Recruiting for the GCC market - Learnings from 2023 and the Road Ahead

Leadership Talks: This article is part of our series where we share business insights from Buzzworks Leadership.

The GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) stands as a beacon of opportunity, characterized by a flourishing economy and a lively business environment. Yet, for organizations aspiring to thrive in this dynamic setting, securing the right talent poses a formidable challenge. The recruitment industry stands at the forefront of connecting talent with the right opportunities. Specialized talent is in high demand, more than ever, as the business landscape expands and diversifies.

In this exclusive interview. Mr. Mehboob M, Head of Global Placements at Buzzworks joins us to discuss the highs and lows of recruiting for the GCC market in 2023 and promising opportunities that lie ahead in 2024.

How was 2023 for the Buzzworks Global Placement team? What were the highlights and challenges?

Mehboob M: 2023 was an important year for Buzzworks. We successfully established ourselves in Saudi Arabia. Acquiring multiple logos such as JRC, Albahar Solar, Al Jehat Company, Faisal Jumah Noman AL-Anazi Establishment, and Jazal Engineering & Contracting LLC was a noteworthy accomplishment, although not without its hurdles. Winning big logos was difficult in the KSA market as Buzzworks brand was relatively new there and the clients are loyal to their existing agencies. To counter this we turned our attention from enterprise clients to staffing organizations and supplier firms, which gave us the momentum we needed.

It's clear that Buzzworks faced some obstacles. What was your major hurdle and how did you overcome it?

Mehboob M: One of the major hurdles we faced in 2023 was building a high-performing sales team. The incorrect hires were turning out to be roadblocks and were making it difficult for us to meet our targets. So we implemented “The Hire, Train and Deploy” module to meet our requirements. This involved hiring an employee, training them with the specific skill, and then deploying them in the organization. This module has proven to be effective in onboarding more desired candidates and produced a robust and goal-oriented workforce.

What did success look like for the Global Placement team in 2023?

Mehboob M: We successfully delivered to 5 major clients in the past 8 months in industries like telecom, construction, transportation, manufacturing, and healthcare and onboarded over 300 candidates in roles such as general helper, construction labour, welder, nurses, MEP Labourers, and so on.

The icing on the cake was when our clients gave us rave reviews on our speed of delivery, professionalism, attention to detail, and advanced management systems & processes.

Looking ahead to 2024, what opportunities do you foresee in the Global recruitment industry?

Mehboob M: In 2024, we are betting big on Saudi Arabia and aligning ourselves with their Vision 2030, which seeks to diversify the economy and generate non-oil revenue. Several flagship giga projects spanning sectors and regions in KSA are underway and hence their labour market is seeing high levels of recruitment activity. This combined with initiatives towards improving the contractual relationship of non-Saudi workers, women empowerment and the wage protection program, has made Saudi a lucrative market.
Gaining enterprise accounts in the approaching year will help us succeed more because of our organizational prowess and agility.
Additionally, we are exploring Israel as a potential market, where there are plans to hire millions of workers from India to fill the labour shortage. With our track record of happy clients in the UAE and KSA, we can easily replicate these successes in this new market to grow our business and add another feather to our cap.

How does Buzzworks plan to navigate the opportunities and challenges in 2024?

Mehboob M: The demand for Indian manpower in the GCC is rising, especially in countries like Saudi Arabia and UAE, across both blue and white-collar roles. We are fully prepared to seize the opportunities that 2024 offers. Our dedication to quality and ongoing development is unwavering. We are confident that through strategic initiatives and a client-centric approach, Buzzworks will emerge as a key player in supplying manpower from India to the rest of the world and contributing to global growth.

Here’s to a new year of People, Productivity and Profitability!