The latest People Profession 2023: Middle East and North Africa survey report from the CIPD, the professional body for HR and people development, found that workforce planning, upskilling, reskilling, and building capability are top workforce priorities.  Nationalisation and recruitment targets are key drivers of this.

The CIPD calls on professionals to undertake regular workforce planning exercises to better understand their organisation’s current skills against its future needs and what development is necessary for the current workforce to bridge any skills gaps. In addition to this, to comply with nationalisation policies, people professionals need to invest and develop new local talent to ensure they have the skills needed to succeed.

Within the people profession, we found that the majority of MENA respondents (80%) said they had upskilled in the last 12 months, compared to 69% of global respondents. In addition to this, building specialist HR expertise is a critical improvement area, with nearly a fifth (19%) of respondents in Egypt citing this, as well as 26% of people professionals in KSA and 22% in the UAE. Organisational development and change management skills are another priority area for this region, with between 22% and 24% citing this.  

The report also demonstrates that hybrid working has had a very positive impact on people practices. For example, people professionals in Egypt (29%) said it was easier to attract, recruit and retain talent in a hybrid environment, while 44% of KSA respondents and 39% of UAE respondents agreed.

Given these positive perceptions, hybrid working can be offered as key differentiator when recruiting staff and may help organisations across the MENA region achieve recruitment targets by standing out as an employer of choice.

Stuart Dunlop, Regional Director for the CIPD in the Middle East said:

“The region has a complex workplace ecosystem and it’s increasingly important for employers to balance the requirement to provide secure and developmental work for nationals, and the differing demands of a changing but still transient workforce. To meet nationalisation targets, it’s obvious that employers need to position themselves as forward thinking, adaptable and committed to upskilling.

“The report demonstrates the profession's continued effort to develop itself to add strategic value to their organisations. The percentage of people professionals in the region who have upskilled in the past year, compared to the global average, is extremely positive. It’s also encouraging to see the positive impact of hybrid working on people practices and the continued adoption.”

About:

  • Stuart Dunlop, Regional Director for the CIPD in the Middle East, is available for interview
  • The findings are based on the perspectives of those who took part in the People Profession survey in April and May 2023.
  • The data collection, carried about by the CIPD and YouGov, was conducted across Egypt, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates and the sample size is based on 525 respondents across those countries.
  • The CIPD has been championing better work and working lives for over 100 years. It helps organisations thrive by focusing on their people, supporting our economies and societies. It’s the professional body for HR, L&D, OD and all people professionals – experts in people, work and change. With almost 160,000 members globally – and a growing community using its research, insights and learning – it gives trusted advice and offers independent thought leadership. It’s a leading voice in the call for good work that creates value for everyone.
  • www.cipd.org