Qatarisation is included in Qatar's strategic development plan, under the pillar of human development. One of the key challenges facing Qatarisation is the speed at which organisations are placing nationals into senior roles. There remain gaps in terms of ability to fulfil roles with job-ready nationals. Abdulla believes the demand for Qataris to be placed in key decision-making roles is high, and the responsibility placed on many  Qataris is huge.

"The need for Qataris to lead organisations, functions and teams is rapidly growing," says Abdulla.

"Qatarisation is about placing Qataris in roles which invariably end up being management or leadership roles. There might not be many Qataris qualified to lead, though there is strong evidence of excellent Qatari leadership in some industries. There remains a strong demand for young people to be ready to lead. In Qatar, we are at a stage where we learn as we grow. The immediate challenge for Qatarisation is how we fill the demand for competent Qataris for pivotal decision-making roles within a range of businesses. If we were to take 100% competent Qataris to run companies, then we would  probably be giving every competent Qatari four to five full-time positions each.

"The growth of businesses and industries in the past five to six years has been immense, and Qatari manpower is simply not enough to sustain the market demand. We are now fast-tracking Qataris into senior positions. In three to five years we will have an increased number of competent Qataris in the workforce and the figures will continue to grow. We are aware that when we recruit a Qatari from one organisation we leave a gap in the organisation  they were recruited from. We have to keep in  mind that we need to serve our organisations as well as the nation as a whole," he says.

Building leaders
For Qatarisation to be effective, I believe we need to ensure our business community is supporting it - not as an organisational focus, but rather a business community focus. Qatar Development and Consultancy Centre (QDCC) manages a range of Qatarisation programmes on behalf of our clients, and while we assist in the development of our clients, we are acutely aware that we are part of a movement to build a community of business leaders.

As a leading HR practitioner and Qatarisation expert in Qatar, I understand the need for robust development programmes that facilitate effective deployment of competent Qataris. I was keen to capture Abdulla's thoughts regarding Qatarisation development.

"We have some very successful leaders," says Abdulla. "Look at oil and gas, finance, property development and telecoms. However, given we are in a high-growth stage, we do have many managers who are still learning to be leaders while holding leadership roles. The manpower plan within the private sector must realise the 2030 Vision, which is the master plan in terms of bringing Qataris to the highest skills and competencies. We need to have proper succession plans to replace expatriates."

Specialised roles
While management and leadership roles require Qatarisation, I advocate that we look to move Qataris into specialised roles too. Not all Qataris wish to move vertically within an organisation - some wish to focus on specialising in the field of expertise.

"Qataris can work broadly," he agrees. "We need Qataris to be in areas where there is an obvious gap, such as HR and external affairs."

Abdullah explained why there was a gap in these areas in particular: "There are elements of these roles which require a 'country culture' - the way we do business, specifically for government relations-related areas. If these functions were led by expats, they would not be as efficient.  However, closing this gap creates another one.  What I mean is, if we look at the history of HR, it was founded from personnel management, but in Qatar we still operate in the personnel management stage. This is changing, but the practices in HR still remain largely personnel management. So, we fill one gap and create another."

To build knowledge and expertise and bring Qataris to the level of international best practice, it is clear we need a strong development plan for Qatari nationals. We need to have the right system in place tailored to Qatari learning (which is not necessarily the same model as for their expat peers).

Abdulla agrees: "We need to measure the gaps in terms of Qatari capacity to fill roles across the board. We need to think beyond organisations or industry; we need to consider a national programme regarding effective placement, development and retention, which is critical for country growth. There will be challenges given the learning curve, especially when competing internationally. We admit we have inexperienced Qataris in leadership roles; however, we have experienced people supporting our inexperienced leaders, whether Qatari or non-Qatari.

"Young people have the energy and ambition to be part of a national change," he continues. "We have some very smart students emerging from college. Because of the high demand, they become eager to choose the right organisation that can provide them with the right opportunities to be a successful leader, and they may be attracted to higher salaries."

Gap analysis
Organisations must do a thorough gap analysis to really add value to the learning and outcomes, and invest in the right people: individuals with the attitude, capacity, values and cultural fit for the organisation.

I personally believe that Qataris should first and foremost be mentored by more senior Qataris and then turn to our expatriate counterparts for further mentoring. The key to effective Qatarisation within organisations is retaining the right employees, but how do organisations retain quality Qatari employees?

Abdulla responds: "Qataris are historically very loyal to their community, family and friends - it is in their nature. By providing and maintaining their dignity and respect with open doors (communication channels) you can retain Qataris, and by providing the correct mediums for learning, you can retain knowledgeable and competent Qataris."

Elizabeth Fleming has over 20 years of international HR and business solutions experience. Her well-balanced mix in business solutions, human resources and anthropology adds a unique and effective approach to Qatarisation, both in cultural understanding and as a business offering. She has now established Qatar Development and Consultancy Centre; where her skills and industry knowledge has been well received; she is currently working on a National HR Competency Framework alongside Qatar University.

© Qatar Today 2013