Akhtaboot TAG-Knowledge Host Their Second Successful Job Fair

Under the patronage of Jordan's Ministry of Labor, H.E. Dr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, Chairman and CEO of Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organization inaugurated the second Akhtaboot TAG-Knowledge job fair, the biggest career event for the year 2011 in Jordan.

For the 2nd year in a row, Akhtaboot - the career network and the Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Knowledge Center (TAG-Knowledge), join forces to organize their ever popular job fair, which was held on the 26th and 27th of October at TAG-Knowledge headquarters, Queen Rania Street.

The opening ceremony witnessed the participation of officials from the Ministry of Labor, representatives of the participating companies along with many concerned entities and individuals. The job fair also attracted more than 10,000 aspiring professionals and fresh graduates of different industries and career interests.

Mr. Yousef Shamoun, Akhtaboot Co-founder and CEO said:

“We are truly happy to renew our partnership with TAG-Knowledge as our cooperation has proven to be a key factor in the success of our 2010 job fair. Akhtaboot and TAG-Knowledge job fair 2011 is a continuation of last year’s success and a true fulfillment to the mission of the Akhtaboot Cares Initiative in tackling the unemployment problem and helping match the right person to the right career opportunity.”

Meanwhile, Mr. Tareq Hammad, TAG-Knowledge Executive Director said:

"H.E. Dr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh is extremely satisfied with the outcome of this year's event and we are proud to partner with Akhtaboot again in organizing this job fair and we will work on making it an annual event.”

The 2-day event also provided career related workshops targeting job seekers on CV and interview skills in addition to other career-related topics. The event was sponsored by Bank of Jordan (Platinum Sponsor), Umniah (Gold Sponsor), Pepsi Jordan and Bell Amman (Silver Sponsors), The Online Project and Addustour Newspaper (Media Sponsors).

About Akhtaboot Cares Initiative

The Akhtaboot Cares Initiative (ACI) is a comprehensive CSR program that was developed through partnerships with a number of second parties and educational institutions in the Middle East and GCC region. Through the ACI Akhtaboot maintains an ongoing presence in the region’s educational institutions and career-related events by developing and executing specific training programs that are tailor-made to educate graduates-to-be and job seekers on how to approach the job market and to smoothen their transition into the professional world.

About TAG-Knowledge

TAG-Knowledge is the latest initiative by Mr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh to perform its corporate social responsibility towards the Jordanian and Arab communities, and to be a hub for promoting intellect and knowledge, developing Arab youth and human resources, and qualifying the largest number of local professionals by providing them with competitive skills through exposure to knowledge and developments in the international community under the direct supervision of TAG-Org experts and Umniah's exclusive sponsorship.

Read More

Want to Win an iPhone 4S with Akhtaboot?

Akhtaboot - the career network is proud to announce the first-ever “Win an iPhone 4S with Akhtaboot” contest. All you have to do is shoot a 30 - 45 second video of yourself talking about your experience with Akhtaboot; how Akhtaboot helped you land your dream job, what do you like about Akhtaboot…etc. You can be funny, serious, talk in English, Arabic, or both... Basically, be yourself!

How can you enter the contest?

1. Like one of the following Akhtaboot fan pages: Akhtaboot – The Career Network, Akhtaboot - UAE, Akhtaboot - KSA, or Akhtaboot - Egypt.
2. Unleash your creativity with a 30 - 45 second video of yourself on what you like most about Akhtaboot!
3. Send the video to: contest@akhtaboot.com, along with your name and contact information (Mobile phone and personal email).

Selection of the winner

• All videos delivered to contest@akhtaboot.com will be reviewed by a panel of Social Media Specialists and narrowed down to 20. Areas they would look at:

Content
Creativity
Originality
Relevancy
Uniqueness

• The 20 final videos will be posted on all Akhtaboot Facebook Fan Pages on a specific tab called “Why I love Akhtaboot” for members to view and “like”.

• People can start liking the videos for one month after the submission period is over.

• The video that gets the highest number of "Likes" wins.

• The winning video will be announced on the 10th of January, 2012 and will receive an iPhone 4S. The winner will be interviewed and videotaped and the interview/video may be used for promotional purposes including: a press release covering the contest, blog posts, Akhtaboot social media channels and newspapers.

For more information on the Rules and Regulations of the contest, please visit: http://www.akhtaboot.com/contest_2011.html

Read More

Motivating your Employees without Breaking the Bank!

Many employers to this day still believe in the good old saying that “more money equals happier employees”. But, contrary to popular belief, it is important for managers to focus on the top non-monetary motivating techniques that put employees at the core of your business strategy and stop them from jumping ship once a better offer is on the table. While non-financial motivation can be a challenging task, if done with the right combination of leadership and management skills it can increase job satisfaction and employee morale.

