hewitt best employer award winners

IntroductionWhy Best Employers in Middle East?

Response to the study

Our intent

At Hewitt, we are fascinated by the Middle East. As a global firm, we have witnessed the growth and development of many

regions over the decades. At Hewitt Dubai, we have witnessed the same growth over a period of merely six to ten years in

the Middle East. Over these years, we have seen how individuals, organizations, governments and countries alike have

strived to lead and/or participate in the growth story. We were there when organizations were being created, growing and

expanding at a rapid pace. As the growth accelerated, we saw organizations deal with the challenge of managing this

growth through the introduction of systems and processes. And as the global crisis unfolds, we are seeing how

organizations are trying to refocus and in the process, re-examine the must-haves.

The Middle East has established itself as a global hub for talent. It has attracted people from across the world with the

promise of ample opportunities, rapid career advancement and generous remuneration. People thus drawn to the region

have brought with them their unique cultural diversity and a host of aspirations, making the Middle East one of the most

unique employment case studies anywhere in the world.

As a consulting firm specializing in People, we felt the absence of an underlying yardstick which synthesizes all these

imperatives into a common language of the region’s very own Benchmark for People Practices. It is in this regard that we

decided to launch the region’s very first Best Employers Study – a study which seeks to find and recognize those who have

built the best; a research which provides the definitive last word in people practices and benchmarks; an initiative which

enables organizations to understand what it takes to be the best in such a complex talent landscape; and a mission that

aligns us all towards Making the Middle East a Better Place To Work.

We were delighted to receive an overwhelming response to the study. Different aspects of the study appealed to different

organizations – some found the idea of data analysis and benchmarking appealing, while others felt that this would be a

great opportunity to get themselves audited by a third party. And yet the majority of our participants viewed the study as a

validation of their own belief in People. And we reckon that this stems directly from the region’s voracious appetite for

learning newer ways to becoming the very best.

It is our intent to see each and every organization within the Middle East realize the true potential of its People and unleash

their power to achieve unprecedented levels of success. The study was but a first step towards that direction. With its

successful completion, our task has actually just begun. Our next step is to disseminate the invaluable learnings that have

emerged from this year-long study.

This document is our first step towards that objective. In the following pages, you will find a snapshot of the findings, an

introduction to the Best Employers and their unique practices, a synopsis of what made them the Best Employers and

finally some perspectives on what organizations can imbibe for the future.

We hope that the study results provide inspiration to those organizations that want to be the best. For the organizations

that made it to the list, this is their time to be recognized for their superlative efforts and to share their experiences with

others. We hope that in the coming years, as more organizations attain this milestone, the Best Employers in Middle East

will become a group against which organizations around the globe will want to benchmark themselves.

Hewitt Best Employersin Middle East

2009


2009

Implementation of the Best in Class E-Enabled HR Systems

Straight Talking

Over the last couple of years, Alghanim Industries has placed the e-enablement of all HR systems in high gear. In a span of 2 years, the organization has implemented annual online employee surveys, an online performance management system covering the top 6,000 employees, and a best in class e-enabled talent review process for the top 250 leaders.

Recently, the organization has gone live with a new ERP package for human capital management which integrates HR management across all their offices in Kuwait, UAE and India. The new system allows the company’s business units to manage employees more effectively, automate HR processes making them more efficient and effective, and facilitate accessibility of employee data. Employees are now able to process their HR requirements more easily, receive information about their compensation and leave, to reduce paperwork and update their personal information, all in a more timely and accurate manner.

Another corporate value that sets Alghanim apart is their commitment to straight-talking as shown through their Tell-Us survey campaign.

In addition, through the distribution of their employee magazine, ‘together’, the organization strives to provide employees with the information they need to perform their jobs well and learn more about the company. It informs and educates employees about what is going on in the business by providing background information, analysis, rationale and specifics, augmented news briefs and time-sensitive announcements.

Working in Alghanim Industries means working in a challenging and progressive environment, with numerous possibilities to enhance my skill set and broaden my working experience. As our company is highly diversified in terms of businesses and employees, it is an exciting place to be. Alghanim has provided me with the opportunity to gain both operational and managerial experience and to interact with talented senior managers and fellow MBAs from all over the world.

Employee speakUnique People Practices at Alghanim Industries, Kuwaitl Annual Employee Surveys and Action Planning

l Talent Review process – Completely e-enabled world class talent review process, supported by the best in class succession planning software

”

“

Succession Planning at Alghanim

Alghanim Industries has, in a very short

span of time, developed a strong culture of

succession planning. Top leadership in each

of their business units spend a significant

amount of time evaluating each manager

within their businesses to identify potential

and define succession plans for all key roles.

The culture has been enabled by a software

platform and is led personally by the CEO.

Alghanim Industries, KuwaitA Hewitt Best Employer in Middle East 2009

Omar K. Alghanim, CEO

I believe that Alghanim Industries’ success is driven by our people. Working together helps us grow as a business and as individuals. Like members of a successful sports team, we excel in our ability to take our competitive spirit and channel it into success for the whole group. This focus is what makes good teams great; that is why it is no accident that teamwork is one of our company’s core values.

“

”In 1932, Yusuf Ahmed Alghanim took over one of his father’s businesses and by the end of the decade, had established the reputation of Alghanim throughout the Middle East.

From the early 1970s, Yusuf’s sons, Kutayba and Bassam, led the organization and initiated a western-style management structure with decentralized decision-making processes. In the 1990s, Alghanim Industries continued to expand by forming marketing collaborations and strategic alliances.

In 2002, Alghanim Industries embarked on a new period of development and growth when Yusuf’s grandson, Omar K. Alghanim, joined Alghanim’s management ranks. Today, Alghanim Industries continues its expansion as it strives to fulfill its vision of becoming the most successful and admired company in the region.

Our vision is to become the most respected company in the region. Acquiring, developing, managing and rewarding talent is at the heart of our HR strategy. Our HR function is designed so that our central services are focused on, and support, our HR specialists who are imbedded in each business units. Everything we do in HR is intended to help our businesses be more efficient, more profitable, and better able to respond to their customers.

Jim Batchler, Chief HR Officer

Operational Excellence and Customer-Centricity

With 12,000+ employees, operational excellence is the key to managing the growth story at Alghanim. The aim is to create a process-driven organization by critically examining the company’s many processes, improving those processes using tools such as Six Sigma and Lean, and working towards brilliant process management in the future. As of March 2009, the Operation Excellence team has awarded 60 Green Belt certifications and currently has 20 Black Belt certifications in process. By focusing on operational excellence throughout the company, Alghanim has successfully ensured that both customers and employees receive the best possible products and services.

”

“

Alghanim Industries, Kuwait

l Largest and most diversified

privately owned conglomerate

in Kuwait and GCC

l More than 30 business

divisions representing over

300 brands and agencies

l Presence in Middle East,

India and Turkey with

operations extending to

Europe, Africa, East and

Southeast Asia

l 12,000+ employees

l 100+ HR staff

2 3


2009

Leadership Development Program for Nationals

HR Enabling the Business to Take Ownership

The Development Centre process, the first of its kind in Oman, was conceived and implemented by BankMuscat for Omani nationals. This enabled the Bank to develop and groom several nationals for critical senior and middle management roles and international appointments. An individual development plan for the identified employees was put together and is currently being implemented through an 18-month development program.

Until recently, the HR function within the bank was highly centralized and concentrated in the HR department on the basis of a functional organization. This was probably the only option a few years back given the level of organizational maturity and skill levels prevalent in the region. Progressively, over the last couple of years, BankMuscat has transformed into a mature learning organization in terms of the business taking ownership of all vital HR issues without affecting the quality of decisions. All people-related decisions are taken by line managers through the provision of HR Self Service module of the HRMS through which line managers can interact with the HR database, leading to increased ownership/accountability on HR issues, faster decision-making process and optimal staffing in HR functions.

”

Employee Listening

The bank takes employee feedback seriously. It believes that managing a workforce of 2500+ employees requires it to reach out to employees spread across the length and breadth of the Sultanate to identify issues, classify them based on frequency and impact and address them proactively without allowing them to be affected by personal or professional grievances. This has also helped the bank to understand the diverse requirements of staff for targeted interventions.

The continuous learning and development opportunities within BankMuscat speak volumes. I joined

as a Bachelor in Operations Management and the Bank facilitated my formal ACCA qualification, besides

nominating me on a talent exchange programme in Ireland for specialized learning from talented

professionals. As part of the diverse opportunities provided, the Bank has given me the assignment of

leading one of the overseas expansion projects to fine-tune my management and execution skills.

Employee speak

“

Unique People Practices at BankMuscat SAOG, Omanl 360-degree feedback and coaching program for the top team

l Use of psychometric testing in selection and development of Staff

l Strong nationalization programs focusing not only on recruitment but also active leadership development

BankMuscat SAOG, Oman

“

”

AbdulRazak Ali Issa, CEO

A Hewitt Best Employer in Middle East 2009

Organizations always mention that people

are their most valuable assets – whether they

mean it or not. At BankMuscat we firmly believe

that not all people are assets – only the ‘Right

People’ are. Our HR practices have focused on

creating, nurturing and supporting the ‘Right

People’ to meet the ambitious growth plans of the

Bank, through a wide variety of initiatives that

cover all stages of the employee life cycle.

