Brazil the next recruitment hotspot

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Tisian and Bizachi, are just two of many Brazilian staff coming to the region to work in F&B roles.

Hundreds of Brazilian hospitality professionals are expected to arrive in the Middle East in a bid to address current staff shortages.

Marcelo Toledo, recruitment director for M/Brazil, said the South American nation´s low basic salary and labour pool of 96 million people has bolstered the number of candidates, with staff already placed in Oman, Jordan, Qatar, Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

"I have capitalised on the opportunity to find suitable front- and back-of-house staff in the Middle East, by educating human resource teams at luxury hotel groups about the availability of young, motivated and experienced Brazilian hotel staff," he said.

Participating in a Dubai-based training programme to build up his knowledge of the rules, laws, religions and weather in the UAE, passing on this information has been crucial, he said, as many Brazilians have little knowledge of the region.

"People change their views on Arabic culture when they arrive here, and are typically surprised at how liberal the lifestyle is. With the boom in the region´s hospitality sector opportunities are plentiful to develop quickly," said Marcela Bizachi, sales coordinator of MICE business for Rotana Hotels.

Bizachi, who arrived in Dubai from Brazil to work as a hostess in October 2006, said the provision of meals, accommodation and insurance for staff were the main draw factors for Brazilians. She added that word of mouth about the superiority of in-house training programmes in the UAE had also prompted her Brazilian colleagues to move here.

"We are the best hospitality workers in the world, as we are looking for careers, not just jobs," she said.

Paolo Tisian, commis chef at Al Murooj Rotana Hotel in Dubai, said the UAE had provided her with a new challenge, yet English language training had been the highlight of her time in the city.

The main obstacle, according to Toledo, has been ensuring employees would remain with clients for more than two years, which has presented the need for rigorous pre-screening processes.

Rotana Hotels, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts and the InterContinental Hotel Group are among his current clients, with Dubai´s Dhow Palace Hotel also on the cards.

The expense of recruiting from Brazil is also expected to ease in October as Emirates Airlines´ launches direct air services between Sao Paolo and Dubai.