Registration open for 2012 “Top Companies to Work for in the UAE”
The top companies to work for in the UAE implement HR practices comparable to those of best companies in more developed markets, according to research from the Great Place to Work Institute. Sharing insights gleaned from its inaugural “Top Companies to Work For in the UAE” program, the Institute says that while the top companies exemplify international best HR practices, there remains a significant gap in the standard and understanding of cultivating a people-centric culture among UAE companies overall.
Following an year-long search, the Great Place to Work Institute last month identified the list of “Top Companies to Work for in the UAE”. Comprising a mix of multinational and local companies from a variety of industries and employee size populations, the list is a ranking of the nation’s 10 best employers based on the confidential feedback of their staff and an independent culture audit of their HR practices by the Institute.
According to the Institute, companies that appear on this year’s list can be broadly viewed as great workplaces not only in the UAE, but in any other market too. Top companies scored just as well in the UAE as other companies score in Europe, Asia, or the Americas, with eight out of every 10 employees in those companies recognizing their workplace experience to be positive.
Excellent workplaces in the UAE are similar to workplaces in other countries in that the very best are characterized by high levels of trust, cooperation and commitment. Employees at the top 10 companies in the UAE all enjoyed personal, trusting relationships with their management. In fact, more employees at the best UAE companies found their leaders to be approachable than did employees at the best US companies.
While no two HR initiatives are the same, the nation’s best employers each recognize the importance of people-centric practices. All top companies offer talent development programs with an average of 40 hours of training per employee per year. However, two companies on the UAE list offer more than 80 hours of training per employee. Anti-discrimination policies and corporate social responsibility programs also rated highly in contributing to employees’ trust and pride in their organizations. Employees at the top companies also valued the attention their management gave to work-life balance. Such initiatives included job sharing, flexi-time, telecommuting, unpaid career breaks and paid sabbaticals.
However, while the best UAE companies appear to play in the same field as their international counterparts, the biggest difference remains the extent to which HR policies and practices are fully integrated into the business. According to the Institute, all UAE companies could benefit from paying more attention to employee orientation programs, staff development and performance management, as well as appreciation and recognition programs.
“Two areas requiring particular attention are hiring for culture and values fit and the on-boarding of new employees. Cultural alignment within an organization is really the key to ensuring high levels of trust, respect, fairness, pride and camaraderie between employees and their managers. An employer should be prepared to hire and fire by their organization’s core values; they should be that inherent,” explained Dr. Michael Burchell, Partner and Director of the Great Place to Work Institute UAE.
“It is clear that the best companies represent 10 great role models for organizations across the UAE to aspire to. The UAE HR field is maturing and these companies offer us best practices to learn from. While no two companies offer the same HR programs, they all recognize the importance of valuing their people as their most important asset. This is really what underscores workplace excellence,” he added.
Registration is now open for the 2012 “Top Companies to Work for in the UAE” program and the Institute says it is already seeing strong interest.
The Great Place to Work Institute also announced plans to introduce HR consultancy and advisory services to the Middle East in 2011. These include workplace employee assessments, culture change and organizational development programs, as well as management training and certification on creating a great workplace.
