Training Magazine Middle East December 2014 | Page 6

NewsTalk

NEWSTALK

Companies in Middle East Are Missing Out On Next Generation of Leaders

Businesses in the Middle East are inadvertently driving away one-in-four future leaders according to CEB, the leading member-based advisory company.

Based on analysis of 6.6 million people in CEB’s global database, the research shows that companies are putting long-term corporate performance at risk by not having a clear understanding of the skills that young recruits possess and knowledge of how to nurture these employees once they are in the firm. In order to keep the next generation of leaders engaged, companies must transform their graduate recruitment programmes.

“Our research shows that a third of professionals in the UAE have the potential to be an effective leader, making it the richest source of future leaders in the Gulf,” said Mohamed Farid, managing director, CEB Middle East.

"Graduates and young people are the lifeblood of our economy, and despite companies reporting a skills deficit in the younger generations, the Middle East has one of the strongest talent pools that needs to be developed. So, if businesses are to continue to innovate and compete globally, they need to get smarter about how they identify and nurture young leaders.”

The research shows that companies are perpetuating talent shortages by assuming that graduates with top academic achievements make the best employees and future leaders.

As a result, companies are wasting millions on poor recruitment decisions and mis-targeted development opportunities, which are driving high levels of turnover and employee disengagement.

Farid adds: “The underlying issue is companies’ lack of clarity around definition and measurement of the hard and soft skills that make graduates employable. Highly capable talent is being overlooked by traditional methods of recruitment, which is fuelling today’s competitive landscape and misrepresenting the skills gap in the graduate market.”

He believes this goes some way to explaining why businesses in the region perceive there to be a skills shortage.

The report urges organizations to be clearer about what graduates they are looking for and take a longer-term view of this population in the workplace.

Companies need to factor in young talent’s suitability for the immediate position and ensure they invest in people strategies that will build capabilities in the next generation of leaders, managers and technical specialists and drive the business forward.

Farid concludes: “Companies need to get serious about talent management. Without the right leaders in place today and a strong and diverse pipeline of rising stars for tomorrow, they are putting their future revenue and profit growth in jeopardy. Firms need to apply greater precision to their people decisions to ensure the right people are recruited and nurtured, regardless of nationality, gender or background. Organizations that don’t run the risk of restricting their talent pool to make the search for the right individuals even more difficult.”


6 | TRAINING MAGAZINE MIDDLE EAST NOV 2014