April-2019
As a newbie to UAE and to the field of Human Resource Management, I was glad when I was accepted as a HR intern with flydubai as part of their Reach Internship Program, which is an unpaid internship for a period of 3 months. Noteworthy to add, I am also a student enrolled in a postgraduate program at the University of Wollongong in Dubai specializing in HRM. Along with my classes, I wanted to work in parallel to be able to get hands on experience.
flydubai is known for its massive growth over a short period of 10 years and it reflects in the culture the company holds for its employees. They believe in retaining the “human” in Human Resources, which is something I witnessed at work. A very friendly and open atmosphere, flat hierarchy where the senior leaders are approachable and have time for any employee. I could spot only happy employees who wanted to stay as long as possible with the firm.
As far as my internship goes, my manager (who also interviewed me) kept stressing on the fact that I have more power in the internship program, as I am the one who is spending time and money to come in and learn something through the opportunity. It was true in my experience. I could fit my class timings and exam schedules with enough flexibility from flydubai. I was treated well and was not exploited in any sense. It was a win-win situation as I could design how my week will look managing university timings along with contributing to flydubai.
I was exposed to the non-confidential nature of information, with which I worked in the 3 months. It was a good insight into the problems that airline industry faces in the recruitment area. With over 65% of employee population being pilots and cabin crew, considering the volatility of the business I could have a closer look into the industry and how human resource management “best practices” may not work for the airline industry at all times.
There are a set of training programs designed at the beginning of every year, which instigated creativity, improved skillset including learning the Arabic language, which is most essential for cabin crew. Employee engagement activities including sports tournaments and hiking trips are planned often. flydubai is an inclusive workplace where employees are considered to be part of a family.
The REACH internship program is designed to reach out to individuals beyond any discrimination including educational background and work experiences. The hiring process had a set of online tests that tested creativity, aptitude, math, English, analytical skills, etc. These tests included psychometric tests as well. It seemed to be a way to identifying one’s potential. One can intern in any department despite his/her educational/work background.
People who come in as interns have only one motivation, which is to get some learning at the end of the internship. This makes it a win for the company as they get work done without any cost. It is a win for the intern as it is a good learning experience, which provides exposure to the airline industry. It is true that not all can afford to do an unpaid internship, which does not cover basics including transport.
-Radha Lekshmanan (Talent Acquisition Intern, flydubai)