Employee Ownership

BankMuscat has developed a plentiful supply of entrepreneurs within the Bank who work as owners rather than as employees. Their policies (including profit-sharing schemes) and processes (viz. delegation of authorities) encourage managers to take an entrepreneurial approach to running the business, thereby creating a culture which encourages creativity/innovation, faster decision-making and better utilization of resources.

“

With assets worth over USD 15.7 billion, BankMuscat SAOG is the leading financial services provider in Oman with a strong presence in Corporate Banking, Retail Banking, Investment Banking, Treasury, Private Banking and Asset Management.

The Bank has 2,516 employees with a network of 121 branches, 336 ATMs and 97 CDMs in Oman, a branch in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and a representative office in Dubai (UAE).

BankMuscat holds the rare distinction of being voted the ‘Best Bank in Oman’ five times in a row by The Banker, FT London, six times in a row by Euromoney and seven times by Global Finance Inc. The Bank was awarded the People Development Award at Oman Awards for Excellence, in 2003, 2004 and 2005. The Bank also won the prestigious Gulf Excellence Award 2005 for Oman. BankMuscat was named as the Number One Bank in the Sultanate of Oman for 2006, for the fourth time, by “BusinessToday”. In 2004, the Bank achieved the rare distinction of becoming the first bank in the Middle East to be completely ISO 9000:2000 certified and has been certified Investor in People by LiP, UK.

Over the last many years, the Human Resources function has been able to support the ambitious growth and expansion plans of the Bank. HR initiatives of the Bank are not planned in isolation of business/customer needs or because they are nice to have; but are derived from the business plans and strategies and have provided a competitive edge to the business.

Salim Mohammed Al Kaabi, Assistant General Manager, Human Resources.

”

BankMuscat SAOG, Oman

l Leading financial services

provider in Oman

l Assets worth over USD 15.7

billion

l 2,500+ employees

l 16+ HR staff

4 5


2009

In Deloitte, you develop your professional career and, at the same time, make a decision on your

personal life. Having a flexible schedule as a mother has allowed me to take care of my family as I wanted to

and concurrently have a fulfilling career.Employee speak”

“

Rewards Management

At Deloitte, those who go above and beyond

what is expected find their achievements

recognized all through the year and not only

during annual processes, through their

Rewards Program. Nominations can be

made by peers, subordinates, or leaders

around strategic areas of model behaviors

aligned with their business strategy –

Exceptional Client Service, Quality & Risk

Management, Eminence & Brand, Talent

Magnets, Leading Growth, and Self

Development in addition to Long service.

Deloitte's professionals are unified by a collaborative culture that fosters integrity, outstanding value to markets and clients, commitment to each other, and strength from cultural diversity. They enjoy an environment of continuous learning, challenging experiences, and enriching career opportunities. Deloitte's professionals are dedicated to strengthening corporate responsibility, building public trust, and making a positive impact in their communities.

Talent management is strategic to Deloitte, and is the main source of sustained competitive advantage by ensuring the right talent in the right place and at the right time. The firm has many practices in place geared specifically to manage their talent through the employee life-cycle, which rests on world-class methodologies, tools, and processes that adapt to individual’s aspirations while offering career opportunities.

The firm clearly has highly evolved people practices which focus on outcomes rather than the processes itself. Key metrics used to measure the success of such outcomes include having the right talent in the right place at the right time; more women in leadership positions; a pool of well-trained, highly motivated, and diverse professionals; the ability to attract and engage Gen Y with international opportunities; the capability to nimbly respond to markets; and a passion and pride for the Deloitte Brand and what it stands for.

Talent Management as a Source of Competitive Advantage

Unique People Practices at Deloitte & Touche (M.E.)l Regular People Commitment Surveys which measure employee engagement and brand connection

l The Deloitte Invites Top Talent (DITT) nationalization program where the recruiters meet with top graduates of various

ME universities

l Ahlan, the Deloitte ME induction program which goes way beyond a traditional induction and orientation scheme

l Culture Value Map which trains employees on how to self manage their careers

Deloitte & Touche (M.E.)

The people at Deloitte are the backbone of

the organization and our ambassadors to

clients. In these challenging times, we will

focus on retaining the talent we have invested

in and ensuring that we remain committed to

our promise of being the most sought after

organization for talent and clients.

“

” Omar Fahoum, Chairman and Chief Executive


Deloitte & Touche (M.E.) is the Middle East member firm of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu (DTT), one of the world’s top tier

leading professional services firms offering Audit, Consulting, Financial Advisory, and Tax Services. With a team of 100

partners and principals and 1700 employees, it operates in 15 ME countries with over 25 offices. Worldwide, the Deloitte

team of 165,000 people in nearly 140 countries serves more than 80% of the world's largest companies, as well as large

national enterprises, public institutions, locally important clients, and successful, fast-growing global companies.

The Strong Employment Promise

The firm’s vision is to be the standard of excellence and the employee value proposition is based on the following three areas-

1. Culture: A Be-Yourself culture of straightforward people with high team orientation

2. Experience: Great clients, great work, great colleagues and rapid career advancement

3. Development: Continuous learning and development with a breadth of career opportunities

As a people business, protecting our intellectual capital is integral to the strategic role of HR. In these

challenging economic times, we are refreshing our talent strategy to play offense rather than defense by

aligning HR with business needs from managing cost to preserving key talent, protecting the employer brand,

and planning strategically and not on a short-term basis to be well positioned and take advantage of the

inevitable recovery. Rana Ghandour Salhab,

Partner, Talent and Communications

“

”

Deloitte & Touche (M.E.)

l Started in a single rented

room in 1926

l Present in 140 countries

worldwide with 165,000

employees

l Operates in 25 ME countries

with over 25 offices

l 1800+ employees

l 40 HR staff

6 7


2009

Focus on Culture

Linkages Between Performance, Rewards, Training and Career management

HR as An Emerging Strategic Partner

FINE has instituted a Culture Team which instills its values in every employee, especially the factory workmen. The team is accountable for the management and change of culture across the organization. FINE’s values have become a way of life for employees as they have been designed to encompass all aspects of their work – Quality, Integrity, Teamwork, Leadership, Professionalism, Transparency, Dedication, Discipline, Trust, Communication and Fun.

FINE has instituted a simple yet highly effective system of HR practices around Performance Management, Rewards, Training & Development and Career Development. These systems seamlessly talk to each other with respect to each and every employee including the ones at the manufacturing shop floor.

Employees are appraised using easy to understand forms which contain their responsibilities and targets set jointly between the employee and his manager at the beginning of the year. These forms are then normalized by HR and approved by the function heads. The training needs are collated to create the training calendar for the year; while the developmental opportunities are used by the Career Development system for deciding on the roles and responsibilities that employees must take on in the next performance cycles. The secret of its effectiveness lies in its simplicity and the level of involvement of all stakeholders through the process.

As the group plans to grow further at the same pace it has grown at thus far, the Human Resources function has already started gearing towards taking the role of HR to the next level. FINE has shifted to competency-based systems from the earlier skill-based systems of recruitment and career development. It is further looking to provide separate technical and managerial career tracks, with a clear line of sight on the competencies and proficiencies required by employees to move to the next level. We expect the key again to lie in the simple yet effective approach that FINE is taking towards these initiatives.

FINE is one of the strongest brand names in the industry and it is a stable company which allows you to join from diverse backgrounds and then invests in training and developing you so that you can work your way to the top.

Employee speak

Rewards and Incentives at FINE

The firm has a rewards system which covers

all employees, including those at the

manufacturing shop floor. There are

bonuses for individual performance and

company performance and incentives for

even the helpers and drivers.

“

”

“ ”

FINE Hygienic Paper FZE, UAEA Hewitt Best Employer in Middle East 2009

Fine Hygienic Paper FZE

l Leading paper products

manufacturer

l Part of the Jordan based

Nuqul Group established in

1952

l 300+ employees

l 10 HR staff

Our Human Resources are our most

important asset. At Nuqul Group we firmly

believe that if we get the right people on the bus

they will determine where the bus should go.

We are the best, but we never let it rest. Nuqul

Group commits to continuously develop its

most treasured asset. Peter Janho, Chief Area Officer

“

”FINE Hygienic Paper FZE is a leading producer of paper products in the Middle East. It is part of the Jordan-based Nuqul Group, which was established in 1952 and brings together 30 regional and global companies, more than 5,500 employees and exports its products to over 45 export markets worldwide.

The company is a market leader in the facial tissues category in almost every market in which it operates. It also has a very strong presence in the toilet rolls, kitchen towels, baby diapers and feminine pads categories.

FINE is based in the Jebel Ali Free Zone in Dubai and operates in a 15,000 sq. meter environmentally friendly, manufacturing facility with state-of-the-art equipment and has a young, highly skilled work force of nearly 300 employees.

A strong commitment to excellence in quality and service has always been the foundation of the Nuqul Group and this enduring factor is reflected in over 160 hygienic paper and related products being offered by the company in the Lower Gulf.

