The Information and Communications Technology Association of Jordan (int@j), in partnership with global management consultancy the Hay Group, released a study into Jordan’s booming IT and communications (ICT) industry this week.
The briefing to representatives from the Ministry of Labor, the Ministry of Planning and leading ICT companies in Jordan was held in Amman on 17 January 2012 and was attended by several ICT companies.
The report draws on Hay Group’s database which analyses salary information for more than 30,000 employees from over 100 organizations in Jordan, including more than 4,500 employees from the ICT sector. The study finds that ICT companies pays higher salaries than the general market and that ICT companies also gave higher pay rises at 7.3 per cent last year, as opposed to the national average of 6 per cent.
Mr. Abed Shamlawi, CEO of Int@j attributes the competitive salaries in the sector to the unique talent available in the Jordanian market: “Jordan has long been producing high caliber ICT graduates and this is reflected in the growth of the industry and in the fact that many Jordanians work abroad in ICT roles. This growth has resulted in a demand for more ICT product specialists, software developers and technical support staff in particular”.
Mr. Shamlawi voiced some concern over the level of education available for those trying to enter the industry: “Jordan produces 5000 ICT graduates per year but currently only 5 per cent of them progress directly into jobs in the ICT industry as many of them do not have the degree of specialization that this increasingly sophisticated discipline demands.”
He continued: “Int@j in partnership with the government and the education sector wants to address the quality of ICT education available. The attractiveness of Jordan’s human capital is a huge asset to the economy and we must preserve and develop this.”
Khaled Hudhud – int@j Vice Chairman - believes that this is an excellent and timely report that will enable Human Resources staff of ICT companies in Jordan to benchmark the salaries and benefits being given to ICT staff, and the correct benchmarking is essential for the retention and attraction of the best caliber ICT experts and specialists. Attracting and retaining best caliber staff is essential for the continued competitiveness of the ICT sector of Jordan on the regional and world front.
Mr. Hudhud added “We are grateful to all those who collaborated in the issuance of this report, which will help our sector companies remain competitive and efficient.”
According to Hay Group’s Karim Mubarak, General Manager for Jordan and the Levant, the industry is experiencing some turbulence during its growth: “Thirty per cent of ICT organizations in our study reported difficulty in the retention of their staff this year compared to sixteen percent in the general market. Employee turnover is also higher than in other sectors at twelve per cent and attrition is higher than the ICT sector elsewhere in the Levant. Companies are competing for the top talent.”
Looking forward into 2012, Hay Group predicts a positive outlook for ICT employees in Jordan according to the results of the Salary Scale study.
About int@j
The Information and Communications Technology Association of Jordan is an ICT and ICTES industry-support association founded in 2000 with the aim of improving the dynamics of Jordan's ICT & ICTES markets and developing the Kingdom's ICT & ICTES related activities, and includes more than 210 local and global companies working in IT, Telecom, and IT enabled services (Outsourcing).
Since its establishment, Int@j has been exerting a high effort level aiming at advancing the Jordanian ICT & ICTES sector. Int@j has been looking for various partnerships with different institutions on the local, regional and international levels aiming at creating better ICT and ICTES industry in Jordan, increasing the awareness of ICT and ICTES services and products and stressing on the benefits of integrating ICT and ICTES in other sectors
About Hay Group
Hay Group is a global consulting firm that works with leaders to turn strategies into reality. We develop talent, organize people to be more effective, and motivate them to perform at their best. With 84 offices in 48 countries, we work with over 7,000 clients across the world. Our clients are from the public and private sector, across every major industry, and represent diverse business challenges. Our focus is on making change happen and helping organizations realize their potential. For more information, please visit www.haygroup.com/uae.
Since its establishment, Int@j has been exerting a high effort level aiming at advancing the Jordanian ICT & ICTES sector. Int@j has been looking for various partnerships with different institutions on the local, regional and international levels aiming at creating better ICT and ICTES industry in Jordan, increasing the awareness of ICT and ICTES services and products and stressing on the benefits of integrating ICT and ICTES in other sectors.
Hay Group is a global management consulting firm that has been working with organizations in the Middle East for more than 20 years. Hay Group specializes in human capital consulting and has partnered with Int@j in order to help develop knowledge of the human resources aspects of the ICT industry in Jordan.