Introduction
People, especially those who lack a clear understanding of the Middle East region, often assume that all countries in this region are more or less the same based on aspects such as the way they carry out recruitment exercises. While some similarities are evident, many differences too are there, with each country having its own unique opportunities and challenges.
Israel and the UAE are countries that are located within this part of the world. They both have differences and similarities in their recruitment processes in the practice of human resource management.
Efforts to set international acceptable standards of recruitment in the world have met both acceptance and objections due to certain unique characteristics of various nations. This paper discusses the witnessed similarities and differences in the recruitment process in these two countries.
Similarities in Recruitment in the UAE and Israel
The first process of recruitment in both Israel and UAE is advertising for a position that falls vacant or that is created through expansion. Both countries follow the rules of advertising openly for the vacancy on the national newspapers or other media platforms, which are accessible by the public. In both nations, advertisement is done on posters, billboards, and on the internet and other social media platforms.
In addition, there some major similarities in the requirements for job offer, for example, educational qualifications, work experience, language proficiency, technical skills, and people skills. According to Forstenlechner et al., it is a requirement that the candidate be able to communicate well with the target clients and fellow employees (406). In both countries, communication is a crucial part of the recruitment.
After advertisement, both countries acknowledge that the interested and qualified candidates submit their curriculum vitae and copies of their certificates and other testimonials indicating why they should be considered for the job. McEwan also affirms that, in the UAE applications for jobs can be made online via email or through the post office (27).
In some instances, the applicants are advised to drop their applicants on the recruitments firm’s desk. A similar mode of submission also happens in Israel. After recruitment in both Israel and the UAE, the process is followed by candidates’ invitation for an interview. Such invitations are made via personal contact number, for example email address, cell phone, or through advertisements on the national newspapers.
Although there are some differences, the interview process is also similar in many ways in both the UAE and Israel. In both countries, the major areas of interviewing candidates for various positions are alike. For example, Forstenlechner et al. reveal how interviewers in human resource development must perform a written or an oral interview to elicit information from the candidate on the several areas.
The areas range from work experience and academic qualifications, willingness of the candidate to engage other people or teamwork, the confidence of the candidate in handling tasks and situations, ability to make firm decisions when faced with crisis, endurance and perseverance, and problem solving skills.
In both Israel and the UAE, employees must possess these skills regardless of their area of specialisation. In fact, in most companies in these countries, the core values and missions are centred on these characteristics of employees.
Differences in Recruitment Processes in the UAE and Israel
Despite the many similarities in the recruitment process, differences in the way UAE and Israel do recruitment of employees are evident. The major difference between the two nations is on the nature and content of information that a former employer can give to the new employer concerning an employee.
For instance, In Israel, as Sugrue reveals, a former employer “…may disclose your personal health information to an organization assisting in a disaster relief effort and…when required by law” (Para. 11). On the contrary, the UAE has tight regulations for such information.
Defaulting it can lead to arrest, fine, and imprisonment of ex-employers. According to McEwan, the UAE penal code prohibits the disclosing of confidential information concerning an employee to a third party (26). This strategy is different from what happens in Israel where complete disclosure of employee’s information is allowed by law.
In fact, Kaplan argues that the new employer can sue the ex-employer for not disclosing the full information in the recommendations of an employee in case the employee causes damage or any malpractice (2).
In the UAE, the employer is equally barred by the penal code from accessing confidential information about an employee. According to Kaplan, this is contrary to what happens in Israel where scrutiny of employees is recommended (2).
McEwan also affirms that the UAE’s penal code also prohibits divulgence of employee’s records or publications of such records to third parties such as prospective employers (27). However, Israel allows this case to prevail. The employee is also required to submit two or more names and contact details for referees in both countries.
However, in the UAE, the law limits such referees on the kind and amount of information that they can disclose to an employer. For example, Forstenlechner et al. argue that information should only include limited factual details (406) such as the period of employment, the nature of work done, and the amount of money paid.
On the contrary, Kaplan argues a referee in Israel can be questioned over every other information concerning a candidate including the reason for termination of duties especially with the current terrorism threats (2).
Conclusion
In conclusion, similarities and differences are evident in the process of recruitment in the UAE and Israel. The processes of advertising for a vacancy, invitation of applicants, interviewing, selection, and job offer are similar.
However, one cannot rule out the differences in the information that ex-employees can disclose to new employers in the UAE, contrary to the open system in Israel. Ex-employers are also not supposed to print or submit any electronic personal information on an employee to a third party. In addition, prospective and new employers are limited on the information they can search on concerning an employee.
Works Cited
Forstenlechner, Ingo, Mohamed Madi, Hassan Selim, and Emilie Rutledge. “Emiratisation: determining the factors that influence the recruitment decisions of employers in the UAE.” International Journal of Human Resource Management 23.2(2012): 406-421. Print.
Kaplan, Edward. “Staffing models for covert counterterrorism agencies.” Socio Economic Planning Sciences 47.1(2013): 2-8. Print.
McEwan, Dale. “Staffing Up.” Lawyer 25.30(2011): 26-26. Print.
Sugrue, Mary. Notice of privacy Practices, 2010. Web.