An obsession with hygiene is a way of life at FINE, and the middle name, “HYGIENIC”, is by no means an accident. The marketing strategy emphasizes “By Your Side” indicating FINE's presence at every stage of a consumers life - from baby diapers to facial tissues, sanitary napkins and adult briefs.

People drive the success of our business and their careers. We will provide the platform for their continuous development, creating a competitive edge for them and for our business.

Faris Salman, Manager, HR

Focus on Quality Excellence

8 9


2009

FGB gives me the opportunity to do what I do best everyday. I am lucky to be working in a team of

highly professional and seasoned bankers who feel responsible for the organization and strive hard to take

the Bank to the next level of excellence. The work environment is open and nurtures creativity. All in all both

personally and professionally I feel I have developed significantly since I have joined the bank.

Employee speak

“

Performance and Pay Differentiation

The bank has an extremely effective performance management process which integrates with the learning and development needs of individuals. Performance is measured on a 5-point scale and additionally an employee’s criticality and adherence to the FGB values play a role in determining his/her overall performance. Performance rewards are differentiated based on levels of performance with top performers being rewarded substantially higher than the rest.

”

Focus on Employee Engagement

Leadership Makes a Difference

FGB believes that having an engaged workforce will automatically improve business performance. Keeping this in view, it

conducts an Employee Engagement Survey every year to gauge the pulse of the organization. Post the survey; action

planning is conducted depending upon the people themes identified in the survey. This way both employees and managers,

in collaboration with HR, work together towards making FGB a better place to work. For UAE nationals, FGB has dedicated

engagement sessions with HR and senior management so that their thoughts and feedback can be heard and actions can be

taken accordingly.

In order to build its future talent pipeline, FGB has invested in a best-in-class leadership development initiative. The aim of

this initiative is to identify talent at all levels in the organization and take them through focused developmental

interventions. In 2008 nearly 75% of FGB employees went through various training workshops covering functional,

technical and behavioral competencies. The bank has a strong commitment towards Emiratisation and has specific and

dedicated development programs for its UAE nationals.

Unique People Practices at First Gulf Bank, Abu Dhabil Annual Employee Engagement Surveys and Action Planning

l Leadership Development covering all management layers in the bank, with specific focus on nationals layers in the

bank, with specific focus on Nationals

As one of the leading banks in the UAE, First Gulf Bank (FGB) has Shareholder Equity of over AED10 billion making it one of

the largest equity-based bank in the UAE. Established in 1979 and headquartered in the UAE capital Abu Dhabi, the bank

provides financial services across the Emirates with a wide network of 17 branches in various business and industrial areas

throughout Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Fujairah, Al Ain and Ras Al Khaimah.

As at 31 December 2008, FGB was the UAE’s second largest bank by total equity, the third by net profit and the fourth by

total assets.

FGB has a prominent profile in the marketplace due to its assigned ratings. FGB is rated “A+” by Fitch, “A2” by Moody’s and

“A+” by Capital Intelligence and has been recently named the “Best Commercial Bank in UAE” by Asiamoney Magazine. The

bank has increased its international presence by establishing a full-fledged commercial bank in Libya, Qatar and a

Representative Office in Singapore..

First Gulf Bank, Abu Dhabi

Being a financial institution, we are in the

business of ‘selling skills’. The human element

is therefore the single most important factor

which differentiates us from competition. We

would like to build on this ‘differentiation’ and

make FGB an outstanding bank in the market

based on outstanding staff. Continuous

development of staff is critical in this respect; it

will help us build a ‘proprietary FGB culture.’

First Gulf Bank, Abu Dhabi

l Leading UAE bank

l Established 1979

l 979 direct employees, 2000

through subsidiaries and

outsourced partners

l 28 HR staff

“

”

Andre Sayegh, CEO


First Gulf Bank is the bank to be in! The FGB journey exemplifies an amazing success story of a fledgling bank, whose leadership transformed it into a great organization. FGB has grown to amazing heights over the years and owes it success to the untiring efforts of its employees and top management. FGB's leadership and HR have been people-centric, with a constant endeavor to build high performing teams across the organization. As an organization, FGB has stood the test of time and its business success has been a landmark achievement in the banking industry in the UAE.

Mr. Gopi Krishna Madhavan, Head Human Resources

”

“

10 11

“

”

Employee Involvement

Total Rewards Concept

Jones Lang LaSalle MENA believes employee involvement is about creating an environment where people have an impact

on decisions and actions that affect their jobs. Their philosophy is to increase employee ownership and commitment in

decision-making and thereby motivating and retaining their employees. The company conducts regular Focus Group

Discussions with employees from different departments and seniority levels as a think tank for ideation, communication,

alignment and implementation of initiatives. Factors affecting employees’ engagement levels are also discussed in these

discussions.

Jones Lang LaSalle has instituted a total rewards concept that represents a variety of programs and plans designed to

reward, recognize and motivate employees, while emphasizing the organization’s commitment to continuous personal

development and career enhancement opportunities. The concept emphasizes the whole benefits package offered by the

firm, so each employee understands how his remuneration and benefits add up.

Working for Jones Lang LaSalle not only allows an individual access to global best practices in the field

of real estate but also an opportunity to ‘live’ the best practice in the location of choice.

Although training, development and the volume of work are seen as day-to-day aspects of any corporate

environment, these are being well recognized within our firm.Employee speak

Unique People Practices at Jones Lang LaSalle, Middle East and North Africal Annual employee engagement surveys

l Regular cross-functional group discussions

l Bi-annual social and sporting activities


2009

Jones Lang LaSalle MENAA Hewitt Best Employer in Middle East 2009

Jones Lang LaSalle, Middle East

and North Africa

l Leading real estate services

and investments firm

l Started in 1783 by Richard

Winstanley in London

l 30,000 employees in 750

cities across 60 countries

worldwide

l 100+ employees in Dubai

with 2 HR staff worldwide

l 100+ employees in Dubai

with 2 HR staff

As the leading real estate service provider

within the MENA Region, Jones Lang LaSalle is

driven by high standards of ethics and quality.

This implies putting our team members at the

center of our overall strategy, as any success is

conditional to their motivation and long term

development. Thierry Loué, CEO

“

”With a history of over 200 years of rapid growth and partnerships, Jones Lang

LaSalle is one of the leading financial and professional services firm

specializing in real-estate services and investment management. In 1999, in

the largest international real-estate industry merger to date, JLW and LaSalle

Partners joined forces to form Jones Lang LaSalle.

The JLL – MENA unit is headquartered in Dubai and covers over 22 countries

across Middle East and North Africa with offices in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Jeddah and Riyadh. The team comprises more than

100 professionals from 30 different nationalities and brings together a diverse mix of educational, professional and cultural

backgrounds, making the JLL – MENA group a truly multinational environment to work in.

In 2008, Jones Lang LaSalle MENA had been named the Best Real Estate Advisory Firm in the UAE by Euromoney.

Our HR Strategy focuses on recruitment, development and retention of key talent through ethical

resourcing practices, innovative learning and development initiatives, competitive employee reward

policies and healthy employee relations based on employee involvement and participation.

Ksenia Pentchoukova, HR Manager

It is noteworthy how the JLL Code of Business Ethics resonates in each and every employee, where they are visibly proud of

their global reputation for uncompromising integrity, ethical conduct and corporate governance. In 2008, Jones Lang

LaSalle had been named and recognized as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies.

Unwavering Business Ethics

“

”

12 13

Career Mobility at Jones Lang LaSalle

The firm is a global employer where

employees are offered a global career

tracks. This is supported by the strong

linkages between their HR systems like

Performance Management, Rewards

Management and Career Management

thereby enabling JLL to provide effective

career development systems to all

employees.


2009

Rapid Career Growth

At the Jumeirah Group, there is a high

emphasis on providing career growth

opportunities thanks to the aggressive

growth plans which are part of the Group’s

3-5 year business objectives (the Group

plans to recruit more than 60,000

employees in the Gulf region alone by

2012). The Group is leveraging this plan to

offer rapid growth to exceptional and

strong performers.

The group’s fundamental way of life revolves around their “Hallmarks”, Guiding Principles and their Vision to STAY TMDIFFERENT . These are fundamental in inspiring every employee at Jumeirah to live and breathe their company philosophy

and work hard towards fulfilling it. The “Hallmarks” are:

1. I will always smile and greet our guests before they greet me.

2. My first response to a guest will never be no

3. I will treat all colleagues with respect and integrity

These “Hallmarks” look very simple but make a huge difference to the guests’ experience and the empowerment of employees as they are imbibed into the very root of their behaviors.

Managing a high performing workforce that exceeds 10,000 is challenge. The Group has instituted best in class standardized people systems and processes which pan out through the entire employee life cycle. What is most noteworthy is the consistency not only in the systems, but also the outcomes which they achieve and the resultant impact they have on the organization.

Take for example of one of the relatively simpler HR systems of Induction and Orientation. All employees who join the group are taken through an extensive and comprehensive 2-4 day induction program which always ends with a meeting with the Executive Chairman, CEO and all other Chief Officers. This orientation takes place every fortnight and is a fixed item in all their calendars. Recall again that this system covers an employee base of over 10,000.

Jumeirah strongly believes in ‘People Focus’, focusing not only on guests and business associates but also on colleagues. It really is an outstanding place to work.

