Article: Skilling and Development: Finding the missing link in talent shortage

Companies today are embracing innovative strategies to tackle the talent gap, but the growing competition for top talent continues to make it a challenging task. In an exclusive session with People Matters Middle East, Maha Gad, Director of Talent & Culture at Talabat, and Tannya Jajal, Founder and CEO of AIDEN, discussed the critical gaps in the talent crisis, and how Middle Eastern organisations can more effectively attract and retain skilled professionals to bridge the talent shortage and secure the right talent for the future.

Here are the edited excerpts from the session:

Factors leading to talent shortage for the right skills

Sharing her journey, Tanya said, “Both public and private sectors are eager to adopt emerging technologies like AI and new technologies, creating a demand for skilled talent. However, this has led to a talent shortage, partly due to the education system needing a global revamp and challenges in attracting and retaining talent in an expat-driven population. From my perspective, as such an ambitious nation, there is much work to be done to ensure the right talent is attracted to the UAE, and that educational initiatives—both for the younger generation and adults—keep pace with the rapid technological advancements.”

Maha echoed, “Dubai is positioning itself as one of the world’s most attractive cities, especially as a talent magnet. However, I believe this is a universal challenge, not just limited to Dubai. In my role, I hire talent globally, and this year alone, I built teams in both Germany and Dubai. Both Berlin and Dubai are emerging as tech hubs, attracting young talent, particularly in tech and fintech. Yet, the challenge is similar in both places: fast-growing industries are advancing quicker than the talent market can keep up with. To me, this is more of a skills gap rather than a talent attraction issue, particularly for the UAE. If we look back, we’ve been discussing digital transformation for over 30 years, and now we’re already in the AI era. Businesses have evolved rapidly, completely transforming the workplace, while humanity is still adapting. Anthropologists suggest it can take 10 to 15 years for people to adjust to new ways of working, but the pace of change isn’t slowing down. This isn’t just a UAE-specific issue; the country is competing with the rest of the world, facing the same challenges.”

Finding the right skills is the critical part..

Reflecting on the evolution of the work landscape, Maha shared, “Over the past 10 years, especially after COVID and the rise of AI in industries like tech, e-commerce, and fintech, technology has completely transformed the workplace. For example, 20 years ago, someone in HR could say, "I’m not a numbers person." That’s no longer an option today. Now, everyone needs to be comfortable with data because it’s accessible to all, and the flow of data is so fast that it requires people with strong analytical skills to make sense of it, draw conclusions, and make quick decisions. This shift in mindset and skills is driven by the dominance of technology, requiring new profiles across all departments. Of course, specialised skills are needed for software engineers and data scientists, but I’m talking about business, commercial, HR, and finance roles. Even these roles now demand individuals with high analytical abilities, resilience, and agility in learning, because change is constant. If people expect structure and certainty, they won’t thrive in fast-paced environments. They need to be adaptable and solve problems on the go. Even the role of leaders has evolved. The kind of leaders we hire today are completely different from those I was hiring 20 years ago in telecom, which was also advanced, but required a different approach.”

For HRs digital is not just a skill anymore,

Speaking on the digital transformation in the HR domain, Tanya underlined, “ I see this shift from two angles. First, with AI and automation becoming more integral to hiring, forward-thinking organisations are investing in upskilling their workforce, especially in data and analytical skills that are crucial.

It’s no longer just about crunching numbers—AI tools can handle that. The key is interpreting the data, telling a story, and determining its business value. This interdisciplinary approach is becoming essential. Leaders today need to be more like T-shaped generalists, with a broad understanding across departments, technologies, and, of course, data literacy.

Second, how organisations are teaching their workforce to adopt and leverage these technologies. Many are moving towards personalised learning journeys, using AI and algorithms to tailor development paths to each individual's strengths. Micro-learning platforms are also becoming popular, enabling employees to enhance their skills in a focused, personalised way. This shift is helping organisations move beyond outdated learning management systems (LMS) towards more impactful, real-time learning that boosts productivity and innovation. But, this also requires a mindset shift at the leadership level. It’s no longer about the traditional 9-5 job; it’s about how adaptable and agile employees can be with technology. In this sense, technology is helping alleviate the talent shortage by providing deeper insights into individual skill sets and maximising the value each person brings. COVID also pushed us to rethink how we evaluate productivity, especially with the rise of remote work, and how technology enables people to add value from anywhere.”

Different hiring strategies for multi-gen talent..

