For several years, the Lalsat Service recruiting company has provided the largest well-known organizations in the UAE with an influx of fresh workers and is the main supplier of employees for Dubai Duty Free. Almost every tourist arriving in Dubai or departing from the country will not fail to visit the duty-free zone, working around the clock in all terminals of the International Airport. Sheikh Rashid. The total area of Dubai Duty Free is about 9,000 square meters. meters and ranks third in size and sales in the world among similar zones. Dubai Duty Free has received numerous international awards for trade and economic achievements and is rightfully proud of its high-class service.
Dubai Duty Free is a regular sponsor of the annual Shopping Festival, the Summer Surprise Festival and numerous sports and cultural events.
We asked recruitment manager Richelle Green to talk about the work of the human resources department of this solid organization.
Let me start with a general statistic: what is the current staff of Dubai Duty Free?
Currently we have more than 1300 employees. In January 2007, by the time the third terminal was commissioned, the staff would increase to 2,000 people. Therefore, the end of this year and the whole next promise to be very busy: recruitment and training of personnel is already in full swing.
Given the similar global expansion of business, we try to hire workers from different countries. Today, representatives of 27 different nationalities work here, and about 140 of them are Russian speakers. The staff of Russian-speaking employees is increasing from year to year - in direct proportion to the increase in the number of Dubai Duty Free visitors from the CIS countries.
How do you find a common language with representatives of such different faiths and races?
We learn to communicate with our employees, get to know their mentality and national culture, realizing that only with full understanding can we succeed.
More recently, Dubai was not so well known as a city with excellent opportunities for starting a career and career growth. People who were not sufficiently prepared for the peculiarities of the local way of life and working conditions came here. Now a completely different picture is emerging. Many of our employees, going on vacation to their homeland, tell their friends and acquaintances about the enormous prospects of work in the Emirates. Thus, we get the opportunity to expand the staff due to the ever-increasing number of people wishing to build their careers in Dubai, theoretically already prepared for life and work in this country.
Young people, even before arriving in the UAE, are trying to get acquainted with the place of their future work in more detail, asking about the company, about the country, prospects, difficulties that they may have to face. After all, if people go to work in a foreign country, not knowing anything about it, about the hiring company and about the recruitment agency, then most often this ends with unjustified expectations and leads to mistakes.
Duty Free is the third largest duty free company in the world, a respected government organization.
We have an excellent reputation and a highly professional staff, so we only work with serious recruiting companies that have considerable positive experience in their archives.
What are the main positions that Duty Free offers to job candidates?
As mentioned earlier, the departments of gold, electronics, alcohol, cosmetics and perfumes are especially popular among Russian-speaking customers. In these and other stores we need a fairly large number of sellers and consultants. For their professional growth, we provide general education and specialized training. In the process, thematic seminars are regularly held. Thanks to such serious and intensive training, many of the employees very quickly become specialists in their field and continue to move up the career ladder.
What criteria are important for career growth?
It is necessary from 6 months to a year to work without any violations. Only after that the employee can apply for promotion and pass the competition.
In continuation of the "Work in the UAE" column, we met with representatives of the Dubai Duty Free labor team to find out first-hand how and how young employees live. We visited them and asked us to tell our readers about everything.
In a two-bedroom apartment where four girls live together, we met with Irina Kuryazova, who arrived in Dubai from Khorezm a year and a half ago. In September 2003, Irina, with the help of the Lalsat company, found work in Dubai Duty Free and flew to the UAE.
She began working on a common basis, passed the CV a year later, passed an interview and received the position of seller in the perfume department with Clinique brand products. Irina at the same time studying at the Tashkent Agricultural Institute, once a year going to the sessions, which are externally. For a year, Irina studied in the USA at the Honolulu Hawaii school, which gave her an undoubtedly useful experience of living abroad. Therefore, Irina planned to start her career abroad. Actively seeking out for foreign employers and brought her to the recruiting company Lalasat.
The Tashkent agency has proposed several options for large international companies providing jobs in the UAE, one of which turned out to be the state organization Duty Free of Dubai International Airport. Irina was told about what the company provides, what awaits her in Dubai and what responsibilities are required of her.
After a successful interview, Irina arrived in the UAE, where she was resettled in a furnished apartment with three other Russian-speaking girls, her work colleagues. There were all the necessary home furnishings, the kitchen was equipped with household equipment, and Russian channels were connected to the television.
Irina went through a full training program and started to work.
From the very beginning of her career in the UAE, Irina understood: in order to achieve a good career growth, it is necessary to work hard, take a responsible approach to business and see the goal set for yourself. After all, knowing why you came here, it is much easier to deal with the temptations and temptations of the vibrant life of the resort emirate and move forward.
Irina bought a computer for the money she earned and now she constantly keeps in touch with loved ones who remained at home. In addition, a stable income allows her to provide financial assistance to her parents.
The work schedule of Duty Free employees changes every two days: 7.00 - 15.00, 15.00 - 23.00, 23.00 - 7.00 and two days - days off.
Irina spends her free time on the beach of Al Mamzar Park, in shopping centers or at discos. The company organizes various outdoor activities for its employees, such as safaris, do-cruises or trips to Barracuda.
Irina keeps in touch with many of the guys with whom she came to Dubai through the Lalsat company, even if they work in other companies.
In another apartment, already with three bedrooms, six girls live. Herod Eshova came from Yangiyul, Elena Samoylichenko - from the Syr Darya. Both of our interlocutors graduated from Tashkent State University of World Languages. Nodira Anvarova is from Tashkent, she studied at the Tashkent Law Institute, and Inga Dzhuraeva from Gulistan, she graduated from Gulistan University.
Girlfriends learned about the Lalsate company quite by accident: some from the conversations of friends and acquaintances, and some from the radio. Arriving at the company, they received comprehensive information and decided to start their career with work in the UAE. A representative of the personnel department arrived in Tashkent to select candidates for work in Dubai Duti Free, who spoke about the upcoming work, showed slides and a video film, answered questions about the characteristics of the way of life in the Emirates. After the interview, all six girls, as part of a group of 35 people, flew to Sharjah. At the airport, they were expected by company employees who warmly welcomed the newly arrived staff and were taken to their new place of residence - a modern building located near Al Mamzar Beach Park.
In the apartment where they were resettled, there was already the necessary furniture, a washing machine, a refrigerator and a microwave were already connected to the network. As a "lift" on the day of arrival, they were given an advance of 1,000 drx each, which they carefully spent on the purchase of personal hygiene products, food and small household items.
During the ten-day training period, new employees learned about the principles of the company, confirmed the immutable truth "the buyer is always right", learned how to handle different types of cash registers, distinguish the currency of different countries in appearance and check money for authenticity. After general preparation on March 26, fresh shots entered the common room of the duty-free zone of the first terminal of Dubai International Airport. At first, the girls were supported and patronized by more experienced partners, but after a certain time, making sure of professionalism and self-confidence, they begin to work independently.
Our respondents decided to spend their first weekend in restoring order and comfort in the new housing, because they will have to live in this house for more than one year. Young housewives do not want their apartment to be like a dormitory and are trying in every possible way to transform the treasury, filling it with domestic warmth. But ahead of them there are still many days off that they dream to spend on the beach and go on a safari.
Now employees have a chance to prove themselves in connection with the grandiose construction of Terminal No. 3 of the Dubai International Airport, for which already trained specialists are needed.
The girls are optimistic about the future. They dream to purposefully build a career in the UAE and achieve success in this.