The Group provides career development opportunities to colleagues with all levels of education and truly cares for their well-being.

Employee speak

Standardized And Best In Class People Practices

Unique People Practices at Jumeirah Groupl Gemba Days (Japanese for “real place”/“shop floor”) when General Managers and Senior Managers take on the roles of

colleagues and work directly on the front line

l Aspiro – the fast-track career development program for high-achieving, goal-oriented, ambitious students from leading hospitality and management degree programs as well as existing Jumeirah colleagues

l Colleagues of Exceptional Value – a pioneering program aimed to retain exceptional performers

l VOICES (Very Original Ideas Can Enhance Success) – a company-wide initiative fostering sharing of ideas, communication and teamwork

“

”

Jumeirah GroupA Hewitt Emerging International Best Employer from Middle East 2009

We recognize that people are our greatest

asset in ensuring a luxury product and service.

People are the foundation of our success and

growth; the strong work culture within

Jumeirah, our operating philosophy and value

proposition are all built on our colleagues.

Accordingly, recruitment, retention and

training of staff are crucial and we have worked

hard to develop pro-active initiatives to

address this.

Jumeirah Group

l Founded in 1997

l Leading hospitality chain across

ME

l World renowned properties

include the Burj Al Arab, Jumeirah

Beach Hotel, Jumeirah Emirates

Towers and Madinat Jumeirah

amongst others

l 10,000+ employees representing

over 100 nationalities

l 185 HR staff

Gerald Lawless, Executive Chairman

Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts are regarded as among the most luxurious and innovative in the world and have won numerous international travel and tourism awards. The company was founded in 1997 with the aim of becoming a hospitality industry leader by establishing a world-class portfolio of luxury hotels and resorts.

Building on this success, in 2004 the Jumeirah Group became a member of Dubai Holding - a collection of leading Dubai-based businesses and projects - in line with a new phase of growth and development for the Group.

Some of their properties include the unmistakable Burj Al Arab – considered to be one of the world’s most luxurious hotel, the multi-award winning Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Jumeirah Emirates Towers, Madinat Jumeirah and Jumeirah Bab Al Shams Desert Resort & Spa in Dubai; Jumeirah Carlton Tower and Jumeirah Lowndes Hotel in London; and Jumeirah Essex House in New York.

The Group’s activities are, however, not restricted to hotel and resort management. The Jumeirah Group portfolio also includes Jumeirah Living, the Group’s luxury brand of serviced residences offering effortless living in luxurious surroundings; global spa brand Talise; The Taste Department, the company’s dedicated restaurant division; Wild Wadi water park; The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management, the region’s only fully accredited third-level academic institution delivering specialized degree programmes in hospitality management; and Jumeirah Retail, with its 15 stores and dedicated luxury online store www.jumeirahcollection.com

I have had the benefit of working for a number of international hospitality companies over the years. From my experience, I would say that the critical ingredients for success in a people centric industry are always centered on meaningful culture, significant values and a consistency of focus on making people feel they matter. Our culture is very people centric. A lot of companies say they have that, but they don’t.

Tim Savage, Head, Corporate HR

A great hotel is an ultimate example of alignment between the customer and employer brand of an organization. The Jumeirah Group has arguably taken it to the next level.

Seamless Customer and Employer Brand Alignment

”

“

“

”

14 15


2009

The Excitement of a Startup

Employees at Magrudys take pride in working

for a local organization that is growing. There

is a strong emphasis on quality service, so the

employees know that they have a future here

as long as they are willing to contribute. Many

processes and programs are still being

developed, but the staff are secure in the

knowledge that the organization is on the

right track.

“ ”

Bringing you only the best

Building employee culture at the workplace

The firm’s motto is embodied in the behavior of all employees. They operate as a family (of employees) in an environment

where customers of all nationalities, backgrounds, income and educational levels, etc. feel more than welcome. They

accordingly develop an attractive environment for their staff who, in turn, share a passion and concern for their customers

and are proud to be part of Magrudy’s family.

Magrudy’s focuses on creating a high performance and commitment culture within its employees, something which it

believes is the key to their success in the retail industry. While long term focus is surely imbibed within the team, there is

increased emphasis on creating short term plans (typically across a week), being responsible and accountable for them, and

achieving all of them comprehensively. Each of these plans is regularly reviewed with line managers.

Magrudy’s strong philosophy is that “Mistakes Happen”, and that they are an excellent means of experiential learning.

The impact of this simple yet effective performance culture is evident the moment one walks into their stores.

My work experience with Magrudy has proved to be very challenging and enriching.

Employee speak

Unique People Practices at Magrudy Enterprises LLCl Employees are offered the opportunity to meet with Authors and Speakers whom Magrudy hosts, as well as a special

employee discount on merchandise. Since many employees also join Magrudy based on their love of reading, this is a

really unique benefit extended to them.

l Magrudy encourages socializing outside of work hours and employees have organized BBQs and get togethers.

Magrudy Enterprises LLC

Employees are our greatest asset. We will

continue to nurture talent and develop

employee potential based on continuous

assessment of performance and contribution.

This is a bi-lateral process that involves them in

decision making and taking ownership in the

business, no matter what their level is.

Magrudy Enterprises LLC

l Established in 1975 selling

educational toys and school

supplies

l One of the key retailers and

distributors of books, toys,

stationary, and arts & crafts

materials in the UAE

l 300+ employees

l 8 HR Staff

Isobel F AbulhoulMD

This modern, family-owned business is one of the largest distributors and retailers of books, cards, toys, stationery, and arts

and crafts materials; as well as school uniforms and shoes in the UAE. Starting out as a small trading firm in 1975, selling

toys and school supplies, Magrudy Enterprises rapidly expanded both in terms of outlets across the UAE and the breadth of

their goods and services portfolio.

Magrudy’s also supplies to, and merchandises for a wide range of businesses, including Dubai Duty Free, Toys R Us and

Spinneys supermarkets. They are the distributors of leading brands such as Filofax, Roger la Borde, Paperblanks, Orchard

Toys, Santoro Graphics and Carte Blanche.

Magrudy’s is now actively working to encourage reading among nationals and residents alike, running book clubs for adults

and children, inviting authors for book-signings, and working closely with local schools to promote reading as a path to

knowledge.

Our strategy is to develop an employee-oriented company culture that emphasizes quality, continuous

improvement, high performance and personal ongoing development.Ivett Kecskes,

HR Manager

”

“

“ ”

A Hewitt Emerging SME Best Employer in Middle East 2009

16 17

Employer Branding

Most organizations advertise their products

and services. Notice the advertisements of

Marriott, wherein they have their Associates

talk about why they like to work at Marriot. It

is counter-intuitive to think why an

organization would advertise its employment

experience to influence potential customers;

but herein lies the key to aligning the internal

and external brand of an organization.

Marriott has taken this alignment to a level

where they can use either of the two

interchangeably and create the same impact.

By focusing on their employees, they are able to serve their customers better by fostering behavior like “the customer is always right”, “management by walking around”, attention to detail, openness and creativity in serving guests, etc.

A similar approach is taken when serving the community, through their support of local, national and global initiatives and programs.

The chain prides itself in stating that they treat their employees in the same manner that they treat their guests – providing nothing but the best in class 5-star rated systems and practices.

I spend 9 hours at work so it would be hard to imagine not liking what I do or being around people who are not friendly and caring.

The best thing about working with Marriott is that the managers treat the associates the same way they treat the guests.

All the associates, including the managers share a common value – hospitality. When I fell sick at the start of this year and was due for an operation I was very disappointed that I could not go home. I was surprised to receive many ‘Get well’ wishes from all the associates and my manager called me every day and invited me to dinner in his house. Another associate lent me her television as I did not have one and brought me books and magazines on health and fitness. I don’t know if my brother would have done that for me. Such stories are not unique. Ask any associate and he will tell you a great experience that he/she has had in this great organization.

Employee speak

Treating the Associates the same as Guests

Unique People Practices at Marriott International, UAEl Best in class people management systems

l High involvement and commitment of managers to get on the floor and work together with associates

l Refreshing Service – the brand focus for associates, where employees are encouraged to bring their own personalities to the work place and take ownership of guest interactions

l Annual surveys to measure and improve employee engagement

“

”


2009

Marriott International, UAE

Bill Marriott


Marriott International, UAE

l Global hospitality chain started in 1927

l Employs 151,000+ employees worldwide

l Opened its first ME property in Saudi Arabia in the 1980s

l More than 22 hotels in ME and 39 more in the pipeline

l 8,900+ employees across ME with 110+ in UAE

l 200+ HR staff across ME with 5+ in UAE

The values established by my parents in those early days have served our company well and will continue to guide our growth into the future. Foremost of these values is the enduring belief that our associates are our greatest assets.

Marriott International, Inc., is a leading global lodging company. Its heritage can be traced to a root beer stand opened in Washington, D.C., in 1927 by J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott. Today, Marriott International has more than 3,100 lodging properties worldwide and employs more than 151,000 people.

In the early 1980s, Marriott began to show an interest in the Middle East and Africa. Saudi Arabia was the first Marriott venture in Middle East, followed quickly by

Kuwait. Since then the progress has not stopped and today Marriott has 22 hotels in 7 different countries: Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Jordan and Bahrain with a further 39 hotels in the construction pipeline. More than 8,900 employees work in these properties.

