2. Contents
The hiring climate . � 4
Trends by specialism. . � 5
Finance and accounting salaries. . �10
Financial services salaries. . �12
Human resources salaries. . � 13
Technology salaries �14
Legal salaries �16
Spotlight on expatriate recruitment �17
Using the salary guide
Consider the 2013 Salary Guide your business and recruitment
handbook, offering starting salaries in the areas of finance and
accounting, financial services, human resources, technology and
legal throughout the UAE. This guide can help you determine
remuneration levels for new employees, plan budgets and
navigate today’s hiring environment.
The salary ranges represent the starting remuneration for new
hires in US dollars, including housing allowance and transport
(based on gross or pre-tax amounts). The salary ranges represent
starting remuneration only; ongoing pay is not reported due to the
difficulty in measuring factors such as seniority, job performance
and pay review policies. Bonuses and other remuneration, such as
benefits and pension schemes, are also not taken into account.
The most authoritative resource
We collect information from various sources, including:
• Permanent placements made through our branch locations
• Insight from our senior recruitment managers
• Independent research we conduct among senior executives
• Our comprehensive analysis of current and future hiring
trends
We recognise that salary ranges may vary by industry and are
influenced by other factors such as hard-to-find skill sets. Please
speak with one of our Robert Half consultants to find out specific
factors affecting your organisation.
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3. From the Senior
Managing Director
Dear colleague
The UAE job market is gaining momentum, with companies hiring the talent
they need to manage rising workloads and deliver growth. Despite continued
uncertainty in the eurozone and the resulting caution expressed by some
multinational organisations, many companies realise that they can no longer
remain efficient without additional human capital, particularly within specialist
occupations.
Access to the most up-to-date remuneration and hiring information can
help you create competitive salary and benefits packages to attract, recruit
and retain the best and brightest. Benchmarking salaries against other local
organisations, however, is just the start. As the UAE gains in prominence
on an international stage, you have to compete for the best talent on offer
worldwide. Working with a recruitment consultancy with operations around
the globe can help you ensure you have access to both national and
international players.
We hope you find the Robert Half UAE 2013 Salary Guide useful for your
recruitment needs. Please speak to one of our specialist consultants for
specific trends affecting your specialism and sector.
Regards
Ian Graves
Senior Managing Director
Continental Europe and Middle East
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4. The hiring climate
Despite lingering global job market uncertainty, the UAE has
experienced relatively strong economic growth, which has
resulted in increased hiring across specialist occupations.
While many multinational organisations are taking a more
cautious approach, waiting to see what happens in the
eurozone, many local companies are taking the opportunity to
recruit both local and expatriate candidates to help manage
growth initiatives and rising workloads.
Financial executives are optimistic, with eight in 10 confident
about both their countries’ and their companies’ economic
prospects, signalling additional hiring across the organisation.
While volume has risen, the time it takes departments to hire
has increased as well, often the result of multiple interview
rounds for both permanent and temporary candidates,
and more senior-level sign-offs are needed before an
offer is extended. With some profiles in short supply, many
organisations realise that their top choices are accepting
offers from competing organisations.
Staff retention and effective management strategies
are therefore moving to the top of the business agenda
for the coming year as companies look to keep their top
performers. Many have turned to counter-offers to hold on
to their star employees, although this is often only a short-term
solution because these individuals generally move on
once another opportunity presents itself.
Expatriate versus local candidate recruitment
Demand remains for expatriate candidates, particularly for some highly
technical roles in financial services, risk and compliance. In these areas
UAE countries look to some of the more mature economies of UK and
Europe for the talent and experience that is unavailable locally. There
remains an inflow of candidates from eurozone countries and the UK, as
job market concerns prompt professionals to turn eastwards for career
growth. Likewise, Arab expats from countries in political turmoil have
increased as well.
Government targets to increase nationalisation among private sector
companies has affected organisations that are both looking for expertise
from international talent and are unable to compete with many of the
salaries on offer from the public sector. Many organisations, however, are
looking for Arab-speakers with international experience and education
who return to the UAE to pursue their careers.
