Up to Dh150,000 salary for Emiratis in these roles, shows new survey

stock Emiratisation — Nineteen per cent of respondents said that they wouldn’t apply for a position if it involved filling out long forms. Image Credit: Shutterstock

Dubai: Ninety per cent of Emirati jobseekers prefer visibility on the salary range in employment postings, and 77 per cent are interested in learning more about an organisation’s non-monetary benefits. These factors gain greater prominence over job title and the location of the company among Emiratis seeking employment in the private and public sectors.

Recruitment company Michael Page released these insights on Emirati jobseeker sentiments on Tuesday as part of their annual Emiratisation Salary Guide and Hiring Insights 2023, a reference guide for recruiters and jobseekers.

The guide shows that almost six in 10 (59 per cent) applicants consider a job title as an essential element of a job listing, followed by salary (59 per cent) and location (41 per cent).

Last year saw the most vigorous push on Emiratisation across the UAE. As per guidelines, effective January 1, companies with more than 50 employees are required to ensure that 2 per cent of their employees are Emirati, increasing to 4 per cent by January 1, 2024. Failure to comply will result in various financial and legal penalties outlined by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE).

No lengthy forms, please

Regarding factors that limit the completion of an application, 39 per cent of respondents said they wouldn’t apply for a role if they felt under/overqualified for it. Nineteen per cent of respondents said that they wouldn’t apply for a position if it involved filling out long forms.

Other factors that prevent candidates from submitting their applications include poor company reputation (30 per cent), salary (29 per cent), and an unstructured job listing (25 per cent).

At least 61 per cent of respondents also give immense importance to the leadership capabilities of their managers, followed by communication and respect. In line with the overarching trend in the UAE job market, over 72 per cent of respondents prefer to integrate a hybrid model into their professional lives, said Samantha Wright, Emiratisation Lead at Michael Page UAE.

She said: “Research shows that businesses venturing into Emiratisation for the first time are mostly progressing with a bottom-up talent approach. Those close to achieving their quota continue to develop their Emiratisation strategy with a combination of entry roles and senior roles mainly in human resources and finance.”

Salary guide

The survey’s salary guide covers various industry disciplines, including banking and financial services, human resources, legal, marketing, procurement and supply chain, and technology and data. Salaries in Abu Dhabi are considerably higher than those offered in Dubai. Here are some salaries Emirati jobseekers can expect in the private and public sectors: