THE SOUQ CIRCLE
Series One | IWD SOUQ
Building Talent That Lasts
Shivanee Deshpande | TalentNest Consulting FZE
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
THE DUBAI LANDSCAPE
A City Growing Faster Than Its Talent Pipeline
Dubai is in the middle of one of the most ambitious talent transformations in modern business history. With UAE Vision 2031 accelerating economic diversification, the city has become a magnet for international companies, first-time founders, and growth-stage startups seeking a foothold in the Gulf. Free zones are multiplying. Licensing has never been easier. Capital is flowing.
But beneath the momentum, a tension is building. The pace at which businesses are being set up is outrunning the pace at which HR infrastructure is being built. Founders are hiring without frameworks. Teams are scaling without structure. And professionals entering the Dubai market are discovering that a strong resume is no longer enough when everyone around them is ambitious, multilingual, and globally experienced.
The skills gap in the UAE is not just a recruitment problem. It is a leadership problem, a branding problem, and a strategy problem. According to the World Economic Forum, over 50 percent of all employees worldwide will need reskilling by 2025. In a market as dynamic and competitive as Dubai, that number is felt acutely, particularly by the SMEs and startups that form the backbone of the new economy.
What this market needs is not another recruitment agency. It needs a partner. Someone who can sit across from a founder, understand their growth trajectory, and build a people strategy that actually scales with them. Someone who can help an individual professional walk into a room in Business Bay and own it.
MEET TALENTNEST
The Consultancy Dubai’s Founders Have Been Waiting For
Enter Shivanee Deshpande and TalentNest Consulting FZE, a Dubai-based HR consultancy founded with exactly this problem in mind. TalentNest was not built to be a vendor. It was built to be a talent ecosystem partner, the kind of people infrastructure that fast-moving businesses need but rarely know how to build themselves.
Shivanee understands both sides of the equation. She works with organisations that need to hire smarter, train better, and retain longer. And she works with individuals who need to position themselves in a market where competition is global and first impressions are permanent. Her approach is practical, results-oriented, and refreshingly free of jargon. She does not believe in generic solutions. Every engagement begins with listening.
From end-to-end HR consulting and corporate training to personal branding strategies and leadership coaching, TalentNest offers a service suite that covers the entire talent lifecycle. Whether you are a founder hiring your fifth employee or a professional pivoting your career in a new country, there is a session, a framework, and a strategy designed for exactly where you are.
“We don’t just offer services. We build sustainable talent ecosystems.”
SHIVANEE DESHPANDE, TALENTNEST CONSULTING FZE
We are proud to welcome TalentNest Consulting FZE to the IWD SOUQ platform as part of our first series of The SOUQ Circle, a curated space for female-founded, values-driven businesses that are genuinely changing the fabric of the Dubai economy. What Shivanee has built is not just a consultancy. It is a commitment to the idea that people, when properly supported, become an organisation’s greatest competitive advantage.
WHY TALENTNEST WORKS
Four Reasons This Is the Right Fit for You
• Built for Startups and SMEs. TalentNest speaks the language of founders. Her hiring strategy sessions are tailored for businesses that are scaling fast and need people infrastructure without the corporate overhead.
• End-to-End HR, Not Piecemeal. From workforce planning and interview frameworks to employer branding basics, Shivanee connects the dots across the talent lifecycle so nothing falls through the cracks.
• Personal Branding for a Global Market. LinkedIn optimisation, resume reimagining, soft skills coaching, and image styling. In a Dubai market this competitive, how you show up matters as much as what you bring.
• Leadership That Holds Under Pressure. Her leadership training goes beyond theory. Emotional intelligence, decision-making, and conflict management, all practiced through real-life scenarios built for the Dubai context.
NOW LIVE ON IWD SOUQ
Services Available for Booking
Every session with Shivanee is a focused, outcome-driven engagement. No filler. Just the strategies and tools you need to move forward, whether you are an organisation building a team or a professional building a future. All sessions are available for booking directly through IWD SOUQ.
Corporate Training: Discovery Call
HR CONSULTATION | CORPORATE TRAINING | TEAM BUILDING
A focused session for organisations looking to build impactful training programs. Covers business goals, skill gap assessment, and a customised training roadmap across leadership, soft skills, and L&D.
1.5 Hours
Hiring Strategy for Startups and SMEs
HR CONSULTING | TALENT ACQUISITION | RECRUITMENT
A strategic consultation to help founders and SMEs build efficient hiring processes. Covers workforce planning, sourcing strategy, interview frameworks, employer branding basics, and cost-effective hiring approaches.
1.5 Hours
LinkedIn Profile Building
PERSONAL BRANDING | CAREER DEVELOPMENT
A complete profile audit and rebuild covering headline, summary, experience enhancement, personal branding positioning, and a content strategy to grow visibility in the Dubai market.
1 Hour
Leadership Training and Coaching
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT | CORPORATE TRAINING
Personalised coaching covering leadership style assessment, effective communication, team management, emotional intelligence, conflict management, and real-life leadership scenarios.
1.5 Hours
Interview Preparation Strategy
CAREER COACHING | CAREER DEVELOPMENT
Structured coaching covering interview frameworks, STAR method responses, personal pitch development, and interview do’s and don’ts for professionals entering or pivoting in the Dubai market.
1 Hour
Soft Skills Coaching
SKILL DEVELOPMENT | CORPORATE TRAINING
Interactive sessions covering communication, confidence building, workplace etiquette, time management, presentation skills, and image styling for personal and professional growth.
1.5 Hours
Resume and Cover Letter Review
PERSONAL BRANDING | CAREER DEVELOPMENT
Professional review and discussion covering resume structure, formatting improvements, content enhancement, impact statements, cover letter personalisation, and alignment with target roles.
1 Hour
BOOK YOUR SESSION
Your People Strategy Starts Here
Book directly through IWD SOUQ at iwdsouq.com
Cancellation policy: free cancellation up to 24 hours before each session. One reschedule allowed.