Getting government jobs more appealing to people

Shahswar Al Balushi, the Head of the Tanfeedh labour lab, explained how government jobs might be more appealing to people.

“There is a certain degree of disparity between the benefits in the private sector and those in government. We have been working very hard to try and create a better employment environment in the private sector by trying to close the gap between the benefits of the two sectors. That is going at a steady but slow pace, and that gap is still there. That is why the pension gap and the security gaps are different, and these are things that tend to effect the attractiveness of the private sector to people.”

Al Balushi also said that companies are very interested in a combination of degrees and experience that directly relates to their work, while the government wants to hire people who have proven themselves exceptional academically and willing to learn.

Al Balushi said: “The private sector looks at which fields these master’s degrees and Ph.Ds. exist, so that is number one for whether a person is right for the job. Number two is that the private sector looks at people with practical experience in the field. The private sector’s work is practical and attempts to make the business successful and profitable for the shareholders.

“Having a master’s degree or a Ph.D. without the experience is still an advantage, but that person lacks the element of experience that is required in the private sector,” he added.

Government sector

“The government sector is set up so that your job depends on what degree you have, so it’s worth getting a degree for the job. In the private sector, the degree is good because it indicates what level of knowledge you have achieved, but your experience is even more valuable because it shows the successful delivery of projects and the ability to solve problems, as well as the ability to think and analyse. The two fields are different.”