In this context, HE Laila Al Suwaidi, Executive Director of programs & HR Planning, noted that the introduction of the award reflected the keenness of FAHR and LinkedIn to appreciate and build on the outstanding efforts made by ministries and federal entities in support of Skills Bank project and Online HR Electronic Forum. She described the initiative as a product and first-of-its- kind governmental partnership with the prestigious professional network globally..

She said that the award will be given to outstanding ministries or federal entities which promote the Skills Bank project and Online HR Electronic Forum, by creating their own pages on LinkedIn, updating the content on a regular basis according to specific criteria, and providing the necessary support for their employees to create their online profiles.

"Through the course of this partnership, and with the participation of all employees who are coming online on LinkedIn, we are building a unique skills bank, which is shaping up to be a truly diverse collection of specialisations and capabilities. This is the first step towards a situation wherein we are able to pinpoint the competencies that we need to develop, and will serve as a way to visualise the future of the UAE labour market”, she added

She underscored the importance of the two projects, particularly the skills bank, which aims to provide FAHR with unique insights into the government talent, as LinkedIn’s data can for example help them determine those areas in which talent is most and least plentiful and where there may be skills gaps, in the federal government in particular and state-wide as a whole. In addition, it will facilitate search for talent and attracting and keeping them in employment.

40 ministries and federal bodies have accounts on LinkedIn.

Laila Al Suwaidi, pointed out that a dedicated team from LinkedIn had alredy begun this month to assess the ministries and federal agencies’ accounts, totaling 40, on the network, according to a set of performance criteria and assessment indicators agreed upon with FAHR, indicating that the evaluation process will continue until the end of the third quarter of 2016. According to Al Suwaidi, the award will be presented to the winning  federal entity during the awards ceremony organized by LinkedIn to its customers in the Middle East and North Africa, in the Emirate of Dubai on October 19.

She noted the total number of ministries and federal authorities and employees who own their own accounts on LinkedIn network soared by 54% from March 2015 until the end of July, up from 7,800 to 12,100 employees.

HE said: “FAHR has completed identification of job families and professional credentials for all federal government employees who have profiles on the network, including those involved in human resources, information technology and finance. The process aimed to identify key competencies and skills of the federal government employees using the network. It also showed the diversity of the federal government employees' skills, in areas including research, talent management, customer service, training, team leadership, social networking, analysis, strategic planning institutional development, and information technology.

“This project will prove to be a vital source of reference and research for us, with LinkedIn’s data insights acting as a compass on future trends within the labour market. It will allow us to develop systemised programmes to account for skills trends, and to develop, either through education or training, those talents that are in deficit in our workforce. In addition, we also consider this project as a way to motivate our employees to improve their existing capabilities and gain more skills – particularly around leadership – to create a more diverse, highly-capable working community, while achieving each government entities’ goals for their human resources..

10200 followers to FAHR Account on LinkedIn network

HE Laila Al Suwaidi explained that the online forum project showcased on FAHR page on the network is an ideal platform for a constructive dialogue on the most important topics related to human resources and human capital, and an opportunity to highlight successful experiences and practices in the field of human resources management, such as recruitment, training and development, performance management, rewards, etc. The number of those who follow the Authority’s account on LinkedIn rose by 454% over the past period, reaching in mid-July, compared to 2244 followers in May 2015.

“We have recently put forward several topics for discussion by through the online forum such as happiness at work, workplace loyalty and career harmony. The discussions provided opportunity for the staff, specialists and those interested in human capital development of all sectors, to share their opinions and suggestions on these topics. Messages were sent out to employees of ministries and federal agencies through HR Management Information System (BAYANATI) in this regard”, she said.

She added: “The membership of the online HR Forum on LinkedIn continues to rise, increasing by 400%, to reach more than 1660 members including HR professionals and those interested in the field. We would like to call on all specialists and stakeholders in the field of human resources development in the public and private sectors to join the forum and participate in the various topics presented by FAHR”.