Bright spot in Islamic banking recruitment for Malaysia

Recruitment in Malaysia is likely to remain cautious in the first half of 2016 due to pressures from the weak ringgit as well as falling crude oil prices. Across sectors, hiring is only anticipated either for replacement positions or within critical business units, Robert Walters said.

Despite the slowdown in recruitment, Islamic banking recruitment is growing, noted the company. With Malaysia being the biggest player in the global Islamic banking industry, relevant professionals will see opportunities, particularly in Islamic asset management.

Sally Raj, Managing Director of Robert Walters Malaysia, comments: "In times of market uncertainty, companies need to see the long-term value of investing in their employees. Staff retention is now more crucial than ever as Malaysian professionals are highly motivated by training and development initiatives as well as leadership opportunities. Despite this general slowdown, growth is still forecast within IT, corporate governance and Islamic banking, all of which are driving recruitment of top-tier skilled specialists."

Robert Walters focuses on placing high-calibre professionals into permanent, contract and temporary positions at all levels of seniority. The Malaysia business recruits across the accountancy and finance, banking, business support, compliance, financial services, HR, legal, IT, sales, supply chain, marketing, procurement and supply chain fields.

Dr Stephan Schönwälder to manage Russell Reynolds' Dubai office

Source: Russell Reynolds
Associates website.

Russell Reynolds Associates has opened an office in Dubai, located at the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). The global assessment, recruitment and succession planning specialist for CEOs, boards of Directors and key roles within the C-suite started doing business in the Middle East in 1975. The firm now has 46 offices in 26 countries spread across Europe, Asia, North and South America and the Middle East.

“Our firm was first in our industry to establish a Middle East Practice, and we remain unique with dedicated consultants based both inside and outside of the region. Our Dubai office is another important step in the global expansion of Russell Reynolds Associates,” says Clarke Murphy, CEO of Russell Reynolds Associates. "Our company continues to expand: the past calendar year was an history high."

The executive search firm's presence in the Arab world will be boosted by the new office, which will be tightly integrated with the firm’s Middle East desk in London. "The Middle East continues to play a key strategic role for many of our clients, most major multinationals and world banks. Our Dubai office complements our clients' growing demands for physical presence in the region," explains Dr Stephan Schönwälder, Managing Director at Russell Reynolds Associates and Area Manager for Dubai. Dr Stephan Schönwälder works with senior members of the London desk Mat Green and Lamees Al-Ashtal. Green coordinates the firm's Middle East practice and conducts assignments for clients in the financial services, oil & gas, mining and natural resources sectors.

Dr Schönwälder joined Russell Reynolds Associates from another search firm, where he led the Middle East Financial Services Practice for four years. He also worked on numerous assignments in the ICT and FMCG industries and served family-owned businesses. Schönwälder was a former Partner with McKinsey & Company, serving as the head of the company’s Middle East Business Technology Practice and as a core member of the region’s Financial Services Practice. He also worked for numerous family conglomerates and government institutions, with a focus on Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Schönwälder explains, "The region has considerable potential. Many of the Gulf States are successfully expanding their range of economic activities – moving away from oil toward promising sectors of the future such as tourism and hospitality, financial services and telecommunications. We advise companies and institutions in the region on all talent issues across all industries, with our wide-ranging executive search knowledge and international and local expertise."

Dubai Islamic Bank is a preferred employer in MENA

Source: DIB.

Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB), the largest Islamic bank in the UAE, has been recognised as one of the most preferred employers for potential candidates on LinkedIn within the MENA region. DIB was ranked 16th amongst the MENA’s top 20 Most In-Demand Employers 2015, making it one of the top 10 local brands on the list. DIB is also the sole bank in the list.

LinkedIn releases an annual list of the top employers based on billions of interactions from LinkedIn members across the world. The ranking is based on employer brand awareness and the methodology includes reach, engagement and job activity. As such, businesses are ranked according to the number of users who view profiles of their employees, connect with their employees, visit or follow their company pages, and view or apply to job postings by the company.

Cornel Fourie, Head of Human Resources, Dubai Islamic Bank, said: “As the first Islamic bank in the UAE, we are proud of this accomplishment and delighted to be named as one of the premium talent brands in the MENA region for the first time. This recognition underscores our relentless efforts to position the Islamic banking sector as an attractive employer of aspiring talents as well as our commitment to nurture the new generation of UAE banking professionals. As we grow and continue to expand, we are eager to see more talented individuals including UAE nationals leading the future of the banking sector locally and driving the global appeal of Islamic finance.”

Ali Matar, Head of Talent Solutions, LinkedIn MENA, added; “We were very pleased to recognise our top Talent Solutions clients in MENA for 2015 in the inaugural ceremony, held in Dubai, UAE. Local brands have been celebrated based on their outstanding recruitment strategy, engagement and results on our LinkedIn platform. We believe that Dubai Islamic Bank's curated and strategic approach to talent acquisition through social recruiting contributes significantly to their brand strength which in its turn impacts positively their employee retention and engagement.”

Recognising the importance of this platform, DIB has been strengthening its presence on LinkedIn to connect with job seekers who are looking to engage with its talent brand. These receive continuous updates on job openings and ongoing initiatives such as participation in career exhibitions. Currently, DIB has more than 116,000 followers including employee members, an increase of 97% from the same period in 2014.

DIB runs programmes aimed at introducing potential candidates to the concepts and principles of shari'ah-compliant financial services. Additionally, the bank has also created a range of training programmes across different levels of the bank while it actively participates at various career fairs across the country to engage job seekers. 

Suppliers needed to execute on Arab Women's Enterprise Fund projects

A networking event for potential suppliers which can deliver on the Arab Women's Enterprise Fund (AWEF) programme has been set for March 18 for Jordan and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs).

The 10 million-pound fund aims to empower poor women in Egypt, Jordan and the OPTs, increase their income and well-being and ultimately improving their livelihoods and growth opportunities. The programme will do this by increasing their participation in markets through working with market actors to encourage the adoption of new practices and also by addressing constraints in the enabling environment. 

The UK Department for International Development (DFID) will work with the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) which will contribute an additional 10 million pounds in shari'ah-compliant concessionary finance through financial intermediaries. The tender for DFID's half of the programme is available at the DFID Supplier Portal. 

The AWEF Supplier Networking Google Site  is now live. Those interested to join can email roopa-hinton@dfid.gov.uk. More information on the networking event is available from m-sansour@dfid.gov.uk. 

Muis starts recruitment exercise for Singaporean Pilgrims Affairs Office for 1436 Hajj

The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) is calling for volunteers for the medical and administrative team in the Singaporean Pilgrims Affairs Office (SPAO) that it sends to support Singaporean pilgrims for the 1436H Hajj. 

The team will comprise doctors, nurses and assistant pilgrim officers to provide medical and welfare services to Singaporean pilgrims. For Hajj 1436H/2015, SPAO will operate in the holy cities from early September to late October 2015. 

The following are eligibility criteria for each post:

Honorary Medical Officers 
 Bachelor of Medicine & Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) 
 Registered with the Singapore Medical Council (SMC) 
 Involvement in voluntary organisation / community work preferred 
 Has knowledge in manasik (rituals) of Hajj 

Honorary Nursing Officers 
 State Registered Nurse (SRN) Certificate 
 Paramedics holding SRN Certificate may also apply 
 Singapore citizen 
 Involvement in voluntary organisation / community work preferred 
 Has knowledge in manasik (rituals) of Hajj 

Honorary Assistant Pilgrim Officers 
 Minimum five GCE ‘O’ Level passes with experience in administration, management and logistics 
 Singapore citizen 
 Has performed Hajj as a pilgrim 
 Involvement in voluntary organisation / community work preferred 
 Competent in application software (eg, Microsoft Office) 
 Physically fit 

The deadline for submissions is Friday, 20 March at 5pm. Submission forms are available online here.