Expatriates in Dubai
The fast growth in the Economy of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has seen the development of numerous employment opportunities. This has led to an increase in the demand for labor, and since the local market cannot satisfy the high demand, the solution is hiring more expatriates. Companies in Dubai have particularly been active in employing expatriates, and this has led to the development of specific requirements focused on the qualities of the expatriates. Most companies have put into consideration the cultural requirements of expatriates, as well as their educational qualifications. One of the challenges faced by expatriates is the cultural shock. This paper looks into the recruitment process of expatriates at Blossom Children Nursery in Dubai.
Blossom Children Nursery
Blossom Children Nursery is an establishment in Dubai, which offers early childhood learning services to children aged 6 months to 6 years. The institute has developed the capabilities to facilitate quality care to babies by employing professional nurses to take care of the children. Parents enroll their children in the institution and highlight the various services that they would like their children to access. Over the years, the institution has developed a workforce with a high level of diversity, which has helped in attracting customers because parents are assured that their children are welcome regardless of their racial and religious backgrounds.
There are many expatriates in the facility, and their inter-professional teams are quite efficient because the institution has a high tolerance for diversity. The espoused values of the institution are particularly inclined toward enhancing the cultural competence of the employees. The institution is among the many entities that have provided employment opportunities for people from every continent in the world because it advertises expatriate jobs through various online avenues.
Legal Requirements
While hiring expatriates, there are several legal requirements associated with every opportunity in the company. The company applies the legal requirements of Dubai in the recruitment process, and the major document that all expatriates must possess is a work permit. The work permit is provided to expatriates upon the presentation of various documentations.
First, they must have a residency visa, which is issued by the government, and the process also requires the employer to send some legal documents to ascertain that the institution is offering a position to the associated expatriates. The applicant has to provide photographs for identification, a valid passport with at least six months’ validity, and a health certificate. Expatriates also need copies of the employment contract, which highlights the codes of conduct and the responsibilities associated with their position. The expatriates must also produce their education certificates and other documents highlighting their professional qualifications.
Some jobs at Blossom Children Nursery also require the professionals to possess certification from various organizations in Dubai. For instance, nurses in the institution need to have certification from the Dubai Health Authority. The essence of the legal requirements is to ensure that the institution employs individuals with legitimate qualifications, and to meet the various legal requirements because the company takes the responsibility of the conduct of the expatriates during their stay in Dubai. The institution must employ talented individuals to ensure that the quality of the services provided to children is remarkably high. The company complies with the law, and every expatriate is associated with the provision of all the required legal documents.
Financial Requirements
The institution does not have major financial requirements on the part of the expatriates. The only condition is for the individuals to have the means to travel to Dubai from their home country, and to have sufficient finances to cater to their personal needs before their first salary. The institution provides numerous benefits to the professionals, including housing, food, water, transportation, and other basic needs during their stay in Dubai.
The compensation plan for different positions is based on the market value, which implies that the institution offers very competitive salaries to the expatriates. The company also provides health care coverage for the expatriates and their family members if they choose to settle in Dubai. In some instances, the institution provides transportation from the home nations of the expatriates to the professionals, especially if they cannot afford it. This plan is included in the benefits program.
Cultural Issues
One of the challenges that expatriates encounter during their stay in Dubai is the culture shock. It is apparent that there is a high level of cultural diversity in Dubai, but the prevailing values are inclined toward the Islamic culture. People are expected to behave in a manner that aligns with the cultural requirements of the Muslim; hence, expatriates from the Western nations might face challenges trying to cope with the traditions. Blossom Children Nursery has a training and development program aimed at enhancing the cultural competence of the expatriates during the first few months of their stay.
The program is efficient in helping the expatriates to get accustomed to the requirements of the community, and it particularly helps them to offer better services to the children and their parents. However, some expatriates might take too long to adjust to the cultural shock faced when they get to Dubai. To avoid such scenarios, the institution has developed an employee performance assessment program that evaluates the efficiency of handling different tasks concerning the cultural intelligence portrayed by the expatriates. The program enables the management to develop individual-based training programs for the employees.
Interview
After sending several emails to the HR department of the Blossom Children Nursery, I got a chance to interview the HR manager through a phone call. I developed a structured interview with ten questions focusing on the recruitment process and the company’s adaptation to the requirements of the expatriates. The HR manager revealed that the institution has been facing challenges with expatriates, especially from the Western nations because of the cultural shock they experience.
He revealed that most of the expatriates from the Western states are excited to be in Dubai for the first month, but they later face psychological challenges when trying to cope with the changes in culture. The institution has looked into eliminating this challenge by providing training programs for the expatriates. A different option involves specifying the preferred nationalities for specific expatriate jobs.
For instance, the institution has a high preference for nurses from the Philippines because they have a lower level of cultural shock, and their cultural competence is relatively high. The interviewee also revealed that the main reason for contracting expatriates is because labor is too expensive among the local employees because of the high demand. Expatriates will continue enjoying good compensation and benefits plans at the Blossom Children Nursery because the institution hopes to maintain a committed team of experts.