For over 80 years, their philosophy has not changed – that taking care of the customers begins with taking care of their employees, or as they call them – “Associates”.

It is our associates who drive the significant growth of our company, and we take great pride in creating a work environment that develops their leadership skills and provides considerable growth opportunities for them.

David Rodriguez, Executive Vice President of Global Human Resources

Marriott’s philosophy is exemplified by their motto – “Spirit to Serve”. This is evident in the three cornerstones of their work – Associates, Guests and Communities. Note how their employees come first, even before their customers. These cornerstones are easily visible both physically (on their office walls, stationery, etc.) and emotionally (which is evident when you speak with any Marriott employee)

Marriott has a number of unshakeable convictions – that people are their most important asset; that they create an environment that supports associate growth and personal development; that they have an unwavering reputation for employing caring, dependable associates who are ethical and trustworthy; that their performance-reward systems recognize contributions of both “hourly” and management associates; that their employees take pride in the brand, accomplishments and record of success; and that the focus is always on growth.

The three cornerstones of “Associates”, “Guests” and “Communities”

“

”

”“

18 19


2009

Recognition at Microsoft

From a simple ‘thank you’ to official

bonuses and stock awards, Microsoft has

built strong recognition practices. There

are a number of awards like the Platinum

Club Award, Gold Star Award, Circle of

Excellence Award etc., which all align with

their business strategy and reward the

right behaviors within Microsoft.

Unique People Practices at Microsoftl MyMicrosoft – an all-encompassing philosophy guiding people practices

l The Career Model – which forms the basis of training, development and career progression

l Manager Excellence Framework – Empowering and equipping the managers to drive the business

l Employee Volunteer Programs – 3 days per year to devote to charity

l Intelaq Program – the 4-month Internship Program

Microsoft Gulf FZ LLC and Microsoft EgyptA Hewitt Best Employer in Middle East 2009

Charbel Fakhoury, GM, Microsoft Gulf LLC

Microsoft

l Founded in 1975

l Worldwide leader in software and services with brands including Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Dynamics, MSN and Windows Live and Xbox 360

l Gulf operations opened in 1991 and Egypt opened in 1995

l Offices in more than 6 countries

l 450+ employees

l 8+ HR Staff

People are our most important asset at Microsoft. As the true innovators within the company, it is the passion and energy of our people that drives our success. By creating a workplace that fosters creativity and teamwork, we provide an environment for employees to develop and realize their full potential – a reflection of our organizations mission.

This company needs no introduction. Microsoft has been a leader in the wave of technology innovation that over the past 30 years has transformed how we access and share information, changed the way businesses and institutions operate, and made the world smaller by giving us instant access to people and resources everywhere. Microsoft platforms, products and services empower millions of people and businesses around the world.

The economic and social benefits of its partner-driven business model can be felt wherever Microsoft does business. Microsoft creates business opportunities for local technology companies and works with governments to support economic growth and spread the use of Information and Communication Technologies in support of education, jobs and competitiveness in the global marketplace.

Employees at Microsoft are amongst the smartest, are hugely passionate about what they do and about truly making a difference with their work. Worldwide, Microsoft is renowned as an outstanding place to work, encouraging the best and brightest people to realize their full potential and do great work. It’s an environment which enables them to learn from other talented individuals and succeed.

Microsoft lives by the vision of “realizing one’s potential” and their focus for all employees is that they can develop themselves to their full potential within the company through learning and career opportunities. Central to their premise of a people-ready organization is investing in building the skills and capabilities of people. Their philosophy is based on growing people internally and as a result they put training and development at the centre of the business. If someone wants to learn something new at Microsoft or take a particular skill to the next level, there is likely to be a course, mentor or stretch assignment already available that can help them do it.

Great People and Environment

Maniacal Focus on Development

”

“

We live in a challenging and exciting world where we need to continuously innovate, grow, drive financial results, and positively impact people’s lives. We can only do this by

leveraging our biggest and most important asset – our People.

Karim Ramadan GM, Microsoft Egypt

“

”

20 21

”

“

MyMicrosoftMicrosoft’s most impressive people practices hinge on the “MyMicrosoft” philosophy, which resonates when you walk into any of its offices. MyMicrosoft is what it calls “a set of investments in people” designed to ensure that Microsoft continues to be one of the world's best places to work. Its 5 pillars are:

1. Performance Management 2. Reward Opportunity 3. Management Excellence

4. Career Development 5. Enhanced Workplace

Not only has Microsoft institutionalized strong systems on each of the 5 pillars, it has communicated the philosophy in word and spirit to each and every employee. Ask any employee about their employment experience, and they will tie everything they say back to these pillars.

Microsoft’s mission is to help people and businesses throughout the world realize their full potential. The Gulf HR team is accountable for maximizing the value of our people asset to drive business success. For us this means strong alignment with business leaders, enabling great managers and engaging actively with our employees.

Paula Leech, HR Director, Microsoft Gulf LLC

Being able to support the business by providing the talent that will not only make us successful in the short term, but will help Microsoft Egypt deliver on its long term aspirational goals of being a market leader in the Egyptian market and a trusted advisor to its customers.

Somaya El Sherbini, Human Resources Manager, Microsoft Egypt

I have been working for Microsoft for almost 9 years. Since that time I have had the opportunity to work on three international assignments including my most recent assignment in the UAE. This is a great company and with each move, I realize that what makes this company so great is the people I work with and the opportunity for career growth.

Employee speak


2009

Procter and Gamble Near East-Beirut OfficeA Hewitt Best Employer in Middle East 2009

Procter and Gamble Near East

l Global FMCG company

l ME presence for over 20 years

l Production facilities exceeding 100,000 sq. m.

l 250+ employees

l 10+ HR Staff

This company manufactures products which touch everyone everyday with more than 300 brands worldwide. P&G’s Near

East Hub comprises 6 countries – Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Iraq and Sudan. The hub is headquarterd at Beirut.

There has been one guiding light behind their success – listening to consumers, which is but a way of life that governs their

day-to-day work.

Ask any group of P&G employees their length of service and it’ll be clear that people like to stay at P&G. The company prides

itself on its successful “Promote from within” strategy, wherein almost all of the leadership team started their careers at P&G.

Their global Chairman started as an Assistant Brand Manager a few decades ago. Their General Manager started out as a

Financial Analyst 15 years ago. They have made the conscious decision to build their leaders, and not “buy” expertise

directly from the employment market.

The mission of the Human Resources Function at P&G is to unleash the full potential of the organization

and to drive our people to work at their peak and improve the lives of the world’s consumers.

Sameh Magdy, Head of HR

P&G focuses on developing champions who work together in harmony to deliver breakthrough results, together as one

passionate team. They have an open-door policy that employees relate to, and they nurture an environment of transparency

and mutual trust between all members of their organization. They reward people not only for business results but also for

building the organization and for exemplary behavior that drives team work and collaboration. P&G employees take pride in

being one unified family that is guided by the same values and principles and committed towards the same common goals.

Groom Internal Talent

Winning Culture

”

“

”“

If you leave us our money, our buildings

and our plants, but take away our people, the

Company will fail. But if you take away our

money, our buildings and our plants, but leave

us our people, we can rebuild the whole thing

in a decade.

Mohamed Sultan, GM

Relationship with Managers

P&G emphasizes on developing managers as great leaders to develop both themselves and their mentees. This system is a

necessary support to their “Promote from within” strategy. They have developed a holistic strategy called “TANGO” (Tone

from the top, Appraisal process, Nurturing a coaching environment, Going communications and Organization

championing). Each aspect of this strategy has a corresponding HR system which has been institutionalized (e.g. “WDP” for

Appraisals, “CAT Anaysis” for Coaching, “1:1 Tracking” for communications and “HR Design and Caliber” for championing).

P&G is not just an employer. It’s a part of my life. Everything I have learned and acquired, I owe it to this

company and its people. I came here as a young kid coming out of university and I look at myself today after

10 years and say “Oh My God” – this young kid has turned into a successful leader, a father to a lovely 5-

year-old kid and above all a happy and mature person. This transformation could have never happened

without P&G. In this company, you don’t only grow professionally but more importantly you transform into a

better human being.Employee speak

Unique People Practices at P&Gl Monthly “in touch” meetings for business updates and knowledge sharing

l “People Colleges” which develop people management and leadership skills

l Adoption of the Seven Habits framework

l TANGO strategy for building relationship with managers

l Wellness programs and athlete training

l Focus on “Great Office”, “Energy Saving”, harmonization / simplification of work

“

”

Holistic Perspectives

Study any philosophy, system, practice or

process at P&G and it would be evident that

the company always adopts a holistic

perspective to everything. Whether it is

developing careers from the start to the top,

or fostering teamwork and communication,

or supporting the community and

environment, P&G’s principles exude from

their actions, behavior and decisions and

therein lies the success of their people

practices.

