(MENAFN - Arab News) Hiring unqualified workers is always a risky move which is why many employers invest time and money in training new hires. When those employees jump ship and take a job with another company, employers are understandably irked.
"It happens more with Saudi women than men," according to Abdulrahman Al-Khaldi, a human resources manager at a local bank.
"I have had a number of fresh graduates who seem interested in working with us and after their first year I find out they just wanted to add something to their resume. Some of them just want to get a job to save some money and then leave as soon as they get married. This is why we like to hire more men than women in our bank," he said.
Even some schools are forced to hire unqualified teachers to fill classrooms, according to school principal, Faten AL-Youssef. "It is very hard to train teachers, especially for high school with its strict curriculum, because those teachers are young and have zero experience but with Saudization we are forced to hire only Saudi teachers who know nothing about teaching. "We give them three months training, which is not enough, but this is all we can offer. We want them to start working as soon as possible to fill the gaps we usually have."
Noura Al-Sulaimani, marketing development manager at a local company, said employers should give the proper training only to those who deserve it. "I know it's essential to train people as soon as they walk in, but it's such a waste of time to train people who will not last in the business," she said. "We offer external courses and make sure all our employees have an English certificate. When they leave, we've lost an investment. This is why we only offer this kind of training for employees who last with us for more than a year just to make sure they are worth it and we are not just a turning point in their life."
The medical sector on all levels needs highly skilled employees because simple mistakes can turn serious. "We put so much stress on the HR department when hiring new staff because people trust us. One small mistake can lead to a major medical error," said Ibrahim Al-Ansari, co-owner of Ansari Clinics. "Especially now that many medical mistakes have been surfacing and hospitals have been closed because of mistakes, the pressure is on us to provide the best kind of training and to keep an eye on everyone to prevent such mistakes."
Productivity is the first victim of untrained employees, and then comes quality, according to businessman Mohammed Kamel. "Employers should seek the employee who wants to learn the necessary skills for the job, but that's difficult to tell in the first couple of months," he said. "The HR department is one of the most important departments in the company because it is responsible for making this decision and for developing strategies, improving efficiency and deciding on the kind of employees to recruit," he added.
