Orthopaedic Surgery was one of the core specialist surgical fields targeted for expansion in the emirates of Abu Dhabi and Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).  Both emirates share a public healthcare system, SEHA, which operates hospitals and clinics providing secondary and some tertiary services. 

Rising obesity, the increasing prevalence of diabetes and other lifestyle diseases challenged the orthopaedic services and the new Chief of Staff, an Emirati orthopaedic surgeon, was tasked with the design and development of a differentiated specialist service to provide efficient and highly competent management of orthopaedic disorders in adults and children.

The Recruitment Brief

Odyssey Recruitment's brief was to recruit three orthopaedic surgeons trained and experienced working in the developed healthcare systems of Western Europe, North America or Australasia who would be willing to relocate to the UAE and provide their expertise to develop the public sector orthopaedic services in two specialist fields: arthroscopy and arthroplasty and paediatric orthopaedics and oncology.

Their jobs were full time with one year renewable contracts, tax free remuneration and subsidised living costs which included free accommodation and flights.

The Recruitment Strategy

Orthopaedic surgeon jobs are some of the most popular and hotly contested jobs in the UAE. There is no shortage of interested candidates, particularly when the jobs are in the government sector and offer generous tax free remuneration packages. The challenge for recruiters is to source and select the surgeons who have, not just the standard skills and credentials required for the job and professional registration, but the additional qualities of motivation, persistence and adaptability to succeed in a different and often unfamiliar culture and healthcare system.

Odyssey's recruiters formulated a recruitment strategy with sourcing techniques crafted to attract candidates who qualified for the position in terms of credentials and experience and interest in working in the UAE. A screening process further evaluated the pool of candidates for their motivations, adaptability and cultural fit. The right candidate was not simply a surgeon who wished to flee from his current unsatisfying job but one who sought a challenge and was capable to manage it.

Shortlisted candidates were presented to the employer who further shortlisted a small number for telephone and on site interviews. Personal interviews on location are time consuming and logistically challenging, particularly when international travel is required, but valuable sources of information for candidate and employer alike, affording an opportunity to assess cultural fit for both.

Following interviews and hospital site visits, job offers for selected candidates were drafted and negotiations commenced over employment terms, equipment and facilities required for orthopaedic practice. Negotiations were friendly with surgeons fully involved in the planning of the services they would provide and the equipment and staff which they would need.

Onboarding

All three surgeons were supported during the on boarding process which was managed swiftly and without complication. The employer managed the applications for professional registration with the local regulatory authority and sponsored visas for surgeons and families. Accommodation and flights were booked and on arrival the surgeons were met at the airport with a friendly meet and greet service which safely escorted them to their new homes.

The first day at work was spent on introductions to colleagues and review of policies and procedures and then work started. Two surgeons built strong arthroplasty services in Abu Dhabi whilst the third surgeon developed from scratch the UAE's first dedicated paediatric orthopaedic and orthopaedic oncology service in Al Ain.

If you have a difficult to fill position, the team at Odyssey Recruitment is eager to share our expertise and execute our proven digital recruitment strategy. Contact us today to begin a dedicated medical recruitment partnership.

Key Takeaways

• Successful recruitment to the UAE requires the selection of candidates who are highly motivated and adaptable to manage the cultural changes of practising medicine in a different culture and healthcare system.
• Clear and friendly communication throughout the recruitment process is essential to obtain favourable outcomes
• Efficient on boarding systems are important to maintain candidate motivation and future job success.