Global leader adapts proactive approach to talent sourcing with HQ in Dubai, lead by Founder & CEO Rajeev Gupta.
With its exemplary and devoted core team, the Dubai-based talent acquisition specialist has been passionate to pre-empt & surpass their clients’ needs, according to the Founder and CEO .
Being able to respond quickly to the changing dynamics of the GCC region’s rapidly evolving job market has been key to the promoter’s two decade’s success. Rajeev Gupta, Founder and CEO of the Dubai-based talent sourcing specialist, said this resilience reflects their organisation’s proactive philosophy. “Since the year 1993, we witnessed how the region’s economy has evolved and with that came the demand for a diverse workforce,” according to Gupta, whose company specialises in sourcing skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled personnel from across the globe for many of Gulf’s most established organisations. But in a highly competitive industry, Lime Source has managed to thrive by thinking outside the box. While most talent agencies may look for overseas employees from traditional sources such as India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Philippines and Nepal, Gupta said they have been creative, resourceful & widened their candidate base by exploring untapped yet promising markets in real manner. “Our goal has always been to support our clients’ growth by providing them with the human capital they need. Realising this objective took us to countries as far afield as Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Sudan, Indonesia, Myanmar and Eastern Europe just to name a few,” he explained. Today, the company sources talent from 15 countries worldwide. Despite the diversity of their source markets, Lime Source’s criteria remains stringent, which bodes well in their efforts to match the right skills with the job requirements. Gupta said the company has built a strong partnership with some of the world’s most credible technical schools, giving them access to qualified potential candidates. A diploma alone, however, is not sufficient to meet Lime Source’s shortlisting standards. Candidates must also posess at least two years of work experience. In addition, the company conducts trade tests to ensure that the candidates are indeed qualified. As per skill requirement of Lime Source Client. For the successful candidates, training and development programmes are available to better equip them in the workplace.
“We offer our clients a one-stop solution and we do this by having a strong pipeline of candidates who have diverse skills and qualificatioqualifications to support their HR requirements,” he said.
COMMITMENT TO EFFICIENCY AND EXCELLENCE
“Our work does not end with bringing the talent on site,” said Neetu Gupta, Director of Lime Source. “We regularly meet with clients to get their feedback and see how we can fill any gaps.” In a recent project, for example, the client was very pleased with the skills of employees sourced, but the language barrier presented a stumbling block between them and the management. “To address this, we commissioned the services of a professional from the employees’ country of origin who understands the industry and served as a translator between them and the management. He was brought in to Dubai for a week at Lime Source Consultancy expense,” she said. That “after-sales” service – as well as the commitment to promote efficiency and excellence – have helped cement Lime Source’s reputation in the region over the years, allowing them to attract companies from various industries ranging from construction, retail, hospitality, FM and FMCG, through to manufacturing, oil and gas, and healthcare. Gupta said she and her team also work with their clients in creating a strategy that would encourage employee engagement, without requiring huge financial investment. Simple and inexpensive tokens such as a two-gram gold coin for the employee of the month from Client, for example, or occasional group excursion, intersports competitions would go a long way in motivating staff to perform well and forge better employer-employee relationship. “We encourage our clients to create a family ambiance in the workplace, which is an excellent way to develop camaraderie, increase productivity and nurture employee loyalty,” said Gupta.
PROMOTING TRANSPARENCY
Transparency has been the backbone of Lime Source’s operations, according to Subash Chandra, the company’s General Manager. “We take a hands-on approach. As GM, one of my key roles is to visit work sites on a regular basis to monitor work conditions of our existing talent. We also relay that information to candidates we’re about to source,” he said.
Candidates are properly briefed on the expected working conditions, the work they will do and the employer’s policies and procedures well before they are even hired. “Photos and videos are also shown so they, quite literally, get a clearer picture of their potential workplace,” Chandra added. The timely deployment of personnel is a challenge in the industry, says DGM Swathi R. who heads a team supported by IT specialist Ryan Alphonso that handles blue-chip corporate clients, said Lime Source is able to overcome this by building a strong relationship with government agencies across the world. “Doing so helps us overcome bureaucratic obstacles, while remaining above board,” Swathi R. said. “In the past we have received commendations from governments, which have expressed appreciation in our efforts to provide employment to their citizens. That relationship has allowed us to deploy people on time and meet our clients’ deadlines.” Saniya Shaikh together with Vijyavani, Lime Source’s Business Development Heads, assess the potential of prospective employees to meet the skills requirements of clients in the GCC region. “As a proactive company, we keep ourselves abreast about the trends that would impact the job market in the medium to long term,” said Vijyavani. “We usually run five-year projections, so we can effectively advise our clients on the steps they need to take to fulfil their personnel requirements, as their organisations expand.” said Shaikh.
LOOKING BEYOND BOUNDARIES
In the future, Rajeev Gupta, said they will remain focused on the GCC, as international events such as the World Expo 2020 in Dubai and the World Cup 2022 in Doha, fuel demand for personnel to boost infrastructure growth. Lime Source is looking to expand in Qatar, where the company has a growing client base. A General Manager has already been hired for their office in Doha. Another promising market for Lime Source is Canada, where Gupta believes they can bridge the gap for skilled and semi-skilled workforce. The company is committed to start operation in North America in 2017. Amidst the company’s steady success, Gupta said they will continue to explore untapped markets worldwide and be brand ambassadors for the clients they represent that in turn count blessings by providing job opportunities to aspirants globally