Issues that will affect hiring
A global perspective – Continued financial instability across the eurozone
and political unrest in some Gulf countries has affected recruitment plans,
with many multinational organisations taking a wait-and-see approach
before committing to additional headcount. In contrast, emerging markets
appear to remain a focus for companies looking to expand. Many are
concentrating on merger and acquisition strategies, particularly in Latin
America, Asia and Eastern Europe. Companies in the UAE need to be
aware that they are competing for top talent on a global stage and that
attraction strategies need to reflect this.
Regulatory environment – Regulatory change remains top of mind for
executives who not only need to navigate fluctuating requirements but also
need to find staff with relevant experience in such unchartered territory.
The time and expenditure executives spend on regulatory change has
increased, and many companies now look to more mature markets for
individuals with the education, knowledge and experience to help them
remain compliant.
There also remains a significant requirement for risk, regulatory and
compliance professionals, and as demand outweighs supply, companies
face increased budgetary pressure to secure the market’s most sought-after
individuals.
85% of finance leaders
are concerned
about losing top
performers in the
next year
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5. Trends by specialism
Finance and Accounting
Recruitment for finance and accounting professionals continues to gain
momentum, and it is expected to remain buoyant throughout the year.
Finance leaders now look for business-savvy individuals with strong
commercial acumen, not only to perform traditional accounting functions
but also to drive revenue growth while partnering with other departments.
Companies that want to tighten controls on spending and find alternative
ways to generate income streams covet the financial insight these
individuals provide.
Many companies look to interview more candidates to be absolutely
certain before they decide to hire. This has lengthened the hiring process,
and with the best candidates receiving multiple offers, companies risk
losing their top choices to competing organisations. In contrast, with 81%
of finance leaders challenged to find the skilled talent they need, some
companies look to interview even if no role exists, then create opportunities
should the right individual come along.
Companies look for candidates who meet specific requirements and no
longer look for a generalist accountant, but rather a specialist with the
requisite skills, experience and qualifications to add immediate value.
Finance leaders cite finance (29%), audit (24%), operational support
(17%), compliance (12%) and accounting (12%) as the functional areas
most challenging to recruit into.
Industries in demand
• Pharmaceuticals
• FMCG
• Aerospace
• Alternative energy
• Oil and gas
Skills in demand
• Recognised global accountancy qualifications
(ACA, ACCA, CIMA, CPA)
• Language skills, particularly Arabic
• ERP systems: SAP, Oracle and full implementation
experience
• Commerciality and business acumen
Roles in demand
• Financial analysts
• Financial managers/controllers
• Audit and compliance professionals
View Finance and Accounting Salaries
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6. Financial Services
The financial services sector continues to evolve and adjust to the recent
global banking inquiries with new regulations and a focus on product
profitability dominating most executives’ agendas. Much of the hiring
revolves around business-critical roles, with a mix of mid- and senior-level
talent seeing the greatest opportunity. Companies under pressure to do
more with less expect employees to be both specialists and generalists,
demonstrating high-level experience and knowledge across multiple areas.
The eurozone crisis has prompted more financial services professionals
to look to the UAE, with audit, compliance, risk and regulatory specialists
seeing the strongest demand and remuneration prospects. Companies
look for candidates who have worked in a developed market and can bring
their outside expertise – particularly in Basel III, Advanced Measurement
Approach and sanctions – to the local marketplace.
A Robert Half global survey found that, since the beginning of the
recession, six in 10 (61%) financial services organisations have increased
their compliance budgets, with permanent headcount receiving the largest
rise. Not surprisingly, 85% of executives have found regulatory change a
challenge on their business and as such, CFOs and COOs spend 18% of
their time, or one full day a week, on regulatory change.
Sub-sectors in demand
• Insurance
• Corporate banking
• Private banking
Skills in demand
• International experience
• Enterprise risk management
• Ability to implement controls
• Recognised global qualifications
(ACA, ACCA, CA, CFA, CIA, CIMA, CPA)
Roles in demand
• Internal auditors
• Risk specialists (credit, operational, market)
• Financial planning and analysis managers
• Corporate banking specialists
View Financial Services Salaries
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7. Human Resources
As hiring increases across departments and throughout organisations,
recruiting HR professionals is slowly following suit, with rising workloads
(42%) and business growth or expansion (33%) prompting the need to
increase headcount. Companies are looking for bi-lingual HR generalists,
although as organisations continue to mirror western HR departments,
there is more desire for specialists to create a performance-led culture.
