National Employee Relations & Engagement Specialist

Role Purpose: The National Relations & Engagement Specialist is a critical role focused on supporting our national employees' well-being, fostering engagement, and ensuring alignment with organizational goals through effective performance management. This role plays a vital part in supporting the company’s Emiratisation strategy by ensuring the successful integration of our national talent into the workforce and fostering a culture of belonging, growth, and career development. Key Responsibilities Employee Engagement & Retention ·       Act as the first point of contact for our national employees regarding HR queries and support needs.·       Assist, develop, and implement engagement initiatives designed to improve our national employee satisfaction, performance, and career progression.·       Look after our national employees’ workplace experiences, gather feedback, and implement initiatives to address challenges and improve retention. Performance Management: ·       Monitor attendance, probation reviews, and performance feedback for our national talent.·       Partner with managers to support the national employees through mentoring, career coaching, and professional development opportunities.Initiate the creation of recognition and reward programs to celebrate the contributions of national employees.Provide guidance to the national employees and managers on goal setting and performance expectations. Recruitment & Onboarding: Assist in the development and implementation of effective recruitment strategies to attract national talent for roles across all brands and departments.Support partnerships with universities, career fairs, and government programs (e.g., Nafis, MOHRE) to build a strong pipeline of national talent.Coordinate the hiring process of national candidates.Ensure and oversee onboarding programs tailored to national hires, ensuring smooth integration into the company culture and operations. Policy & Compliance  ·       Ensure company practices comply with UAE Emiratisation laws, quotas, and reporting requirements.·       Maintain accurate records of national employees in HR systems.·       Prepare basic reports on Emiratisation numbers, turnover, and progress toward targets.·       Support with government documentation and Emiratisation compliance requirements.·       Educate managers and teams on Emirati culture and workplace expectations to promote inclusion and understanding Coordination & Administration ·       Work closely with Employee Relations & Engagement team on day-to-day tasks.·       Support with administrative duties such as filing, documentation, and data entry.·       Liaise with operations and managers to ensure smooth integration of national staff in restaurants and head office roles.·       Partner with Operations, HR sub-departments, and leadership teams to identify roles suitable for national talent.·       Provide general administrative support to the HR department as required.