Greater need for agility and resilience in the evolving business landscape during COVID-19 are reshaping the supply and demand in corporate hiring across the UAE and region. Addressing these needs, Contact Centre Agents, Compliance Managers, Partnerships Managers, Customer Service Executives, and Head of Operations are the top five applied-for jobs in the UAE, according to LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional network.
While the economic impact of COVID-19 is being felt across various industries in the UAE, these roles have seen the highest percentage increase in job applications between March and April 2020. To help people looking for a job, LinkedIn has also analysed the skills needed for each of these roles and the top industries recruiting for them.
UAE top 5 roles, skills and industries:
- Contact Centre Agent
- Skills needed: Customer satisfaction, teamwork, customer experience
- Industries recruiting: Software & IT services, Retail, Finance
- Compliance Manager
- Skills needed: Anti-money laundering, KYC, regulatory compliance
- Industries recruiting: Transportation & Logistics, Finance, Consumer Goods
- Partnerships Manager
- Skills needed: Business development, strategic partnerships, team management
- Industries recruiting: Public Administration, Software & IT services, Healthcare
- Customer Service Executive
- Skills needed: Customer satisfaction, team management, customer relationship management (CRM)
- Industries recruiting: Transportation & Logistics, Software & IT services, Consumer Goods
- Head of Operations
- Skills needed: Operations management, team management, project planning
- Industries recruiting: Finance, Consumer Goods, Software & IT Services
Arda Atalay, Head of MENA Private Sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, said: “Over the last two months, there has been an increase in demand from applicants for roles in industries such as Software and IT Services, Transportation & Logistics, as well as Consumer Goods. As a result of the pandemic and changing consumer needs, new opportunities are emerging for job seekers in these industries. With several people continuing to see their employment circumstances change, it’s likely that we’ll see more people applying for these roles. This means standing out has never been more important. Simple steps our members can take, such as updating their CVs and LinkedIn profiles, practicing interview techniques, and gaining new skills will be key to ensuring an edge over other candidates.”
At the best of times, interviews can make even the most prepared job seekers feel anxious. Now, with most of them taking place virtually, LinkedIn’s interview preparation tools can help people prepare for the most likely questions to be asked in the screening process, with access to top tips from experts on how to answer the most common interview questions.
Furthermore, the platform’s new AI-powered feedback feature enables LinkedIn members to privately record a practice interview answering questions in English, such as “Why do you want to work here?” and “What is your greatest strength?” They will receive instant feedback to help refine their pacing, cut down on filler words, and avoid sensitive phrases.
LinkedIn’s Skills Assessment is another tool that enables members to take tests on selected skills to showcase their proficiencies. This feature allows candidates the opportunity to have their skills validated and become more visible on LinkedIn to recruiters and companies.
Methodology
LinkedIn analysed data during March and April 2020 to determine roles with the fastest growth in applications. The roles with the highest month-on-month percentage growth in applications between March 2020 and April 2020 were included in the top 5 list. A threshold of “100 applications per day” was implemented to ensure sufficient volume. Staffing agencies were not included in “industries recruiting”.
