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Most businesses in the UAE and other parts of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region are expected to fill staffing requirements through internship programmes this year as they look to save on costs and identify new talent, a new survey found.
The study by Bayt.com, which polled over 2,400 respondents across MENA, showed that 78% of companies in the region are looking to hire interns in 2023.
Employers consider hiring interns to cut down on labour-related expenses, fill temporary positions and identify professionals for future vacancies. Those that are on the lookout for interns are companies that operate in various industries, including digital marketing, accounting, banking and finance, customer service, HR and recruiting, and graphic design.
Bayt.com’s survey was conducted online from January 6 to February 3, 2023. It polled respondents from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Palestine, Syria, Egypt, Yemen, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Sudan, among others.
The survey indicated that internships in the region are generally considered as an opportunity for jobseekers or fresh graduates to gain work experience and widen their skillsets.
More chances of getting a job offer
Among those polled, 92% said internships increase fresh graduates’ chances of getting a job after they complete their studies.
Nearly seven in ten (65%) of MENA companies said they always offer full-time jobs to interns, while 19% said they sometimes offer a position at the end of an internship programme.
“Through internships, students gain hands-on experience of the professional world by performing tasks and duties usually conducted by employees in the chosen field,” said Ola Haddad, Director of Human Resources at Bayt.com.
“Our latest survey shows that employers can also benefit from interns in a number of ways, from accessing new talent and skills to increasing productivity… Data [also] reveals that internships can serve as a bridge between educational institutions and employers.”
Among the companies that hire interns, those in customer service top the list (24%), followed by digital marketing (22%), HR and recruiting (21%), information technology (17%), accounting, banking and finance (10%) and graphic design (8%).
Popular skills
The top considerations for employers when hiring an intern include communication and teamwork skills (61%), creativity (16%), research and analytical skills (13%) and time management (10%).
Most of the companies surveyed (70%) said that internships enable them to identify talent for future positions.
Internships also help employers complete less-demanding projects at low cost (11%), quickly fill temporary and seasonal positions (11%) and find extra help for small teams or departments (9%).
Findings of a US study released in May 2022 found that more businesses were considering hiring interns to drive gains.
The study by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), which connects more than 13,000 college career service professionals, university relations and recruiting professionals, and business solutions providers, found that companies expected to increase their intern hiring by 22.6%.
(Reporting by Cleofe Maceda; editing by Daniel Luiz)
