While hiring manager satisfaction has slightly increased, quality of hire continues to be the most valuable key performance indicator, LinkedIn Talent Solutions said in its survey report titled "MENA Recruiting Trends 2016". The survey noted that most companies measure quality of hire through feedback (new hire evaluations), but many are starting to look longer-term with employee retention. The survey revealed that talent leaders across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) continue to use quality of hire as their key performance metric, and they're measuring it with employee turnover. As a result, employee retention is now seen as a top priority over the next 12 months. It pointed out that employer brand is starting to gain momentum thanks to talent acquisition's strong partnership with marketing. Moreover, the survey showed that employee retention emerges as a top priority for recruiters. However, internal hiring (which helps address employee retention) is significantly lower on the scale. Also, a surprising number of organizations are only recruiting internally to some extent. Leaders who are truly concerned about retention will prioritize internal recruiting. The survey also said noticed that MENA leaders are growing more confident. Globally, it remarked, most talent leaders aren't convinced they are measuring quality of hire effectively. "Those in MENA are feeling more confident. However, there is still progress to be made. Consider refining current methodologies or experimenting with new ones," the survey said. Employer brand is becoming more important in MENA, too, so talent leaders shouldn't lose momentum selling the concept to leadership, the survey added. Since investment remained flat, organizations focused on more outbound channels (like professional networks and social media) to extend their employer brand. Russell Hall, Group Head of Talent Acquisition, Al Tayer Group, said "we're built on the firm belief that our people are the source of our competitive advantage. Therefore, we developed a comprehensive approach to attracting, developing and retaining the best talent. Our Employer Branding strategy encompasses these three aspects holistically by focusing on the employee lifecycle and allowing our workforce to collaborate with us in creating a meaningful and rich working environment. We have an amazing story to tell to current and future employees from around the world to showcase our story, that will allow us to differentiate ourselves from our competition. The survey suggested that partnership with marketing is crucial. "The growth in employer brand prioritization likely has to do with your cross-functional partnerships, as shared and contributed ownership of employer brand efforts have grown significantly in the past year. And guess who shares the majority of that responsibility with you? Marketing. A strong relationship with marketing powers talent brand excellence." Harry Kumra, Vice President Resourcing, Jumeirah Group, remarked" We aspire to be an employer of choice. Our international growth means we are always looking at innovative ways of attracting new talent to join us. As a result, the quality of hire is extremely important. It allows us to consistently deliver our brand promise of ‘Stay Different' and to focus on growing the careers of our colleagues." LinkedIn survey further noted that social professional networks drastically grow as an essential source of quality hires, while job boards continue to be a key piece to the recruiting mix. Social professionals networks are a key tool that allow recruiters to build and maintain relationships with passive talent. Nonetheless, the survey cited some "biggest challenges", such as the gap between volume and money has significantly widened this past year, making it more difficult for organizations to overcome their biggest obstacles: compensation and sourcing in-demand talent. – SG
