JobXDubai

According to a recent survey by Heidrick & Struggles, CEOs and board members in the Middle East are more concerned about talent-related issues than their global counterparts.

The 2024 Heidrick & Struggles Middle East CEO and Board Survey polled 112 leaders in the region, identifying their top concerns and challenges. The results showed that 29% of respondents cited leadership attraction, development, and retention as their biggest hurdle. Another 22% identified leadership succession and turnover as a main concern.

In contrast, only 24% of global leaders surveyed leadership talent issues as their top challenge, while 17% saw succession planning as a priority.

The survey also revealed that less than a third of Middle Eastern executives who expressed concern about talent were confident in their organisation’s ability to manage these issues – lower than the confidence levels of global peers.

“To survive and thrive this year – and beyond – companies must prioritize not only attracting the right leaders but also retaining and grooming talent from within to take on the leadership mantle,” said Richard Guest, partner in charge of Heidrick & Struggles’ Middle East and North Africa operations.

Markus Wiesner, regional managing partner for Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Emerging Markets, emphasized that “any effective leadership development strategy starts by having the right culture – a culture of excellence not only ensures good leaders stay, but helps organisations attract the best-fit talent from around the world.”