22 23


2009

We are always striving to provide unique, memorable and personal experiences for our guests. For

Human Resources it is about giving our amazingly talented Ladies and Gentlemen the tools to reach their full

potential and ultimately grow as a service professional. If you touch their hearts and inspire their passion for

service, they in turn leave their legacy on our guests.Corinna Saffhill

Director of Human Resources

“

The Case of Empowerment

“Empowerment is the trust we place in employees to ‘move heaven and earth’ to resolve a guest problem without seeking permission. Through engaging with our guests, our employees find out what the guest needs to resolve the situation and have up to a specified amount per day should it be required. The money ensures there is no delay to the service response and the employee can be creative and innovative without asking permission from the next level.”

”The Employee Promise

The “Employee Promise” is a reciprocal agreement between employees and leadership. It focuses on values and genuine,

respectful interactions. It also focuses on grooming talent for the future and enhancing the abilities of the Ladies ad

Gentlemen to deliver unparalleled service excellence. It is about trust and respect for each other!

With an HR team size of 5 (including government relations, nurse and housing) focused on delivering the employee promise,

The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai has been able to create very high levels of employee engagement.

Unique People Practices at The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai

l Round Table discussions - monthly discussions with employees and leaders with the CEO to voice opinions, concerns,

ideas and innovations. Feedback is followed up and acted on.

l Daily newsletter (named “Commitment to Quality”) and Lineup where company information is shared on a daily/ shift

basis to re-energize company philosophy and communicate important daily property- specific information.

l Quality Selection process - employees are certified to select other employees through a talent- based interview. They

decide in conjunction with the Department Manager if the applicant is a suitable fit for the team based on talent and

experience. The selection process is not limited to Human Resources or the Departmental Manager

The Ritz-Carlton, DubaiA Hewitt Best Employer in Middle East 2009

The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai

l Leading Multi National hotel

brand

l Established September,

1998

l 303 employees

l 5 HR staff

An organization best described as a private playground for those who appreciate luxury, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company

L.L.C currently has 77 properties worldwide employing 37, 000 ladies and gentlemen. The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai is one 1 of 5

existing properties in the Middle East with 3 additional properties planned over upcoming years.

Located in the heart of new Dubai Marina, The Ritz-Carlton Dubai opened its doors in September 1998. More than ten years

down the line, this Mediterranean style resort is home to 303 motivated employees.

The motto forms the basis of every interaction whether with an internal guest (employee) or external guest (guest or

supplier). The motto is the communicated expectation that staff will treat one another as Ladies and Gentlemen and that

the leadership of Ritz-Carlton will protect their Ladies and Gentlemen from guests who fail to behave respectfully.

The Motto, “We are Ladies and Gentlemen serving Ladies and Gentlemen”

”

“ Our hotels are quality buildings, beautifully

appointed, but essentially bricks and mortar. It is

our ladies and gentlemen that put the heart and

soul into the hotel. We never forget this and our time

is primarily spent engaging our employees,

nurturing their talent and empowering them to

make decisions. They are the main point of contact

for our guests and create the unique and personal

experiences that will be lifetime memories. We are

in the people business and fully engaged employees

will lead to fully engaged guests.

Andrew Nasskau, CEO

24 25


2009

"I have had the time of my life…." sang Jennifer Warnes and Bill Medley in their 1987 hit of the same name. We’re certain

that its an emotion today’s organizations and their HR departments will completely identify with, given the high adrenaline

roller coaster ride the last few years have been for this region. From an almost sudden and definitely rapid need for growth

and expansion to abruptly putting brakes on growth aspirations, HR has had a very complicated time in supporting these

conflicting business needs. Our study spent quite some time in identifying these heroic HR departments who have managed

to support their business as it navigates these times while supporting employees through the change. We have tried to

summarize some of our research findings on how HR departments have reacted to these challenges.

The Middle East is the world’s hydrocarbon reservoir. Without going into complicated economic analysis to explain the

growth story, as the oil prices kept moving up, so did the economies in the region. Gross Domestic Product in the GCC region 1 2 3increased from USD 346 billion in 2002 to USD 1.10 trillion in 2008, a mind boggling compounded growth rate of 21%.

However, to give credit where it is due, the economies in this region also actively attempted to channel a large segment of

this hydrocarbon revenue into developing businesses and infrastructure in their economies, with the consequent increase

in the contribution of non-oil GDP in some economies, most prominently Bahrain, Oman and the UAE. During the same

period, most of the economies also ensured that their business and regulatory infrastructure was developed to assure them 4reasonably good positions in the ease of ranking businesses - the regional economies are ranked higher than the BRIC

countries. Largely as a result of these proactive investments the region has been successful in drawing significant FDI into 5the economies – at an average the six GCC economies witnessed greater than 75% growth in such investment between

2002 and 2008.

Apart from the energy intensive industries, a lot of these investments found their home in industries such as real estate and

infrastructure, tourism, telecom, etc. The financial services sector also grew significantly to channel these investments as

well as to invest on behalf of the billionaire businesses and individuals in the region. The traditional definition of inflation -

more money chasing few goods - has invariably been correct in economies around the world, and this region also

succumbed to it, starting sometime in 2005. Inflation led to a gradual fading of the aspirations of a regional monetary

union and thence to speculative trading on currencies. As luck would have it, the global recession and the oil price fall

happened around the same time that local economies found most of their speculative cash balances depleting - with foreign

investors pulling back money to shore up their own balance sheets. While the significant depletion in credit availability and

dramatically reduced hydrocarbon revenues affected some economies and projects, regional governments showed

resilience by supporting their economies with large cash infusions into the financial system. Business confidence, however,

has hit a new low in the region following the global trend, with investments either being put on hold or being significantly

reduced.

A backdrop to these interesting times

The transformation of the HR function over this period

We have analyzed businesses and their people functions over this period and have found interesting trends emerging as

they have tracked the economic changes over the last few years. We believe HR departments in the region have gone

through three distinct stages of evolution in the last half decade:

1. The Era of Talent Acquisition

2. The Era of Talent Retention and Urgent System Development

3. The Era of HR Metrics

The Era of Talent Acquisition was an era when HR departments were rapidly trying to scale up organizational size and

abilities while at the same time trying to hire capabilities to ably respond to the needs the business was increasingly placing

on them. While talent acquisition remained a key focus, the Era of Talent Retention and System Development was a phase

when organizations had realized the problems that came with excessive focus on talent acquisition and increasingly

wanted their HR managers to focus on retaining the right talent and developing systems to both retain and develop talent.

HR managers were increasingly questioned on the credibility of their processes and the organizational systems they had

created. But very suddenly the process of HR maturity came to a halt with negative regional and global economic cues. HR

was increasingly asked to look inwards, and with compensation costs having ballooned over the last five years, people costs

were almost the first target for many organizations. The absence of strong and labor-protective employment laws in the

regional economies has resulted in most companies zealously taking up the task of manpower rationalization.

The transitions that organizations have experienced over these years and the capabilities that HR has built over the same

time result in a reasonably simple classification of HR departments in this region into the following broad categories:

1. HR as a people administrator only

2. HR as an expert people administrator and an emerging business and strategic partner

Chronologically we can map these three stages as follows:

Business / Economic Behavior

Era of Talent Acquisition

Era of Talent Retention and System Development

Era of HR Metrics

2002 - 2006 2006 – end 2008 End 2008 onwards

Growth

Predicted for 2009 and beyond

The Hewitt Best Employers in Middle East 2009 – Key Findings

1 Source: Gulf Research Centre data

2 Source: Zawya.com

3 Not accounting for inflation in the same period

4 Ease of Doing Business Rankings – World Bank and Heritage Foundation, 2008

5 Source: UNCTAD Analysis

26 27

Interestingly, there were minimal differences between the Best Employers and other participating organizations when we

checked for the presence of HR processes and systems. In other words, the presence of HR systems themselves did not result

in higher satisfaction with aspects like Pay, Benefits, Recognition, Career Opportunities, etc. The real difference came

through when we studied outcomes of the systems instead of systems themselves.

Best Employers are able to achieve positive outcomes with regards to employee’s careers, rewards, employment promise

and delivery against the promise, learning and development and the actual work tasks.

Best Employers seem to be able to appreciate this simple factor with much better clarity and intent than most other

organizations. Not only do employees with Best Employers seem to be significantly more satisfied with the opportunities

the organization is able to offer them (a differential of a whopping 30% points), they also seem to be happy with their

organizations for providing equity in career opportunities to all employees. Organizations sometimes argue about

structural issues with regard to providing opportunities, viz. flat organization structures reducing vertical growth or

specialized functional areas limiting horizontal movements. These issues are valid and many of our Best Employers also

face these problems. But we found Best Employers driving strong manager-led career management practices, e.g.

mentoring (which we found in almost every Best Employer, but only in about a third of all the other participating

organizations), or clear career planning discussions and career goals laid out in performance plans (again we found more

than 80% of all Best Employers implementing this as compared to less than half of others). It is also interesting to note that

employees in Best Employers feel much more strongly about the fact that their organization provides them with several

opportunities to grow and learn without having to rely on promotions. The data does suggest that management of career

aspirations seems to be yielding the best results when it is actively led and owned by managers. Consequently HR’s role

plays out in creating an environment where managers are able to successfully take ownership of this aspect.

