms that specialise in certain industries. For example; Taylor Root only hires Legal professionals. But most recruitment companies in Dubai will work across multiple industries hiring for all kinds of roles.
From the outset, it's important to understand that Dubai recruiters do not work for their candidates. This means that they do not work for you.
Dubai recruitment companies work on behalf of their clients. These clients are the companies paying for their services.
Dubai recruiters search the international job market to find candidates for their clients. They use tools such as LinkedIn Recruiter, job boards and their own networks to do this.
Because they are not working for you, Dubai recruiters should never guarantee to find you a job. In reality, a Dubai recruiter will represent more than one job seeker for each job opportunity. It's up to the hiring company to decide which candidate to hire.
Dubai recruitment agencies typically charge around 15 - 25% of the hired candidate's year 1 annual salary.
But, as a job seeker, you should never pay a recruiter or recruitment agency in Dubai. If they ask you to pay for their services it's likely to be a scam. Dubai recruitment companies only get paid by the companies that they hire for.
Sometimes, agencies charge these companies an upfront fee. In this case they will be the only recruitment firm recruiting that position. This is called 'retained' recruitment.
However, most of the time recruitment agencies are only paid if the company hires their candidate. This is called contingent recruitment, and this is why recruitment is so competitive. Oftentimes, more than one recruitment company will be competing to find the best candidate and win a fee.
There are a lot of recruitment agencies in Dubai. Some of them have great reputations. Unfortunately some of them do not. There are also fake hiring firms trying to scam Dubai job seekers.
In my opinion the best and most professional recruitment companies will tick the following 4 boxes.
You should work with recruitment agencies that have expertise in your industry. This could be an agency like Food People, that only hires for the food and beverage industry. Or, it could be an agency that has a team or even one consultant dedicated to your job function.
One of the benefits of working with a Dubai recruiter is the wealth of knowledge they have. A Dubai recruiter that deeply understands your industry is a source of invaluable advice.
Recruitment agencies usually have their own ‘sweet spot’ for the seniority of roles they work on. Make sure you approach the agencies that recruit for your level. Firms like Charterhouse will hire more junior to mid-level positions, whereas firms like Egon Zehnder only hire at the executive level.
The best agencies in Dubai are usually the ones that have been around for a while and have a track record of success. They are more likely to have a large client base and they will be working on more vacancies.
Work with the recruiters that take the time to meet you face-to-face or over a video call. A Dubai recruitment agent can only represent you well if they know you. They should understand your background, experience, skill-set and expectations. If they don't have a good grasp of these things, it is unlikely that they will place you into a role.
I recommend partnering with no more than two Dubai recruitment agents at a time. In Dubai, more than one recruitment agency is often working on the same role. You should avoid having more than one agency sending your CV for the same job. This causes problems.
Working with no more than two agencies also allows you to build stronger relationships. This is something that will benefit your Dubai career over the long term.
You can access our list of the 20 Top Recruiters In Dubai right here.
Too many people get frustrated trying to contact recruitment agencies. I'm going to help you to avoid this frustration by showing you the best ways to make contact. These are the best means of contacting recruiters in Dubai. We'll begin with the most direct approaches first.
Many people shy away from the telephone, but this is the most direct and expedient way of making contact. Every recruitment agency in Dubai will have a direct telephone line that you can call.
Before you call the office, search LinkedIn or the website for the name of the recruiter in that company that recruits your target roles. When you call the office, ask for this person by name.
Explain who you are, suggest a coffee chat, and follow-up with an email to thank them for their time on the phone. You should also attach an up-to-date ATS-friendly copy of your CV.
The next best approach is email. Although sending a message through LinkedIn is easier, recruiters get inundated with LinkedIn InMails.
Sending an email to their work email address is a better approach. Once you have the person's first name, last name and company name, you should be able to work out their email address.
I would recommend that you don't send your CV in this first email. Emails with attachments often get ignored. This is because recruiters get sent a lot of irrelevant CVs!
Instead, send an email that explains why they might want to meet you.
Some of the reasons a recruiter might want to meet you are;
1. You work in their target industry, e.g. Oil and Gas
2. You have worked for some big companies e.g. Shell or BP
3. You are immediately available
4. You are the perfect fit for a role they are working on
Make sure you give them a good reason to take notice and then ask if they would like to see your CV.
