Training Saudi youths in occupational skills that meet private sector requirements and encouraging them to work in a globally competitive environment could help the Kingdom develop its human resources, according to a leading expert on human capital management, human source (HR) talent and management solutions. Dr. Tommy Weir, Managing Director of Leadership Solutions at Kenexa, the global business and HR applications provider, was in the capital recently to evaluate labor market trends in Saudi Arabia. “Unfortunately, there is no quick solution for human resource development,” Weir said. However, he suggested a two-pronged approach that includes a 10,000-hour activity that enables the workforce to master their trade, he told reporters. Secondly, he said it takes generations for national initiatives in the development of human resources to take root. “Today Saudi Arabia is a first generation corporate society; as we move to the second generation the rewards of the investment will be reaped. It takes 10,000 hours of any activity to achieve mastery. This is true if one is trying to master playing the piano, playing golf/tennis or master being a doctor. The same is true in the workplace,” he explained. He said it was up to private sector companies to develop the future workforce. However, he said, the private sector in Saudi Arabia was at a critical juncture. “We have to be honest in assessing the current government initiatives, which can be measured by ‘fruit of labor', outcome and the timeline set for the purpose. However, the private sector should take responsibility for developing the future workforce,” he added. Saudi Arabia needs to establish the type of competencies the country's private sector wants to adopt, assess them and then set the criteria for achieving the required outcome. “I would propose that Saudi Arabia use a proven set of high-performance leadership competencies, since the Kingdom is focused on being globally competitive.” The official said the economic expansion in the Kingdom did not create a gap in high professional job categories to assume leadership positions. In fact, the economic expansion reveals the existing gaps in the leadership skills. He said the labor market in Saudi Arabia is continuing to evolve as during the past 50 years or so the work environment in the country has undergone major changes. The development of vocational skills in the country has not kept pace with the expansion of the market, he said, adding that “the youth in the Saudi workforce are never prepared to assume leadership positions. What Saudi Arabia is required to do today is to invest in youths and develop them to assume leadership positions.” He said he was personally not aware of the current standards of assessing human resource development in Saudi Arabia. However, it seemed the greatest factor affecting the outcome is the history of its workforce. “It is believed that the public sector is experiencing a skill shortage and is now wrestling to address the problem. The good news is that lots of companies are recognizing this and are working to rectify it,” he said. He said Saudi Arabia's ambitious foreign scholarship program has enabled Saudis to realize the working practices in several other countries. Like any society, he said work ethics, norms, practices and competencies are required to reflect the local culture and sensitivities attached to it. “This is a challenge for many Western multinationals that come to Saudi Arabia with their investments. Personally, I have not seen enough effort in building the private sector based on these societal realities. I would be interested to work in partnership with the top businesses to build a comprehensive Islamic business model similar to Islamic finance, but on a much broader scale to cover all of the private sector,” he said.
