A Multicultural Initiative in the UAE

One of the most enjoyable elements of security recruitment is the opportunity to really get to know our multicultural clients. A deep understanding of their business and environment means SMR offers candidates an accurate picture of why an employer is a great place to work. This approach was especially effective when we were invited to partner on several projects with a preeminent banking and financial institution in the United Arab Emirates.

Our UAE client reached out to SMR with a clear goal: to diversify their GSOC teams by recruiting candidates from various geographic regions that would best reflect their customer base. They previously drew a large number of their GSOC professionals from Europe and wanted to broaden the nationalities of their team.

An additional challenge they presented was an interview and assessment process that could extend over multiple months. The time between initial meeting and onboarding had the potential to deter even the most enthusiastic candidates.

We wanted a clear understanding of our client’s positive environment and generous benefit structure with the belief they would be strong influencers in staying the course over a protracted hiring period. SMR’s recruiter traveled to Abu Dhabi, met with the hiring team and developed a deep understanding of their corporate culture. The result was a treasure trove of information and personal experience that enabled us to present candidates with an enticing, complete picture of why this was a great place to work.

This was a win for our candidates. They understood what the security jobs were, the steps they would take through the interview and selection process and why it was worth the wait. They also knew they would be welcomed into an organization that embraces cultural diversity.

It was also a great outcome for our client. We were proud to have helped them meet their goal of building out a cohesive multinational team best able to relate to their customer base.

Our now friendship with our client has included networking their technical leadership into other noteworthy GSOC’s around the world to facilitate benchmarking and development. We are exceptionally happy to have developed a strong, ongoing relationship that extends beyond recruitment.

Want to know more about our work in the EMEA region? Contact us to hear more of our success stories. Sign up to receive job announcements for the region and join our security talent community to be considered for our current recruitments.