Every Dubai recruiter uses LinkedIn, and will be active on the platform on an almost daily basis. Using LinkedIn to connect with Dubai recruiters can be an effective strategy and this is how you should do it:
Keep in mind that Dubai recruiters receive constant connection requests. If you want your connection request to stand out, you need to personalise it. Give the recruiter a reason to accept it.
Craft a personal message, use the recruiter’s name and make sure you use the correct name and spelling! Making a good first impression is very important.
Once you’re connected send another, more specific message. This message should tell the recruiter a little about yourself. Explain why you think it would be beneficial for you both to meet.
Finish off with a call to action, such as ‘let’s meet for a coffee’ or ‘when would be a good time for us to connect?’
LinkedIn has smart filters that automatically filter incoming messages into 'focussed' and 'other'. If you are sending many generic messages, your message will likely land in their 'other' inbox. These messages are much less likely to be opened.
An alternative way to get on their radar is by applying for a job that they are advertising.
It’s important that you make a good first impression so make sure the role is a good fit for you. If they like your profile, they will get in touch! You can also combine this approach with following up by phone, email or LinkedIn as outlined above.
Remember that Dubai recruiters don't work for you. Dubai recruiters work on behalf of their clients. After all, it's the client that's going to pay their invoice, not the candidate.
Knowing what you can and cannot expect from a Dubai recruiter will help you to set your expectations. Here are six things you can expect from a Dubai recruiter.
Any good recruiter will have worked to develop a deep insight into their chosen field.
They will be able to tell you which companies are good to work with and which are not so great. Which companies are hiring right now and which ones are laying people off. And how buoyant the market is and the current hiring trends.
A good recruiter will always have their ear to the ground and will be a great source of inside information. They can help you to prepare for your Dubai job search.
If a Dubai recruiter knows your industry, they will know how easy or difficult it might be for you to find a job in Dubai. They’ll know how in demand your skills are. Plus, how relevant your experience is and how competitive your target roles are.
It’s important to align your salary expectations upfront.
You need to understand the cost of living in Dubai, and what someone like you can expect to earn.
An experienced Dubai recruiter will give you a good idea of your potential earnings. They can also tell you what benefits to expect on top of your salary. These benefits could include education allowances, transport allowances or family medical insurance.
A good Dubai recruiter should take the time to prepare you for your job interview. After all, it's in their interest for you to get the job!
The better the recruiter, the better interview preparation you’ll receive. This is one of the benefits of going through a recruiter.
After each interview, your recruiter should provide you with valuable feedback. You should expect to get this feedback soon after your interview has ended. However, the recruiter is relying on the hiring company to provide feedback to them first and so this is not always in their control.
It’s unlikely that you’ll get the top end of the available salary band first time you receive an offer.
So it’s always worth going back and asking for more. This is where a recruiter can help. They should be the ones to go back and negotiate on your behalf. The more you get paid, the greater their commission.
Mismatched expectations are often the source of frustrations. It’s important to know what you should not expect from a recruiter in Dubai, this way you won't be disappointed.
Here are three things you wont get from a recruitment agency.
Recruitment companies in Dubai work with lots of candidates. Each recruiter will be working on many roles at any one time. You should give them space and time to come back to you with feedback. You should not chase them daily as they may find this frustrating.
A Dubai recruiter will usually submit 3 – 5 candidates to their client for each role they are working on. They get paid by the company to fill the position. Their job is to provide the best service to their client, not to find you a job.
They may not be able to find you a role. Remember, this is not their job, their job is to fill roles with the best candidates available. No Dubai recruitment company can make you promises.
You will benefit from having a good relationship with one or two Dubai recruitment consultants.
However, you will soon sour your relationship if you mislead them. Many candidates are very secretive or very unclear about what they are looking for. This is not a great approach.
Be open and honest, this is the best way to form a productive relationship.
In many parts of the world recruiters and companies are prohibited from asking certain questions. You should be aware that this is not the case in Dubai and the UAE.
Visa processes in Dubai demand that recruiters ask for more information than you might be used to.
• Current salary
• Salary expectations
• Family status
• Visa status
• County of origin
• Passport origin
Companies in Dubai often need to know upfront if they can process a visa for you or not and what family benefits you may require.
The right Dubai recruitment agency can make all the difference to your Dubai job search. A long term relationship with a Dubai recruiter can also seriously benefit your career through the years.
Don't forget that every search consultant in Dubai will be inundated with requests. To get noticed you need to stand out and begin by being open and honest about what you want and what you bring to the table.
You can also access our list of the 20 Top Recruiters In Dubai right here.
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