Many roles that need fewer than five years’ experience are filled by
local professionals because the HR profession on the whole has
benefitted from nationalisation schemes. Demand for mid- and senior-level
professionals has increased, especially as many multinational
organisations split what was once EMEA functions into a regional UAE
focus, occasionally including north Africa and parts of Asia in the remit.
There remains a candidate-short market on the mid- to senior-level as the
most in-demand professionals are already employed. This has increased
expatriate recruitment, although at a more modest level than other
professions like accounting, financial services and IT.
Industries in demand
• FMCG
• Professional services
• Financial services
• Pharmaceutical
• Manufacturing
• Energy/oil and gas
• Real estate/construction
Skills in demand
• International experience
• Western education
• Regional exposure
• CIPD qualification
• Arabic speaking
Roles in demand
• Regional/UAE HR managers
• Specialist positions (learning and development/
recruitment/compensation and benefits/employee
relations)
• Senior regional/group HR directors
View Human Resources Salaries
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8. TECHNOLOGY
Technology professionals remain in demand within the UAE as
organisations win projects and need the requisite talent to manage
rising workloads and business demands. E-commerce has emerged as
a strong growth area across the UAE, with estimates as high as 300%
annual growth driving the need for Java and .NET developers and security
professionals.
More companies are moving towards cloud technologies as they enhance
their IT security and compliance processes, increasing demand for security
managers, architects and engineers. This is especially important for
financial services firms as they face enhanced security concerns due to
the sensitivity of their offerings. Meanwhile, retail banks will focus on multi-channel
customer engagement and enhanced experience, with integrated
and more functional web and mobile offerings prompting the need for
mobile applications developers.
Companies are balancing the need to access expatriate recruitment
with calls for further Emiratisation, as greater demands for IT talent
prompts an overall shortage of skilled professionals throughout the UAE.
Companies also realise that top candidates often get multiple offers,
resulting in increased pace of hiring from initial interview through to offer.
Remuneration has moved towards a one-figure salary, with housing,
relocation and schooling allowance being reflected in the base salary or
removed altogether.
Industries in demand
• IT consultancies/providers
• Aviation
• Real estate
Skills in demand
• Project Management Professional (PMP) certification
• Project Management Institute (PMI) certification
• E-commerce expertise
• Lean Transformation Professionals
Software in demand
• ERP/CRM: SAP, Oracle, SharePoint, MS Dynamics
• Infrastructure:
• UNIX (AIX, Solaris, HP-UX, Linux, IBM)
• Backup and Restore (TSM, Veritas, Data
Protector)
• Storage Management (ESS 800, DS Series)
• Intel/Windows, Citrix (IBM)
• Database (SQL, Oracle, DB2)
• Systems Management (Tivoli, SRM)
• SAN Management (FC Switches/Directors-
Brocade, McData, Cisco, EFCM)
• Virtualization (VMware, Cloud Computing)
• Data Centre
• Windows Server
Roles in demand
• IT consultants
• Infrastructure architects and project managers
• ERP specialists (SAP, Oracle)
• Enterprise architects: Solution architects, data architects
• Development managers
• Storage architects
View Technology Salaries
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9. Legal
Continued tensions in some areas of the Middle East have resulted
in growth for the legal profession in the UAE because Dubai and Abu
Dhabi have provided relative security compared with some less stable
jurisdictions.
In the corporate world, renewed business activity and ongoing regulatory
requirements create demand for specialised in-house counsel. Corporate
legal departments seek associates not only to handle legal and regulatory
matters but also to support the organisation’s business objectives by
identifying new opportunities. Many multinational organisations look for
regional counsel to be based in the UAE whereas these roles used to exist
within the European or American operations.
There is more demand for Arabic-speaking and western-trained lawyers
with three to 10 years of post-qualification experience. The number of
opportunities has increased, although organisations are engaging in
multiple interview rounds to ensure they make the right hiring decision.
