My week in Riyadh (and a Dinner with Recruiters)

Well the intention of my blog is to share my views and experiences of recruitment and recruitment technology from the Middle East and surrounding markets - and this week I'm in Saudi Arabia and hope to have some interesting stories to share by Thursday. I arrived last night into Riyadh and am hosting a dinner at the Sheraton which is being attended by dozens of human resource professionals.

For those who have never been to Saudi, it boasts huge natural resources, and not just oil although it does account for 45% of GDP. Here are a few facts about Saudi Arabia with regards to human resources and why recruitment and retention are huge issues in Saudi :

• Saudi boasts a population of 27M, with 5.5M expatriate labour force, and a growing economy. The total workforce is approximately 6.7M.
• The Saudi male unemployment rate is 13%, some estimates range as high 25%. There are no figures available for females.
• Literacy is high and 85% male literacy, 71% female literacy, and females entering the working population is now becoming a more accepted practice.

The response to our dinner has been really positive, and a speaker is flying in to deliver a short presentation on talent management. We're then spending the rest of the evening over dinner to discuss the issues facing corporate recruitment.

Companies are really struggling to compete for talent, and jobsites and how to leverage technology to recruit better and faster, are top of mind for HR.

I remember years ago when the Aramco (the largest oil firm) opened a recruiting office in North America simply to meet and greet potential hires, primarily experienced oil engineers. They were also able to deal with key recruiting suppliers more readily. Now companies have realised that the Internet creates a level playing field; and those same advantages can be realised by having a decent website and some smart recruiters behind it.

I'm really looking forward to the event and will be back at the end of the week with feedback.

Ben,

If you want to read about or attend our Riyadh event tomorrow night, then here's the link:

The Hiring Solutions Company KSA is honored to invite you to a very special Iftar Dinner to be held at the Sheraton Riyadh ...more