Description of the Company/Institution
Etimad Strategic Security Solutions is a United Arab Emirates – based company that deals in communication and security solutions. Etimad’s mission is to provide technologically driven solutions which help in securing the security of the country. Among other solutions, Etimad provides Event – monitoring technology analysis and design, which is discharged through the system integration subsidiary, Al Fahad Security Systems. This is designed to ensure that the event holder is able to carry out events which are free of security incidents, without necessarily involving official law enforcement officers. The company also offers information security infrastructure. This infrastructure includes Fiber networks information intelligence, which involves collecting relevant information for a client within the established laws and business needs, and information security systems.
The company Etimad also engages in environment adaptive solutions, and tactical power solutions. These solutions can be applied in a myriad of settings, both commercial and governmental. Additionally, the company also offers technological solutions which can be applied in healthcare as well as safety. Again, all these services are delivered through a subsidiary of Etimad, Al-Fahad Systems. The House of Engineering on the other hand offers solutions in the construction and civil infrastructure.
I spent my internship in the human relations department. I was a recruitment coordinator, charged with facilitating the design and implementation of overall recruiting strategy. At the same time, the job involved extensive consultation with managers, so as to identify staff requirements and specific job objectives. The role also involves advertising for vacant jobs on approved websites, newspaper and other channels through which the right individuals can be sourced.
As the officer in charge of recruitment, the incumbent is responsible for keeping pace with current trends in recruitment. This helps the recruitment coordinator to constantly develop the recruitment tools for the organization and ensure that only the best individuals obtain the vacant positions. My role here also included maintaining records of the department’s hiring activity, as well as conducting interviews. These interviews are conducted through a range of tools, including face to face interviews, online and written interviews.
Etimad is among the biggest information resources contractors in the UAE and the Middle East. It has been in the business for more than 20 years, initially serving private corporations, before later branching on to governmental bodies. Currently, the company offers a portfolio of unrivalled quality around the world, which is able to provide unique business capabilities for businesses involved in all manner of business around the world.
Mission, Vision, Goals, and Culture
The mission of Etimad group is to provide the necessary tools that nations need to guarantee national security, through the use of technology and innovation. The company aims to be able to provide all ranges of tools that nations need in order to secure their countries, in the realm of information security. This involves information management and security, as well as tools to help in intelligence, surveillance and counter – terrorism.
The vision of Etimad is to become the most reputable and highest quality provider of technological tools to guarantee national security around the world. The organization envisages a time when its products will succeed in a better and safer world, in which technology plays a major role in securing countries from any threats which can be countered using technological means.
The culture at Etimad is very enabling. Form the first moment I stepped into the organization I was treated like the member of a big happy family. It was also a great place to learn. My supervisor continually checked to see how I was fairing, and whether I was having a problem converting what I learnt in school in my duties at the organization. I learnt that this also happened to other employees.
One of the areas where the organization culture impressed was in the way communication is conducted. It is transparent, and all members of the organization are advised to air any information they may need to, without fear of victimization form the management. This has helped the company come up with ideas which it can then use to create a competitive advantage over rivals in the long term. This is because the technology industry relies heavily on how well it is able to adapt and innovate in relation to changing trends. The organization places a great importance on learning. Towards this, new members are assigned mentors. These mentors are responsible for helping new employees and interns learn fast, and gain invaluable experience which would have taken several years to amass (Alvesson, 2013).
The company offers several services to its clients. Among these are those which are meant to help governments collect intelligence online and through other means. The institution also offers solutions through which the clients can be able to secure the data they have. Coupled with this are other solutions whose main objective is to provide the necessary tools to enable clients manage data more professionally and efficiently.
- Etimad is an established technology solutions provider n the UAE, something which gives it the necessary resources needed to expand
- The company has a strong brand, due to its renowned reputation of delivering quality solutions to its clients
- It is well regarded by the government, an important factor as it is guaranteed profitable governmental contracts into the foreseeable future.
- It has no presence outside the Middle East, which undermines its ability to serve multinationals and other large corporations
- It has not yet adopted a strategic approach to human resource management
- There are opportunities to expand, due to the lack of serious competition in the country and beyond.
- The company has a chance of enhancing its performance through the adoption of a more sound management strategy regarding human resource
- Staff turnover means that the company has to spend much more on recruitment and training
- Smaller companies are continually aiming to rival Etimad for its share of the market, and may successfully do so with more innovative solutions than those offered by Etimad.
Services Offered
At Etimad, the human resource department is responsible first for the traditional human resource duties. These include recruitment, training and development, discipline, and payroll administration. However, the department also acts as a consultant for the rest of the organization. The department advises other departments on how to utilise their human resource, and on other things they can do to become more successful in meeting their objectives.
As a recruitment coordinator, my job description included preparing job descriptions, and conducting first level interviews of the candidates. I was also involved in consulting managers to find out the issues they had, and decide whether they could be resolved through recruitment. The role also involved supporting the substantive recruitment team with the necessary materials and information to ensure success, and providing a shortlist to the managers in charge of recruiting. I also processed the paperwork regarding new hires to regulate their positions within the organization. I was reporting to the recruitment manager.
By working at the position, I was able to gain experience in the function of hiring. I learnt new information on the best methods of hiring, and on why it was important to approach recruitment properly. Most importantly, I was able to appreciate the function of strategic human resource management, in which the HR department is a partner in the business processes, rather than mere administrator.
One of the areas in which the organization can perform an improvement plan is in the way it has carried out its recruitment. Previously, managers were rarely in consultation with the human resource department on recruitment. This meant that he HR was seen merely as a facilitator, rather than an active participant.
To address this issue, there needs to be more thorough communication and consultation between the hiring department and HR. For instance, the HR has the necessary expertise which will help the department make the necessary decisions which are grounded on best practice and the needs of the organization. This should be formalised. Hiring departments should be required by the company procedure document to discuss their hiring issues with the HR department. This will give the department pre-eminence, and help the organization manage its human resource more efficiently ,thereby obtaining the maximum value from this.
The improvement plan discussed here will not be a swift one, due to the resistance to change which may occur. The managers should therefore first be familiarized with the new outlook. This will enable them see the HR department as a useful ally in recruiting and helping meet objectives. In view o this, the new plan should take a maximum of 6 months to fully implement. The issue should be reviewed every quarter so that any issues are dealt with amicably, and the organization realizes the full benefits of sound HR management practises (Millmore, 2007).
In this section you should answer the following survey as an evaluation for your internship:
Strongly Disagree |
Disagree |
Neutral |
Agree |
Strongly Agree |
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The skills you gained from the internship will benefit you in your future career. |
X |
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The qualifications you gained from the internship will benefit you in your future career. |
X |
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The responsibilities you have undertaken were challenging. |
X |
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The responsibilities you have undertaken were satisfying. |
X |
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You learnt ample knowledge from the responsibilities you have undertaken. |
X |
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The internship will have a positive impact on my future career plans |
X |
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The internship activities that you have carried out are highly correlated with your classroom knowledge. |
X |
Conclusions
My experience at Etimad was a truly beneficial experience. I gained a lot, both professionally and individually. As a result o this, I was able to apply the concepts I learnt in class to the work environment, giving me confidence in my future career prospects. It is also clear that in some ways, HR practice is lagging behind. The situation at Etimad was an example of this, because the management had not been able to fully incorporate the HR department as a business support unit. With this, the organization will see a significant positive change in its fortunes.
References
Alvesson, M. (2013). Understanding Organizational Culture. London: Sage Publications Ltd.
Millmore, M. (2007). Strategic Human Resource Management: Contemporary Issues. London: Pearson Education Ltd.