People focus
Hamed Al Tamami, Managing Director, Future Match Human Resources Consultancy speaks to OER about the firm, its plans and the need for a new approach towards HR

What are the services provided by Future Match Human Resources Consultancy (FMHRC) to its clients?
Broadly we provide three services. One, being a consultancy firm we do all HR interventions on behalf of our clients. Second, is providing leadership and sales consultancy work. We are a licensee of Predictive Index (PI), a renowned assessment tool in the GCC. PI offers a wide selection of programmes that assess personalities and measures people’s work related behaviour and their motivating needs. The tool takes out the guess work out of the process making it more scientific. PI worldwide is a 53-year-old company with a rooster of 7,500 clients out of which 76 are Fortune 500 companies. There are companies in the market which provide either training or assessment, but we have a system that bridges the two competencies and provide tailormade solutions that fit the company’s exact needs. Third, we do executive search for our clients focussing on senior management and specialised positions.

What are your strengths as an HR consultancy firm?
Though we have an international product and know-how, we also have an understanding of the local market, being close to the local culture our consultancy has a practical edge. We have four consultants whose job is only to service clients and to solve their problems. Our success lies in the success of our clients. To give you an example, we worked with an electricity company which got privatised as a result of the unbundling of the sector. The challenge was to implement a private business model, in an organisation which had a public sector ethos. We explained to the concerned ministry that the people within the organisation will need a certain transition time to adapt to the new culture. Over time the requisite changes came about. This was largely because of the local understanding that we had.

Though most companies talk about people as their biggest strength, are they ready to make the requisite investments to develop their HR capabilities?
We do not hear the same message across the board. The government talks about developing its HR, but when it comes to implementation there is still a lot that needs to be done. In the private sector there are banks and oil companies which have well developed HR systems, but in a number of other companies we find that though people are given titles like HR head, but they continue handling chores like leave applications and salary transfers. Though people talk about HR as assets and partners, when it comes to investing in scientific training, they are not ready to spend. Companies spend thousands on cleaning windows and drapes, but not on their people. We live in an information age but companies continue managing their human resources as if they were in an industrial era. So there is a need for a major mindset change. Twenty or 30 years ago, employees looked for companies that paid them a good package, but today’s employee expects  the company to provide them with learning and development opportunities, career progression opportunities and coaching and mentoring. In most cases, if they don’t get it, they will turn to companies that will provide them with such opportunities. 

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