ZAIN Group, the pioneer of mobile telecommunications across the Middle East and Africa, on Monday announced that it will use LinkedIn, the world's largest professional network on the Internet, to enhance its employer branding and talent acquisition strategy across the region. LinkedIn's Talent Solutions offering will enable Zain to identify and recruit the best talent from amongst LinkedIn's 332 million professional members. This includes passive candidates, or those not actively looking for a job, but who make up the majority of professionals. Scott Gegenheimer, Chief Executive Officer, Zain Group, said “the evolving and competitive telecoms business is mainly driven by people. Having the most talented team is the difference between being a follower and a leader. As Zain Group continues to grow, we need to focus on acquiring the best talent locally and regionally and to reinforce our reputation as the employer of choice. LinkedIn supports our strategy and provides an opportunity to engage with top talent all over the world at scale.” Ali Matar, Head of Talent Solutions at LinkedIn MENA, said “at LinkedIn, our mission is to connect the world's professionals to make them more productive and successful. This includes connecting them with great career opportunities. We are privileged to be a part of the talent acquisition and employer branding efforts of one of the major telecom companies in the region. We will work with Zain to reinforce their position as an employer of choice in Kuwait as well as the wider MEA region.” According to LinkedIn data, a strong employer brand reduces cost per hire by up to 50 per cent, and eighty three per cent of global recruiting leaders say that employer branding is a critical driver of their ability to hire top talent. LinkedIn's Talent Brand Index is a simple metric which allows customers to benchmark and ultimately elevate their employer brand. Zain will use LinkedIn's flagship Recruiter product, its own Career Page, and a number of other tools to engage potential candidates. LinkedIn's Career Pages allow businesses to differentiate their business with multimedia, banners and employee spotlights. Zain today has a talented workforce of 7,000 across all its operations and LinkedIn will play a central role in Zain' employer branding and recruitment efforts across Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia. — SG
