Building a future-proof recruitment pipeline: Bupa Arabia

Established in 1997, Bupa Arabia is headquartered in Jeddah and part of the global Bupa network. It offers health insurance products and services that cater to the needs of Saudi Arabia’s corporations, government institutions, small and medium-sized enterprises and those they employ.

The organisation prides itself on its commitment to the wellbeing and development of its employees, providing them with the same standard of care, support and professionalism that it expects to be delivered to its customers.

What is the challenge?

The Saudi Government’s introduction of Saudisation initiatives created some challenges for Bupa Arabia. It needed to strengthen its commitment to hire locally, however, recruiters were struggling to convince hiring managers in highly specialised areas like sales, IT and asset management to consider trainees. Other pressing issues included lengthy recruitment cycles, which not only delayed the onboarding of qualified candidates but also impacted overall team performance and project timelines.

Following the Bupa Global Model, Bupa Arabia therefore decided to create and implement the ‘Nurturing Talents Programme’, an initiative designed to address these recruitment challenges and foster the development of future leaders.

What are the objectives?

The programme was crafted to achieve the following goals:

1. build a vibrant and resilient active talent pipeline
2. guarantee a consistent stream of outstanding candidates who are prepared to fill a wide range of job openings
3. simplify and speed up the hiring process for junior roles
4. provide young Saudi talent with essential opportunities to learn, develop and become part of Bupa Arabia
5. attract high-calibre talent while managing operational expenses and minimising reliance on outside partners
6. foster a lively and sustainable workforce for the future.

What did it do?

Key components of the initiative included:

• An extensive training programme. A structured 3–6 month internship/ Graduates Development Programme (Tamheer) that combines practical experience with formal learning. The programme offers exposure to various departments, mentorship opportunities and regular feedback sessions to help interns gain a comprehensive understanding of Bupa Arabia and its operations.
• Company visits. Opportunities for students to visit its headquarters and gain exposure to the company’s culture. Business leaders with similar academic backgrounds share their experiences, inspiring students and raising awareness about potential career opportunities in insurance and healthcare.
• Career fairs. Active participation in career fairs to attract top talent, build long-term relationships with industry professionals and expose employees to various career paths.
• Partnership agreements. Bupa Arabia formed strategic partnerships with 11 universities to create synergy between industry and academia, enabling the company to exchange expertise, mentor trainees and develop industry-relevant curricula for students' future careers.
• Skills workshops. Trainees are offered a series of seminars focused on personal and professional development. These workshops cover essential topics such as résumé writing, communication skills, interview techniques and personal branding, helping trainees evolve into well-rounded professionals. The programme also provided technical workshops on data analysis and use of PowerBi.
• The Bupa Challenge. As part of Bupa Arabia’s commitment to innovation, it hosts the Bupa Challenge, a case study contest that invites students to tackle real-world business cases. This provides students with practical experience but also identifies potential talent for future recruitment.

What outcomes have been achieved so far?

The programme has had a transformative impact, enabling Bupa Arabia to set a new standard for talent cultivation, reinforce its position as a leading employer and ensure a positive long-term future for both the company and its workforce.

Outcomes to date include:

• Enhancement of recruitment process. Filling of new and replacement job roles within 1-20 days (compared with Middle East average of 35-50 days). The number of vacancies has decreased dramatically as a result.
• Reduction in recruitment expenses. Cost-savings of more than 3M Saudi Riyals in 2024.
• Strong employee retention. Turnover rate of 7% (compared with Middle East average of 10-20%).
• Successful trainee transition. 40% of trainees have gone on to secure permanent positions within the company.
• Dynamic social-media engagement. Notable increase in job-application clicks and followers on LinkedIn.
• High satisfaction scores. Employee engagement score of 87% (compared with Middle East average of 60-75%). Business satisfaction rate of 100% from hiring managers, candidate satisfaction rate of 95%.
• Enthusiastic feedback. Positive testimonials from programme participants, who are eager to join Bupa Arabia after graduation.

Key learnings

The success of Bupa Arabia’s initiative highlights the importance of:

1. efficient recruitment
2. quality talent development
3. strong employer branding
4. alignment with Saudi Arabia’s 2030 vision.