Gen Z in the UAE favour companies which provide work-life balance and the right conditions to develop professionally, HR experts said on Wednesday.
Recruitment experts said job market in the UAE is rapidly changing and the focus is now on skill-based hiring, not job-based hiring by employers while speaking during a panel discussion at Future Workforce Summit 2025, a conference organised by Khaleej Times.
“Youngsters are looking for sort of a little more independence in the work-life balance,” said Karim Elmery, head of young talent for Mena at L’Oreal. “If you give employees flexibility in where they work, you give them a freedom that allows them to be more fruitful. They are the things the ones that make them participate. Static working model and rigid schedule are not for them. On the professional development side, it’s very important to give them a path,” he said. 
The recruitment process is “shifting toward skill-based hiring versus job-based hiring,” he added.
Alia’a Zaghlou, head of people and culture at Khaleej Times, also highlights that it’s (really) important for us all to accept that Gen Z isn’t difficult, they are simply different – for any successful organisation we need to know/understand Gen Z and “speak their language”.
By ‘speaking their language’ I mean being aware of what’s going on in their head, the things they do and don’t do, and the particular things that they want. They want to have purposeful goals that align with the larger mission of the company. Naturally, they want flexible hours and remote work. They want to work for organisations that prioritise their sense of wellness, whether that be mental or physical,” she said.
She said they value organisations where learning is nurtured and there is scope for growth.
Alia’a added that Gen Z looks for open conversations, honesty and being candid when it comes to their leaders. “Companies that do not evolve and change will certainly have challenges keeping Gen Z,” she said.
Gen Z is “definitely changing the workplace,” and wants two-way communication, said Maimuna Rashid, co-founder and chief executive of Pupilar.
They “value purpose over paycheck” and “love to contribute” to growing organisations, and Gen Z are also natural leaders, she said.
Aparna Rajesh-Navin, talent head for MEA and chief people officer for UAE and Oman at Holcin said organisations should revisit fundamental policies to determine how Gen Z feel about those.“Engage them from a strategy perspective at least,” she added.
