The Bahrain team of Swedish-founded furnishing giant Ikea has announced that the company has successfully created around 320 jobs in Bahrain, and has also hired a high number of locals.

Ikea Bahrain Store human resources manager, Hanadi Alaali, stated that the company is working directly with the Ministry of Labour to hire Bahrainis, and has achieved 60 per cent Bahrainisation at the opening stage, said a statement from the company.

The store, which is expected to open soon, is being launched in partnership with Saudi Arabia’s Ghassan Ahmed Al Sulaiman Furniture Trading Company, Ikea Saudi Arabia.

The store, located in Salmabad, will have a total retail area of 37,000 sq m and an investment of BD47 million ($124.76 million). one of the biggest in the region, is expected to open soon.

Alaali said: “The company has built strong relations with the Ministry of Labour, Ministry of Commerce, Tamkeen, LMRA and EDB and has received a high level of support from all of these governmental institutes.”

As per government requirements, the targeted Bahrainisation for a company is set at 30 per cent. “We have already exceeded this figure with Bahrainis now making up 60 per cent of our co-workers,” Alaali said.

“The move comes as part of the company’s aim to contribute to the kingdom’s strategy to tackle unemployment. We also aim to achieve a gender balance within our team and have followed the company’s value-based recruitment policy,” she said.

“In addition, we will be hiring individuals with special needs and disabilities to provide equal work opportunities,” she added.

To date, 16 per cent of the Ikea Bahrain team comprises members with Ikea experience: some with international experience (particularly Swedish) and others with regional experience.

“We base our recruitment process on Ikea values, abilities and capabilities that is based on providing equal opportunities to all, and have hired people with education qualifications from secondary school to Master's degree,” Alaali stated.

The company’s recruitment process started with a number of activations across the kingdom which targeted job fairs and universities.

“We have held activations at the Ministry of Labour Job Fair, Ahlia University Career Fair and Bahrain Training Institute Career Week in addition to group interviews, which were held at Bahrain Polytechnic University, Ahlia University, Bahrain Institute of Hospitality & Retail,” explained Alaali.

The company will also be working closely with Tamkeen in order to optimise training opportunities for Bahrainis.

“Our team also recently conducted a Product Safety and Compliance School Training workshop for the Ministry of Labour and Ministry of Industry & Commerce,” she said.

“Ikea is a learning organisation, hence we will be creating learning and development plans for every co-worker and will be conducting training sessions at the organisation,” she concluded. – TradeArabia News Service