Qatar Foundation on track to achieve national employment targets

Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development has made it its mission to take advantage of the pool of talent available within the local job market. Through an ambitious and carefully considered plan, the Human Resources Directorate aims to tap into the country’s human development capacity and increase the number of Qatari nationals across all its sectors.

By the year 2016, Qatar Foundation expects its total staff employment to have reached the target rate of 50 percent Qatarisation. To execute this plan effectively, the Human Resources Directorate has been driving forth the process through a long-term strategy that employs nationals of the highest calibre, and trains them to lead the nation into the future.

Positive results have already begun to show. Qatar Foundation succeeded at achieving the initial 50 percent Qatarisation goal stipulated in its first five-year plan from 2006 to 2011, and is continuing to see a marked improvement in its current five-year plan from 2011 to 2016.

Commenting on the organisation’s long-term strategy and future employment plans, Ahmed Al-Obaidly, the Recruitment Manager, at Qatar Foundation’s Human Resources Directorate says, “We conduct an annual assessment to monitor the ratio of Qataris joining us every year, in order to ensure that the outcome meets our strategic objectives. I can say that we have been achieving very positive results on this front.”

During the three years he has worked with Qatar Foundation, Mr Al-Obaidly has witnessed sustained growth and development. He says the expansion has created a pressing need for trained manpower and resulted in a constant stream of jobs for Qatari youth.

“We are always seeking capable nationals who can lead the Foundation’s projects, as well as research and education centres. We prepare students by offering them educational scholarships and facilitate training at the best institutes and international companies, so that we can help them assume future positions,” says Mr Al-Obaidly.

The long-term employment strategy at Qatar Foundation seeks to place nationals in a variety of jobs, so that youth are fully-equipped to take on diverse roles and functions within the organisation. And this has proven to be a very appealing factor for many applicants looking to embark on a career path.

“The broad range of fields offered by the Foundation allows us to attract a large pool of applicants with different capabilities. We have jobs for applicants who would like to work in the field of research and in all levels of education, from early childhood education to university education. In addition, we have a number of specialisations within the field of community development, music, sports, and other administrative functions,” he says.

Among the outstanding features that distinguish Qatar Foundation from other organisations seeking to recruit nationals and boost employment, are its specially-tailored training and development policies. One of the unique programmes on offer is the Career Development Plan, which has been put in place for recent high school and university graduate trainees. Within a maximum period of two years, every individual is equipped with invaluable skills that enhance their professional qualifications, thereby ensuring they can fulfil the duties of the job that has been identified for them.

Al-Obaidly states, “Within a period of two years, the trainee is eligible to take over a position at Qatar Foundation. During this time, the candidate will undertake several vocational courses and workshops, both within Qatar and abroad, that are directly related to his or her career path. At the same time, the trainee continues to receive valuable on the job experience, which is gained through daily work. The training programme’s results are extremely positive and graduates that have gone through it have all taken up the jobs assigned to them successfully.”

All graduate trainees are appointed a coach who tracks their progress and evaluates their performance every three months. By doing so, both the trainee and coach are able to identify areas for improvement and align training needs with the individual’s Career Development Plan. In addition, a specialist from human resources assesses the trainee’s responsiveness to ensure any challenges are confronted from the start.

Al-Obaidly strongly believes that the mission of the annual Qatar Career Fair, now in its sixth year, is far more extensive than simply finding suitable candidates to take up employment offers. He highlights that the exhibition’s role is also providing awareness for visitors on all job-related aspects and to help them select a suitable job.

“We receive a large number of resumes during Qatar Career Fair and we have hired many of the candidates who have applied through the fair. The remaining applications are stored in our information database, which we review and evaluate continuously, especially when the need arises,” says Al-Obaidly.

“Our participation in the exhibition is also focused on creating awareness among participants. We provide valuable coaching sessions to show them how to put together a CV, prepare for a job interview, and through psychometric testing we are able to help them choose a meaningful vocation.”