Applying to dozens or even hundreds of jobs has become the norm for many job seekers in the UAE, but recruiters warn that simply increasing the volume of applications is no longer an effective strategy. As employers receive hundreds of submissions for a single vacancy and increasingly rely on AI-powered screening tools, candidates who submit the same generic CV to every role are finding it significantly harder to secure an interview.
“The challenge today is often a lack of alignment between a candidate’s profile and what employers are specifically looking for,” Mahesh Shahdadpuri, Group Chairman of TASC Outsourcing, told. To stay up to date with the latest news, readers are encouraged to follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.
Shahdadpuri notes that candidates who rely on sending identical resumes to hundreds of vacancies often struggle because they are competing in increasingly crowded talent pools without tailoring their applications to the specific requirements of each opportunity. This shift in the hiring landscape coincides with recent data from the Naukrigulf Hiring Index, which showed that hiring across the UAE fell 23 per cent in April and May compared with the same period last year, with lower-paying and entry-level jobs seeing the sharpest decline amid regional geopolitical uncertainty.
However, Avinav Nigam, Founder and CEO of TERN Group, believes the slowdown was driven more by timing and risk management rather than a fundamental loss of confidence in the UAE economy. “Between February and May, the region went through a level of geopolitical uncertainty that nobody had a playbook for,” Nigam said. “When uncertainty hits, the first thing any sensible business does is stop making long-term commitments. Hiring is a long-term commitment.”
Nigam added that many companies chose to delay recruitment rather than cancel it altogether. Recruiters observe that entry-level professionals are currently facing the greatest challenges, with companies postponing junior hiring while continuing to recruit for critical leadership positions. According to the Naukrigulf report, vacancies offering salaries of up to Dh10,000 a month recorded the steepest decline, falling 26 per cent year-on-year during April and May. Jobs paying between Dh11,000 and Dh20,000 fell 22 per cent, while positions offering Dh41,000 to Dh80,000 dropped by just 11 per cent.
“The data says entry level was hit hardest, and from what I’ve seen, I agree,” Nigam said. He explained the logic behind this trend: “When a company is uncertain, it protects what it cannot afford to lose. Senior hires running functions and driving revenue continue, while entry-level hiring is often viewed as something that can be deferred.”
AI has become a popular tool for job hunters to ease the application process, but recruiters warn that the rise of one-click applications has dramatically increased competition for every vacancy. “It is now common for a single vacancy to attract several hundred applications within a matter of days, especially for professional and managerial roles,” Shahdadpuri said. Nigam noted that the ease of applying online has created a volume problem rather than a quality problem. “When applying takes 10 seconds, everyone applies for everything. A role that used to get 200 applications now gets 2,000,” he said, adding that many qualified candidates get buried by the system rather than their own lack of performance.
While AI is a key part of modern recruitment, Nigam pointed out that many screening systems still prioritize keywords over actual capability. “A candidate who knows how to optimize their profile for an algorithm will consistently outrank someone who is genuinely better at the job but does not know how to play that game,” he said.
Despite the current slowdown, Shahdadpuri emphasized that several sectors continue to hire, particularly those aligned with the UAE’s long-term economic priorities. Technology, artificial intelligence, financial services, healthcare, renewable energy, logistics, and advanced manufacturing continue to generate demand for skilled professionals, alongside roles in consulting, compliance, cybersecurity, and data analytics.
To improve chances of success, Shahdadpuri advises candidates to “tailor each application to the role, highlight relevant experience and measurable achievements, and continue investing in skills such as AI, digital literacy, data analysis, and communication.” He also reminded job seekers that networking remains one of the most effective ways to find opportunities, especially in a relationship-driven market such as the UAE.
Comments