The holy month of Ramadan brings a change in routines and priorities for UAE residents, and as a result, certain sectors experience a significant increase in business activity. Companies operating in these sectors often have to expand their workforce to meet the growing demand. Sectors such as food and beverages (F&B), hospitality, logistics, travel, retail, e-commerce, and charity organizations tend to hire more staff during Ramadan.
However, the overall hiring process slows down during Ramadan due to operational challenges such as shorter work hours. According to industry executives in the recruitment industry, certain jobs and roles are in high demand in the UAE during Ramadan, such as customer service representatives, cashiers, marketing and advertising professionals, delivery drivers, cooks and kitchen staff, sales associates, and event planners.
Sanjeev Giri, the Head of Operations at Adecco Middle East, said that hiring trends during Ramadan depend on business requirements. For instance, restaurants and catering companies may require more staff to manage Iftar and suhoor services. Retail and e-commerce companies may also need to hire more employees to handle the increase in demand for consumer goods during the month. The tourism industry might also increase staff hiring due to a surge in travel during Ramadan as many residents travel to their home countries during this period.
Hatim Maskawala, the Managing Director of Métier – an HR consulting firm, said during Ramadan, businesses see a high surge in demand for their goods and services, which is why many sectors tend to expand their teams and increase hiring during this period. Retailers see an increase in consumer spending as people tend to shop more for food, clothing, and gifts, especially in preparation for Eid-ul-Fitr. Therefore, hiring employees, especially sales assistants and cashiers, to cater to this increased demand, becomes a priority. He added that hotels, restaurants, and cafes also observe a surge in business during Ramadan.
Maskawala further explained that the hospitality sector is consistently on the lookout for temporary staff to handle the increased demand. Usually, chefs, servers, and housekeeping staff are taken onboard during this time. To manage the increased workload during Ramadan due to the heavy demand for goods and services online, logistics companies often hire additional staff such as drivers, delivery workers, and warehouse workers to manage the demand accordingly. Charity organizations also hire more staff and volunteers during this time to help manage the donations and distribute them to those in need.
However, UAE companies hiring in the holy month of Ramadan should be considerate and accommodating of job-seekers who come in for interviews while fasting, said Hatim Maskawala. He emphasized that hiring in Ramadan is challenging due to the shorter work hours and the fact that many of the workers are fasting. Therefore, it’s crucial for companies to be flexible and accommodating to their employees during this month. Performance in interviews and assessments is also impacted at times as candidates may be fatigued and less focused than usual. It’s important to acknowledge this fact and to allow candidates to perform at their best. Maskawala advised that the time of the interview should be appropriate and should ideally be scheduled earlier in the day or after sunset, allowing candidates to break their fast at the appropriate time.
In conclusion, the holy month of Ramadan brings a shift in priorities and routines for UAE residents, leading to a surge in business activity in certain sectors. While overall hiring slows down during Ramadan, companies operating in sectors such as F&B, hospitality, logistics, travel, retail, e-commerce, and charity organizations tend to hire more staff to meet the growing demand. Companies must also be considerate and accommodating of job-seekers who come in for interviews while fasting.
