In a recently completed study, top Saudi graduates ranked Saudi Aramco as their number one choice to work for in the Kingdom, followed by SABIC, SEC and STC.
The report, entitled “Recruiting Top Graduates in Saudi Arabia” was based on a survey of recent graduates of the prestigious King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals (KFUPM), the Kingdom’s leading university and academic institution.
While 54% of the graduates surveyed expressed interest in working outside the country for at least a few years, the vast majority of these stated that they would like to return after gaining some international experience. Overall 94% of all graduates surveyed either preferred to establish their career entirely in the Kingdom or to return after gaining experience abroad. Only 6% of all respondents would consider permanently relocating abroad.
Commenting on the survey results, a spokesperson for GulfTalent.com who led the study said "Our research shows that while top Saudi graduates from KFUPM have many opportunities to work abroad, there is very little interest in relocating to another country as long-term expatriate workers. These findings reflect strong family ties, a deep commitment to Saudi Arabia and above all the Saudi youth’s prevailing sense of optimism about the future of their country and the opportunities available to them. This should ensure that there is virtually no threat of the ‘brain drain’ experienced by some other Arab and Muslim societies."
According to the report, 64% of those surveyed placed Saudi Aramco as their first choice for employment, followed by 50% for SABIC, 18% for Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) and 15% for Saudi Telecom (STC).
Participants in the survey cited a number of factors for deciding which job to take or employer to join. The factors mentioned most frequently were the opportunity to learn and grow, followed by the chance to perform challenging and interesting work, and finally attractive salary and benefits in third place. The median salary expectation of the graduates surveyed was SR 8,000 per month or around $26,000 per year.
Although a significant number of respondents preferred to work in or close to their home province, this was not the dominant consideration for the majority, with only 6% citing it as the most important criterion. Other factors mentioned by some graduates were the opportunity to use existing knowledge as well as job security. Rather surprisingly, company image and reputation and working hours were not important factors for those surveyed.
GulfTalent.com’s report also highlighted significant competition for Saudi graduates from multinational companies – with 18 multinationals making it to the list of top 30 most popular employers. The United Arab Emirates’ Mobily was the only non-Saudi GCC-based company to appear on the list.
The report concludes that in order to attract the best candidates, employers in the Kingdom need to formulate an attractive Employee Value Proposition – a combination of provisions in the job and working environment which fully address employee career and professional aspirations.
"The results of the survey confirm that building an attractive employee value proposition demands far more than just an attractive salary," said the GulfTalent.com spokesperson. "As the competition for qualified Saudi candidates intensifies, the winning companies will be those who offer the Saudi youth the best opportunity for growth and development, the chance to undertake interesting and challenging work, and to see the impact of their work. In addition, companies should consider providing international exposure to their top-performing employees, involving senior management in graduate recruiting and actively participating in university Career Days."
