Articles From the Team

UK vs. Middle East: Working Relationships

As you may have read in my previous blog, I have recently moved back to the UK following 2 ½ years of recruiting in the Middle East. It will not be a massive shock but the Midlands and the Middle Eastern markets could not be more different! Adapting to this has provided a welcome challenge. I thought I would share some of the nuances between the two jurisdictions in the following blog.

The way in which a relationship is built and maintained is by far the biggest difference between the two markets. Building relationships is a vital part of any recruitment process in any location. Candidates have to trust that their consultant has their best interests at heart, consultants have to trust that the candidate is going to be open and honest throughout the process and any client has to have confidence that the consultant they are dealing with can deliver a high-quality, efficient result.

Candidates In the Midlands legal recruitment market, trust is developed over time. It can be enhanced by the quality of dealings with an individual, reputation and demonstration of a genuine interest in building a long-term working relationship. All of these things take time to develop and cannot be rushed. Moreover, people often have roots in the Midlands and therefore tend to be committed to the area. Fortunately, BCL Legal has worked in the Midlands market for almost a decade which has enabled good relationships to be built with lawyers.

In the Middle East working relations are initiated much faster, often by maintaining a high level of contact. This is particularly effective if a consultant works on unique or retained opportunities that have limited competition from an ever-expanding marketplace. The market can be quite transient and as a result, individuals are open to new challenges or locations.

Clients In both the Midlands and the Middle East, organisations will quite rightly choose to work with the firms and consultants that they have had past success with to run a project for them. The difference between the jurisdictions arises once a project begins. Firms in the Gulf look to ‘cast the net as wide as possible’, often allowing and instructing a number of firms to assist them, particularly if they have not retained one of their preferred suppliers to search for them.

Organisations in the Midlands often take a difference stance compared to their counterparts in the Gulf. They will work with one or two preferred suppliers until the conclusion of a project, however, if a consultant cannot deliver, it is at this point that an organisation will consider its options. This creates an excellent environment for consultants who will often remain targeted and focussed throughout, until they deliver a result.

Ultimately, there is no correct way to develop a relationship in either market, but what has become clear is that the honest, professional and hard-working consultants always rise to the top of their respective field. Enter BCL Legal.

For more information contact Liam Digan at BCL Legal.