Dubai, UAE, 14 April 2012 Business leaders have called for greater cooperation alongside educators and governments in order to ensure a job-ready talent pipeline for Gulf employers.

The collaboration message headlines a new survey conducted last month across the GCC by the global HR consulting firm, Mercer.

Respondents stated that national governments should be very active in talent planning, and highlighted graduate development programs, local and national workforce planning and industry forecasting as the top priorities.

Educators were recognized for making progress in producing work-ready talent but need to make greater efforts via job placement programs like structured internships and traineeships, and via input into graduate development and on-boarding programs.

Larisa Muravska, who leads Mercer's Human Capital business across the region, says the results are not surprising but can be used as a springboard for greater tri-partite cooperation in this critical area.

"More and more, firms are asking us to help them better understand how to make effective use of their workforce - both in terms of today's business needs but also in the sort of workforce businesses will need in the future."

"Businesses need certainty, and they can plan for the future with confidence knowing that capable talent is being developed locally via a structured and sustainable relationship between educators, employers and the government sector."

The Mercer survey also uncovered a number of emerging human capital trends.

Employers are signalling a shift in thinking and behaviour when hiring for key roles.

"There is a clear preference for local and long-term over transient and short-term candidates, and businesses are willing to invest heavily in key roles to build their future from within the firm," Ms Muravska said.

"This is shifting quickly and appears to be wholesale across the market. However, this does not extend down to more operational and task-based roles where traditional sourcing appears set to continue."

The survey confirmed anecdotal evidence that changes in skill levels, the workforce mix and organization structure would be required in the next three years if businesses are to meet their business objectives.

98% of respondents signalled that their businesses would need to change the way they attract, develop and retain key workforce segments in the next three years, citing workforce quality, training and development, and the mix of locals and expats as the top three pressing priorities.

A vast majority of those polled (90%) signalled that within three years their workforce development strategy would require local national talent, a significant increase from 77% of businesses who need local national talent now.

Importantly, most respondents noted that local national talent would sit mostly within the managerial ranks (professional level, managers and executives) and as entry-level graduates.

The survey of HR and business leaders included responses from the telecommunications, resources, consumer goods, pharmaceutical, education, health, and government sectors, with a total headcount topping 70,000 employees.

Mercer is a global leader in human resource consulting, outsourcing and investment services. Mercer works with clients to solve their most complex benefit and human capital issues by designing, implementing and administering health, retirement and other benefit programs. Mercer's investment services include investment consulting, implemented consulting and multi-manager investment

management. Mercer's 20,000 employees are based in more than 40 countries. In the Middle East, Mercer has offices in Dubai and Riyadh. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc., which lists its stock (ticker symbol: MMC) on the New York and Chicago stock exchanges. For more information, visit www.me.mercer.com.

For more information please contact:
Manal Shaikh
Account Manager
Cicero & Bernay Public Relations
Tel: + 971 4 334 2966
Mob: + 971 50 459 1762
E-mail: manal@cbpr.ae
Website: www.cbpr.ae

Marie Buckley
Mercer Human Resource Consulting
Tel : + 971 4 327 8700
E-mail: marie.buckley@mercer.com
Website: www.me.mercer.com

Larisa Muravska
Mercer Human Resource Consulting
Tel: + 971 4 327 8700
E-mail: larisa.muravska@mercer.com
Website: www.me.mercer.com

© Press Release 2012