While employees wouldn’t mind a good pay raise, there are also other ways to motivate staff for higher productivity and to push them to go over and beyond established goals, without breaking the bank. Fortunately, Akhtaboot is here to give you some “out of the box” motivation tips without busting your budget.

Flexible Working Hours

From family obligations, friends, sports, hobbies to other activities, a flexible schedule or the occasional afternoon off can definitely help employees meet some of these commitments. Many companies are witnessing the benefits flexible working can bring to staff performance, motivation and productivity. In today’s hectic business world, more and more employees are demanding more flexibly in working hours in order to achieve work-life balance. Most flexible working hours schemes have a “Core Time” period during the day when employees must be in the office. A typical core time would be between 10 am to 4 pm. With the exception of core times, employees have the flexibility to start and finish work within flexible timelines at the beginning and end of each working day.

Invest in Social Functions

Holiday parties and company outings are some of the tried benefits that help boost employee morale. Companies have found that events such as parties and outings promote a team atmosphere. Create some casual days where employees can dress casually before a certain holiday or on their birthday. Launch contests where the prize entails getting some time off. Decide on specific days throughout the year where employees can go out of their offices and work outdoors. These are perfect opportunities that create a sense of belonging to the company and for employees to bond. You will be surprised that many employees will actually prefer time off over extra cash.

Fair Treatment

Employers must understand the fact that employees unconsciously assign values to each of their various tasks and accomplishments. Employees who are highly motivated are the ones who perceive their compensation to be equal to their contributions when compared to peers. It is important for companies to recognize this and reward employees based on their contributions to the success of the organization. Keep in mind that fair treatment does not entail that all employees are treated in an identical manner. For example, flexible working hours might be effective for motivating a working mother even more than a pay raise, while additional training may motivate younger employees.

Consider your Employees’ Career Goals

While it can be difficult to get a precise answer to the different career goals of all employees, companies that show interest in the career paths and personality types of their staff are considered employers of choice! Have your employees describe a previous project that they felt good about, then see what aspects of that can be repeated. Keep in mind that some employees may say that they want to work on a prestigious project, only to discover that it isn’t what they expected. Matching the right person to the right project is no easy task. To identify the right person successfully, relevant qualification and work experience should also be considered as primary determinants.

Managing the Learning Curve of your Top Talent

When it comes to motivating and retaining your best employees, always remember that they are on the look to bulk up their CVs with exceptional information. They will stay long enough to prove their worth as long as they are on the fast track. Once they feel that their learning curve is going straight, they will start looking for employment elsewhere. It is important to allow all your employees a chance to reach their career goals at your organization. Training is one way to do that. Organizations sometimes use seminars as a contest prize or to show appreciation to employees. The ability to change rapidly, be flexible and learn quickly are highly valued in the workplace, and these are skills you can teach your employees.

It is an expensive mistake for companies to base employee motivation on money only. Fair and competitive compensation will always be a vital element to finding and retaining key personnel. However, additional cash is not always the only answer to motivate employees, and in many cases not even the best answer. Keep in mind that non-monetary incentives have trophy value and are more likely to be acknowledged than would be the case if the award were in cash. Using a variety of financial and non-financial motivation techniques without over-reliance on monetary compensation will lead to long term organizational success and staff motivation.

Read More

Akhtaboot to Power Dar Al-Dawa's Recruitment

Akhtaboot - the career network is proud to announce the launch of the Dar Al Dawa Development & Investment Co. Ltd. Career Connect solution, “Powered by Akhtaboot”, which will provide Dar Al Dawa with their own fully integrated and branded jobs section with the ability to post unlimited job postings and receive job applications directly onto their careers section on their own website.

As part of Akhtaboot’s relentless efforts in providing world-class recruitment services to its clients, Dar Al Dawa will be able to make the most of their Career Connect solution with a single point of contact for all of their recruitment needs with a variety of CV filtration, and organization tools, making the hiring process simple, efficient and as cost-effective as ever.

Raed Ali, Human Resources Manager at Dar Al Dawa said:

“The wonderful relationship we have shared with Akhtaboot as a recruitment solutions provider over the past few years has been both rewarding and impressive. With the Career Connect solution, we are looking forward to building on our successful partnership with this user-friendly recruitment hub thatwill help us find the experiences, skills, and qualifications that add to our existing human capital and help us reach our objectives as a leader in the pharmaceutical industry in the region.”

With Career Connect, Akhtaboot goes beyond helping companies simply find the right candidates; it actually provides companies with a one-stop recruitment gateway that is specifically designed to cater to the employment needs of companies.

Read More