The Shift Towards Employee Experience (EX) and Its Effect on Talent Acquisition in MENA

Do you know that implementing an effective employee experience is the key to your organization’s ability to attract, retain, and foster talent?

Most talent management strategies focus on improving processes and transactional care of employees. Nevertheless, it is the human behavior insight that needs to be leveraged to bring out the best in people and truly optimize business performance through talent. This is especially required in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, which suffers from a shortage of skilled workforce, inefficient hiring practices, and weak employer branding.

The MENA region has recently experienced a higher level of interest regarding employee experience. This shift shows the growing awareness of the fact that it is essential not only to retain staff but also to hire talented individuals. The economic landscape is shifting rapidly, and as the businesses in the MENA region expand, great focus is shifting to the employee experience for talent, which is scarce.

Today’s post sheds light on the shift towards employee experience and how it affects talent acquisition in MENA.

Employee Experience Explained

Employee experience (EX) is defined as the employee journey in the organization. It encompasses all touch points from the employee life cycle and those related to an employee’s position or role, work environment, and well-being. It covers all the interactions that your employees go through, including stages such as recruitment, employment, training, performance, and later leaving the company as alumni. The phases and activities of the employee lifecycle may differ from one organization to another and from one industry to another. Nevertheless, there are critical milestones that demarcate the journey of most employees.

It is even more relevant in the case of the MENA region, where various cultures, economic situations, and expectations meet and where organizations seek to provide an exceptional experience to their employees by satisfying their psychological and social needs, wants, and desires. Organizations are gradually beginning to consider understanding the needs and wants of the employees so that the workplace culture, policies, regulations, and procedures will reflect the expectations of employees.

Impact on Talent Acquisition

The major challenge, or perhaps a constraint, that employers in the MENA region face is the lack of skilled employees. Rapid economic growth in the region is identified as one of the major factors causing the talent shortage. The expansion has created a need for efficient workers that is much higher than the supply of qualified persons.

Another factor behind the talent shortage is the mismatch between the skills and aptitudes the workforce has and the skills relevant to business needs. Unfortunately, a large population of workers in MENA have traditional skills that might not be in demand in the current job market.

The talent shortage in MENA leads to the high cost of recruiting more staff, a longer time to acquire new talent and low productivity. The employee experience has risen as a key factor that has influenced talent acquisition practices. Companies in the Middle East are paying more attention to creating a positive and inspiring working environment for the welfare, growth, and development of employees. This includes offering flexible work options, diversity and inclusion, staff training, and various perks and benefits. Organizations are developing a new and progressive relationship based on trust and understanding.

Focusing on experience helps accelerate the development of procedures and technological frameworks necessary for talent optimization. The level of experience exhibited by employees can greatly determine an organization’s ability to seek and retain talent. Additionally, it can significantly change productivity and efficiency throughout all levels of the organization.

Positive employee experience helps in building up the brand image. It also aids in maintaining high levels of performance through relationship-building between managers and employees. It strengthens employee loyalty, even if the employees are no longer part of the firm. The employee experience can affect the willingness of an employee to return to the former employer and their willingness to recommend the organization to other talented individuals. Overall, it positively impacts the reputation of the organization and its talent acquisition efforts.

Strategies to Improve Employee Experience

The following strategies will help to improve the employee experience and, therefore, make an organization attractive for talented employees and boost general retention levels.

– Streamline the recruitment process and make it concise so as to establish first impressions of the organization as being welcoming.

– Enhance onboarding practices and teach new hires about the company’s culture and values.

– Provide fair wages and ensure that your remuneration policies do not allow discrimination based on gender and race.

– Build a positive culture and promote people’s acceptance and tolerance of other people’s differences and ideas.

– Support people, cultivate equal opportunity, and frequently reward employees for their performance. A positive work environment increases employees’ satisfaction and willingness to stay in the company.

– Invest in professional development to show the employees that the organization cares for them.

– Prioritize employee well-being through wellness programs, mental support, and work-life balance. This will enhance job satisfaction and improve the employee experience.

– Encourage the employees to give out their feedback. Be willing to implement the suggested changes to show that you care for them.

– Support internal mobility by increasing and fostering employee transfers and promotions.

– Use the organization’s profiles across social media platforms to promote your company, vision, mission, achievements, and unique culture. An employer brand helps attract talent by providing a glimpse of what one can expect from the employer.

Conclusion

The shift towards employee experience in the MENA region is changing the way organizations deal with talent acquisition. Focusing on employee experience has many benefits, including attracting and retaining talent, enhancing the employer brand, and reducing staff turnover. Arthur Lawrence’s management and technology consultants help organizations across many sectors develop teams for transformational projects in the MEA region. We work as a trusted partner for clients in the MEA region to accelerate their digital transformation efforts. Get in touch to learn more.