# 2 “It’s all about our careers” – Better career development through manager involvement:

These classifications might seem an oversimplification of the reality, and the obvious argument is that HR naturally always

plays both functions. But our rationale for this bucketing is not just to highlight the broad kinds of roles HR is performing but

to focus on the impact it is creating in the organization.

The Judging Panel decided on a list of 12 organizations that stood apart from other participating organizations. These

organizations have set the pace for the rest to follow and clearly have a significant focus on their people assets. The list is

impressive, represents multiple industries and has a good cross-representation from multi-national and regional

organizations. These organizations also vary in terms of organizational age, employee base, and number of operating

locations. Yet these organizations display some common characteristics:

• Significantly higher Employee Engagement – Best Employers averaged at 80% as compared to other participating

organizations who averaged at 61%

• The HR function at the Best Employers plays the role of an expert people administrator and strategic business partner

• Best Employers are better at Career Development

• Best Employers provide Better Benefits

• Best Employers are better at delivering the employment promise

• Best Employers make significantly better investments in employee development

• Best Employers are better at work assignment and performance management

• Best Employers are better at making employees feel valued

Hewitt observed a much higher level of employee satisfaction with all aspects related to people administration within

Best Employers as compared to other participating organizations. Further, the HR departments within Best Employers

have clearly moved ahead in this value chain by instituting a mature framework of effective people practices thereby

playing the role of business and strategic partners.

• CEOs of all Best Employers believe that their Human Resources processes and systems are standardized across

different parts of their business. They also feel that answers to all people-related questions are far easier to obtain.

• Nearly 70% of employees within the Best Employers agree or strongly agree with the statement that HR delivers its

services in an efficient manner.

Their detailed opinions on each HR system and practice are depicted in the adjoining chart

Best Employers - Commonality in diversity

What makes them The Best?#1 – “Beyond the ordinary” - HR as an expert people administrator and strategic business

partner:


2009

0%

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Balanc

e

Best Employers Other Participating Organizations

28 29

#3 - “Show me more than just money” – Better Benefits:

#4 - “Walking the talk” – Better delivery of the employment promise:

#5 - “Helping us grow” – Better investments in employee development:

#6 - “A good day’s work” – Better at work assignment and performance management:

Employees today accord importance to the entire ‘rewards package’ and not just the take-home salary. It is interesting to

see the ‘Pay’ scores significantly below those of ‘Benefits’ across employee feedback on what drives Engagement.

Best Employers while seeming to have better benefit structures, also seem to score significantly in their ability to

communicate the overall benefits structures much better than their counterparts.

It is symptomatic of a rapid expansion that organizations are unable to clearly define and live an employment brand

through all their transactions. Through our experience with organizations in this region, it has always appeared that the

employment promise revolves around rapid career growth and very attractive compensation. While both are practical

promises, underlying them is the concept of relativity that starts affecting employees very soon. It appears that

Best Employers are able to manage such expectations much better than the other participating organizations we studied.

And here again Best Employers apparently rely on managers for effective communication and expectation management

around the employment promise. Best Employers also seem to communicate and reinforce the employment brand and its

supporting initiatives through open house sessions with senior leaders across the organization – we found that almost all

the CEOs in our Best Employers believe in a strong personal involvement in this process. So while the employment promise

could be one that revolves around concepts that can get affected in relative comparisons, how that employment promise is

communicated and reinforced really is what makes the real difference.

It is always interesting to study an organization’s training budget (and initiatives), because though a fair amount is usually

allocated for this purpose, employees largely seem to feel the absence of real learning, which in turn becomes a significant

detractor from their employment experience. Our Best Employers seem to have got it right with their employees on the

training criteria, with more than 80% employees expressing satisfaction with the opportunities made available to them for

skill building. Closer analysis shows that while Best Employers on an average have about three times more training days per

employee, what is more important is that all of them have a formal Training Needs Assessment process which seems to be

absent in other organizations. It is also interesting to note that Best Employers at an average seem to be investing much

more time in internal coaching, on-the-job training and mentoring as opposed to external courses or training programs.

Another important point to observe is how Best Employers are able to modify their training strategies based on employee

category, both by level / grade as well as by their potential in the organization. Interestingly, most of the training for senior

management seems to be focused more around coaching by their senior leaders and in some cases by the CEO.

It doesn’t come as a surprise that without genuine interest in the work assigned and a sense of accomplishment from the

tasks performed, employees aren’t satisfied with their employment experience. Employees of Best Employers seem much

more satisfied with their work responsibilities as compared to those within other participating organizations. While this in

itself does not represent a clear message, the concept becomes clearer when we see that employees in Best Employers also

express a much higher level of satisfaction on the extent to which the organization is able to motivate and inspire them. And

if we dig deeper, we find a high level of correlation between employee motivation and organizations where employees are

satisfied with their performance evaluation process, the tools/resources and the training required by them to perform their

job effectively. We believe that while HR departments may not have immediate control over the employee’s work tasks, HR

certainly does have control over the extent to which an employee can, through structured performance management and

capability development systems, gain confidence in their ability to tackle their work tasks better and derive satisfaction

from them.

After all the processes get written and the systems get deployed, the one factor that remains is the extent to which the

organization is able to make an employee feel valued. We weren't sure if data would support any arguments for or against

what makes an employee feel valued, but it does come out that Best Employers, by the submission of their employees, are

able to make them feel more valued than others. Did we analyze any data to show correlations between this aspect and the

feedback on other HR systems? Yes and No, because we found that organizations where employees felt positively about

respect for diversity, were satisfied with management and leadership, believed that their organization provides them

support for their aspirations, etc., had positive correlations with their feeling of being valued. So we will reserve our

comments about that one factor which makes this happen; we would leave it as the X factor for our distinguished

Best Employers !

#7 - "The value of valuing us" - Better at making employees feel valued:


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30 31

Managing Through the Economic Downturn

In many ways the Best Employers study could not have come at a better time – after all the true test of an organization is

when the macro context does not support its ambitions. While at no point during the study did we reorient the objective to

say that organizations that manage the downturn well from an HR point of view are better employers, we were constantly

on the lookout to see if Best Employers did show some correlation with better management in the crisis. That, to us, was also

an acid test of whether the Best Employer HR departments were also strategic business partners to their organizations.

many focused on creating them and far fewer focused on ensuring complete implementation – More than 80% of our Best

Employers talked of strong focus on processes and their standardization across businesses. This focus on processes

stood the Best Employers in good stead while the economy took a beating and many Best Employers displayed

resilience and better decision-making capacity.

2. More confident about delivering on promises - Best Employers seemed to find it easier to hire employees across

different levels in their organization and thus perhaps did not go through the same levels of flux as other organizations

in the Era of Talent Acquisition. While we did not explicitly collect compensation information, the proxy information

collected does not indicate any significant reason to believe that Best Employers paid more than the others. However

Best Employers did seem to approach prospective employees with a more structured employment experience offer –

More than 70% of our Best Employers had an articulated Employer Brand. We believe an Employer Brand not only

communicates a strong message to a prospective employee, but also makes HR promise a particular quality of service

delivery through whatever they do. In other words, we found our Best Employers’ HR departments more confident of

their abilities to deliver and keep a promise.

3. Job cuts the last option - Best Employers promised their employees that every other avenue of cost management would

be explored before compensation costs - and by extension, jobs - would be cut. We found Best Employers engaging their

HR and Finance teams to work together to identify potential areas of cost reduction in the people domain while

constantly communicating that jobs were sacrosanct. It was interesting to see how quickly the conversation around the

economic downturn would turn to a discussion on job cuts within most organizations, while with many Best Employer

CEOs, the conversation often turned to discussion on how businesses were being restructured to make them more

market-focused and people were being redeployed from lower performing parts of the organization to frontline

functions to drive growth. Most Best Employers implemented unpaid leaves, reduced work hours, reduced benefits

linked to cost of living, and announced pay cuts (with progressively higher cuts at senior levels), etc. before reducing

manpower. One of the Best Employers said – “It would be a wrong business decision to get rid of trained and tested staff

as now more than ever we need them to ensure excellent and professional customer service”.

4. Better at dealing with manpower reductions - It was interesting to analyze the approaches that Best Employers took

to reducing headcount as opposed to many other organizations. As consultants we were impressed to see how

methodically and, more importantly, compassionately some of our Best Employers went about the difficult task of

“restructuring and rationalizing” employee numbers. These organizations had the benefit of strong performance

management processes that enabled them to identify pockets of competence within non-performing units. They also

had stronger training systems to ensure that employees could be transplanted with far greater ease. The process of

manpower reduction was a structured process with specific guidelines set up by HR (and approved by the top team) for

most Best Employers and the involvement of the top management in all exit conversations was a must.