In some cases this has resulted in their first candidate choices receiving
offers from competing organisations.
Industries in demand
• FMCG
• Pharmaceutical
• Financial services
• Real estate/construction
Skills in demand
• Islamic finance
• Compliance
• Western qualifications
• Arabic speaking
• International law firm experience
Roles in demand
• Regional counsel within multinational corporations with
three to 10 years post-qualification experience
• Mid- to senior- level associates
View Legal Salaries
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17. Spotlight on expatriate recruitment
Challenged to find the requisite skills and experience locally,
many organisations continue to look to expatriate recruitment
to fill the gap. Continued economic and job market concerns in
the eurozone may have prompted some candidates to look to
the UAE for their next career opportunity. However, lower overall
compensation may dissuade some individuals in good roles
within their home countries from relocating.
Certain lingering impressions about the UAE employment
market may mean some expat candidates expect remuneration
prospects that are inconsistent with market demand. Overall,
much of the relocation and housing allowance that was once on
offer has been rolled into base salaries, with only roughly one
in four (28%) companies now offering this benefit. At the same
time, the cost of housing has dropped in Dubai and Abu Dhabi,
among others, which means what may appear as lower overall
compensation has more purchasing power.
Despite more modest remuneration prospects overall,
candidates with the most sought-after specialist skills will
still be in a position to command high levels of compensation.
Robert Half offers the following four tips when looking to
secure expatriate talent:
Find them early: Companies that can leverage their networks
to access talent before their arrival in the UAE will find
themselves in good stead. Working with a global recruitment
consultancy gives you better access to talented expatriates
while they’re still in their home countries.
Determine their motivations: Are expats looking to the UAE
for the strong potential remuneration prospects or the lifestyle
that is on offer – or possibly both? Finding out what motivates
candidates and tailoring compensation packages accordingly
will make your organisation an attractive place to work.
Make hiring decisions quickly: In a candidate-short market,
companies cannot afford to drag their heels in making a
hiring decision, or they risk their top choices accepting offers
elsewhere. Ensuring you have the right decision makers
involved from the beginning and moving the process along
swiftly will help keep these individuals interested in your
organisation.
Provide guidance: Moving overseas is a big step and making
the process as smooth as possible will help candidates
feel secure in their decision. Providing guidance on the
cost of living, housing and schooling costs, among other
considerations, will show that your company has a vested
interest in the individual.
Thinking about the recruitment of overseas candidates, are expectations for total package
remuneration in line with local market conditions?
56% Yes
39% No – expectations are higher
5% No – expectations are lower
Source: Robert Half Survey of 75 HR directors
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18. Robert Half: your partner for growth
Robert Half is the world’s leading specialised recruitment
consultancy. Our specialist divisions place accounting and finance,
financial services, information technology, human resources and
legal professionals on a permanent basis.
There is no substitute for the human touch when hiring. While any
number of online or technology tools can identify potential hires,
they can’t tell you about the person behind the profile. We take the
time to understand the unique needs and cultures of the businesses
we serve. Then, we carefully choose professionals with skills, work
styles and career goals that align with those businesses.
The right match – We can help you get hard-to-find professionals.
Our global candidate database includes more than seven million
pre-screened, skills-tested individuals who are pre-qualified and
available to work right away.
Quick results – When you have a job opening, chances are you
need immediate help. Our recruitment experts use leading-edge
technology to shorten the search process. In addition, we take the
time to understand your business’s unique needs.
Options to fit your needs – We offer a choice of skilled candidates
with varying levels of experience. So, whatever your budget or
needs, we can find the right professional for your organisation.
Exceptional service – The hiring process is more complex than
ever. We can guide you every step of the way and handle the most
challenging aspects for you. Communication is our speciality.
Reliability – Few firms can match our experience and reputation
for excellence. In fact, nine out of 10 clients and candidates would
recommend our service to a colleague.
Further information
Please contact us for more information about Robert Half’s
recruitment services and how we can help meet
your specific needs:
Call us on +971 (0) 4 3826700
Visit www.roberthalf.ae
Connect with us at Robert Half:
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