Page 220 - Aamir Rehman - Dubai & Co Global Strategies for Doing Business in the Gulf States-McGraw-Hill (2007)

202 Dubai & Co.

don’t lose all their expatriate talent—through a transfer to another
region at the end of a rotational cycle—precisely at the time they
really start understanding the market. It is generally after two or
three years, in fact, that expatriates become most valuable to the
global firm. Sending them away—especially if they have held
senior, client-facing roles—is a mistake firms make all too often.
A second drawback of expatriate talent is the short-term
outlook that often comes with temporary postings. As discussed
earlier, firms must take measures, both in terms of corporate values
and of the performance-management process, to ensure that they
promote and reward a longer-term view. Expatriate staff should
view a GCC posting as a chance to leave their mark and build a
legacy, even if they will subsequently move on to another business
in another region.
Local talent, on the other hand, brings several of the competen-
cies that expatriate staff lack. Chief among these is expertise in and
insight into the ways of the local market. In this sense, the GCC
region is no different from any other part of the world: people who
live in a region their entire lives, and are thoughtful about their
experiences, will have an intuitive feel for market needs, norms,
and trends. Through their families and their social networks, they
will have direct access to local consumers of various ages. They will
also possess insight into latent needs and what people want to see
next. Without locals on your team, direct understanding of where
the market is—and more important where it is heading—is almost
impossible.
Local staff is also pivotal for building a long-term “embedded
franchise” 23 in the GCC market. One powerful way that global
firms build deep connections with communities is through long-
term employment. Having local staff, especially in customer-facing
roles, sends a strong signal that your firm is not a “foreign” entity
unconcerned about the region. Long-term service at the company’s
GCC offices—which generally suits the personal preferences of
local staff more than those of expatriates—is a vital way to preserve
institutional memory. In the eyes of institutional clients and
external stakeholders such as regulators and industry bodies,
committed local staff members contribute a tremendous amount of
value and credibility. The local business community of Abu Dhabi,
for example, is a very small and interconnected circle. Local staff