Technology has undeniably transformed the workplace, especially in shaping the types of profiles and leaders we seek, commented Maha. She added, “With data and information now democratised, leaders aren’t expected to have all the answers anymore. Instead, we need leaders who can think quickly, collaborate effectively, and drive influence across teams—skills that are more critical than ever. However, this has also exposed challenges, particularly in fostering collaboration and ensuring leaders can guide teams while gaining buy-in across the organisation. When it comes to filling critical leadership roles, we face two major challenges. First, it’s difficult to find experienced leaders who have not only the long-term expertise but also the agility to adapt to today’s fast-changing environment. These leaders must also be able to manage Gen Z, who bring different expectations around autonomy and workplace dynamics. Second, in industries like e-commerce and fintech, which are constantly innovating, there’s no playbook. Leaders in these fields must have an open mindset, be comfortable with ambiguity, and embrace trial and error. They need to empower their teams, navigate constant change, and still deliver results—a tough combination to find.

To overcome this, we’ve heavily invested in internal talent development, grooming our future leaders from within. We also take calculated risks, hiring people who may not check every box but who show potential, and we provide them with the development support they need. This isn’t unique to our company; many in the tech, e-commerce, and fintech industries in the UAE face the same challenge, and they’re adopting similar approaches to solve it.”

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Innovative practices for attracting and retaining talent with right skills..

When it comes to attracting younger generations, particularly fresh graduates, a few key things are becoming increasingly important, shared Tanya. She added, “Consulting companies in the region do a good job in this area, but we need to see more tech companies and local startups adopt similar approaches. One of the most effective ways to attract young talent is through exciting graduate programs. Globally, companies like JP Morgan and other major banks do this well—they hire graduates from across the world and create programs that provide mentoring, networking, and, most importantly, hands-on learning experiences. This “learn by doing” approach is crucial for young professionals. Graduates today have two options: join a dynamic startup that's building cutting-edge technology, or go to a larger organisation. However, for larger companies to attract and retain this talent, they need to adopt a startup mentality—fostering creativity, innovation, and impact over titles and hierarchy. Today's graduates are drawn to roles where they can make a meaningful contribution, so companies need to create a dynamic work environment where a Harvard or NYU graduate in computer science feels they can build or create something exciting. This is where homegrown companies in the UAE have a unique advantage. With local R&D labs and innovation hubs, they can offer graduates the opportunity to work on groundbreaking projects. To truly compete for talent, these companies need to build global talent programs and invest in the future by thinking multi-generationally, rather than only seeking experienced professionals with a decade of experience.”

Aligning talent acquisition strategies with diverse needs of workforce

“Understanding the expectations of younger generations is key to attracting and retaining talent. We've found that highly skilled young professionals often have multiple offers from companies around the world, so we need to differentiate ourselves. Competing on salary alone isn't an option against global giants, so we constantly ask ourselves: what unique value proposition can we offer to attract and retain talent?,” said Maha

She added, “Retention is a big focus for us, and work-life balance is something we hear about a lot, even from fresh graduates who don't yet have families or heavy responsibilities. They value variety in their lives, a strong relationship with their employer, a positive company culture, autonomy, and exciting experiences. Beyond perks and benefits, career growth is often the top reason people choose to join or leave a company. It's not about titles either—many prefer "squiggly" careers, moving between different roles, and they don’t want to stay in the same job for more than two years. To meet these expectations, we have to create a dynamic and stimulating work environment that constantly fuels their growth, learning, and offers exciting projects or global assignments. This not only helps us retain them, but we also benefit from their fresh perspectives, skills, and energy.”

Tanya shared an example saying, “There's a great book called ‘How Google Works’ that explains how Google structured their organisation to keep employees motivated. While not every company can replicate this exactly, there’s a small yet impactful approach they used: the 80-20 (or 90-10) rule. Employees would spend 80 or 90 per cent of their time on core tasks like revenue-generating activities or project management. The remaining 10 or 20 per cent of their time was dedicated to "moonshot" projects—ambitious, entrepreneurial ideas that may not have immediate revenue impact but are passion-driven. This is one of the reasons Google has been so successful at retaining talent, especially among entrepreneurial and ambitious people, many of whom are Gen Z. By allowing employees to explore innovative ideas outside their usual responsibilities, Google gives them a sense of ownership and excitement, which helps keep them engaged. Even though these projects don’t consume too many resources, the long-term benefit of retaining top talent is significant. It’s a small investment that can make a big difference in keeping people motivated and loyal to the organisation.”

Find out more about how the public and private sectors are collaborating towards UAE’s talent crisis here.