Best Employers and their response

We were delighted to see very clear positive trends among Best Employers and their reaction to the changes in the

economic context. It would be factually incorrect to say that our Best Employers have been able to protect themselves

completely against changes over the last year, but we can say for a fact that they seem to have managed the process of

change significantly better so far. We found some very simple trends underlying Best Employer behavior in the downturn

and in some cases earlier as well:

1. Reliance on standardized processes and systems - Best Employers unerringly seemed to focus on developing

sustainable systems around their critical people-management processes / activities. While every organization was

pushed to its limits to either expand rapidly, or, as the case may, be to contract quickly, whether or not the organization

had a defined process for approaching the component issues was a key differentiator. This sounds like a Business 101

lesson, but our experience showed that while all organizations realized the importance of systems and processes, not


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32 33

5. Leveraging strength in communication - Communication seems to be a forte for Best Employers. Tougher times call

for smarter approaches to communicating the truth without necessarily causing panic. Best Employers had created

strong communication forums in good times to enable top management to keep in touch with the employee team on a

constant basis, and when tough or reassuring messages needed to be conveyed, these platforms provided ready

channels for top management and HR to reach out to employees – Not only did more than 90% of the Best Employers

display a well-defined communication strategy, the stewardship of this channel wasn’t purely an HR task; more than 70%

Best Employers ensured that top management was responsible for internal communication with support from HR.

6. HR as a strategic driver rather than a silent executer - We mentioned that the HR departments of our Best Employers

play the role of a business and strategic partner. The impact was apparent when we observed how the status of a

business partner grace these HR departments much greater leverage with their management teams in driving better

and well-analyzed people decisions during the economic crisis. The Best Employer HR departments were not only able

to manage a significantly more humane process of manpower reduction but were also able to drive cross-functional

teams in ensuring that all decisions were taken with sufficient analysis of concurrent risks for the business – More than

90% of our Best Employers felt that their HR department was able to effectively define and implement strategies and

solutions to meet business requirements.

Quite obviously the verdict is still not in on how effectively our Best Employers will eventually manage this “mother of all

downturns”, but we saw a lot more planning and, perhaps consequently, a lot more confidence in their abilities to navigate

through this period with minimum injury.

It has been interesting to see many organizations – Best Employers or otherwise – show a lot of positive energy towards

managing this downturn. From our perspective this energy is what excites us the most: the energy of organizations to shrug

off worries and focus on the task at hand, the energy to promise to customers and employees that come what may the

organization would live by its values and principles. In many ways, so long as employers are able to show honesty of

purpose, empathy and true energy in all their actions and decisions, the world will become a better place to work.

Making Middle East a Better Place toWork - Some suggested steps

1. Business alignment is paramount – The study in many ways reaffirms the unsavory reality that not many HR

managers truly understand their organization’s business drivers and even less what drives people to participate in

their organizations. The study clearly shows that Best Employers necessarily are organizations where HR has been able

to understand the business and emerge as a true Strategic Partner to executive decision-making. It is in many ways a

closed loop – businesses need to see the value in HR before they start allocating resources to it, and smart HR managers

need to understand their business to add real value to their actions.

There are messages behind every pile of data. The Best Employers Study gave us mountains of data, and we tried to derive

seven reflections from this pile that best characterized the overall message. These reflections are not necessarily new, but

as with any research project, they are proven and validated by actual feedback from organizations across the Middle East.


2009

34 35

2. Realize that organizations are unique – Through the course of numerous HR interviews for our study, we found an

almost blind faith in the power of benchmarking. We saw numerous instances of organizations replacing

benchmarking from being merely a validation tool to being the only tool for decision-making. HR managers need to

delve deeper into their organization to realize what will work within their unique context and define their programs on

the basis of that understanding, not simply by benchmarking with “best in class” companies.

3. Getting the right people into the right jobs – It’s not just about ensuring that all open positions get filled in the

shortest time. The more important role for HR is to constantly provide a forum for discussion on the alignment of

individuals with the role they play. The true potential of the organization and the individual is unleashed when

individuals are assigned to jobs that realize their real capabilities.

4. Help employees grow – The most important validation from this study is the fact that what truly drives employees

within organizations is their opportunity to grow and develop. And HR plays an extremely important function in

making that happen. HR needs to perform the dual function of ensuring that managers are tuned to the aspirations of

employees and the organization has the tools and processes to effectively respond and manage these aspirations.

5. Tomorrow is often more important than today – We find very few organizations investing adequate time and

resources in developing leaders for tomorrow. While business managers might focus on achieving current business

objectives, HR must take responsibility to ensure a steady pipeline of leaders is developed for the future. In some

respects the War for Talent exists only because organizations do not focus on developing for the future.

6. Creating a high performance culture – What distinguishes a Best Employer from the rest is not just the ability to

foster a stronger employment relationship, but also a consequent strong record of business performance.

Organizations realize this, but don’t always actively work to establish this linkage. HR needs to take ownership of this

process and ensure a culture where performance goals are clearly articulated, tracked, and their achievement

rewarded. Perhaps the most significant cultural transformation occurs in an organization when performance becomes

the base for all decision-making.

7. Promise and deliver – HR as a function needs to always carry an implicit promise to all employees - that it will create a

positive work environment for the employee to live and work within the organization. What differentiates a Best

Employer from others is the ability and willingness of HR departments to live this promise in spite of challenges that the

economy or the business might present. Employees of Best Employers uniformly rated HR departments higher on their

ability to deliver services in an efficient manner or on the ease in eliciting responses to queries posed to the HR

department. It might appear that we are stating the obvious, but employees across the region seem to still be waiting

for this in their own organizations.

What are the drivers of Employee Engagement in Middle East?

The Best Employers Study also provides us with a unique opportunity to look at Engagement Drivers at

a regional level. While earlier, Engagement analysis was largely available at individual organization

level, the study is the first opportunity to understand what drives Employee Engagement from a regional

perspective.

Through the research, we were able to identify the Top 4 Drivers of Employee Engagement in Middle

East as:

1. People/HR policies and practices - Creating a positive work environment through People/HR

policies and practices

2. Career Aspirations - Fulfilling Career Aspirations of employees

3. Career Opportunities - Providing future Career Opportunities to employees

4. Brand Alignment - Delivery on the Employment Brand promise

The research also provides interesting insights into demographic differences in the drivers of Employee

Engagement. These differences provide interesting insights into managing Engagement of various

talent pools, which is unique to Middle East.

The differences in Engagement Drivers by nationalities are:

• ‘Recognition’ features amongst the Top 3 Engagement Drivers for employees from the Indian sub-

continent and Asian countries, whereas ‘Brand Alignment’ and ‘People/HR policies and practices’

do not figure amongst the Top 3 Drivers

• ‘Pay’, ‘Benefits’ and ‘Corporate Responsibility’ are the Top 3 Drivers of Engagement for employees

from other GCC and Arab countries

These research findings also indicate the unique complexity of Middle East in managing a diverse

workforce. We hope the insights from the Best Employers study will help in easing some of the

challenges that exist.


2009

36 37

Hewitt Associates needs to be commended for running such a ground-breaking initiative that will set new benchmarks for

the overall improvement of HR practices in the MENA region. We gained some really valuable experience while evaluating

the final entries for such an important event. As Dubai Knowledge Village (DKV) is a regional hub for Human Resources

Management, we are very pleased to be associated with a partner that helps us raise the standard and quality of value

added services at DKV, while shaping the future of the regional HR industry.

Mr. Ibrahim Jamel, Judge

Director- Business Development, Dubai Knowledge Village

Hewitt's Global Approach forThe Best Employers Study

Hewitt uses a consistent approach for its flagship Best Employer Studies worldwide which mandates that Hewitt:

• Lends its proprietary Best Employers Methodology, consulting time and other resources to launch the study and

support it throughout its course.

• Fosters non-financial partnerships to promote the study through Industry forums and Government entities whose

objectives are aligned with Hewitt’s mission of “Making the world a Better Place to Work”.

• Invites participation from organizations which meet its pre-defined minimum eligibility criteria across all industry

sectors.

• Collects, collates and analyzes the data submitted by participating organizations.

• Empanels independent industry leaders, policy-makers and heads of large organizations as Judges who independently

decide the list of Hewitt Best Employers.

• Audits participating organizations to verify that submitted data is accurate and credible.

• Presents the collated data to Judges after removing all references to the names of participating organizations.

• Organizes the Judging Session wherein the data is presented to the Panel of Judges, who then deliberate and finalize

the list of Hewitt Best Employers.


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Hewitt’s Methodology for the Best Employers in Middle East 2009 Study:

Registration (September 1 – December 31, 2008):

Data Collection (October 1, 2008 – February 6, 2009):

Data Collation (November 1, 2008 – February 13, 2009)

Random Audits (March 1 – March 28, 2009)

The Study was divided into six sequential phases, namely Registration, Data Collection, Data Collation, Random Audits,

Judging and Results Announcement.

Organizations which met the minimum eligibility criteria across all sectors were invited to participate in the study.

The minimum eligibility criteria were that the organization must:

• have more than 100 employees as of September 1, 2008.

• have been in business for more than one year as of September 1, 2008.

Over 250 organizations across the Hospitality, Manufacturing, Banking and Financial Services, Real Estate and

Infrastructure, Retail, Telecom and Government Services sectors registered their interest to participate in the study.

Each participating organization completed three diagnostic tools developed by Hewitt – the Employee Opinion Survey

(EOS), People Practices Inventory™ (PPI) and CEO Questionnaire.

• Employee Opinion Survey (EOS) – This survey is designed to gauge the level of employee engagement and collect

information about employee perceptions of the work environment. It was completed by a statistically valid, random

sample of employees. The representative employee base registered for the study crossed the 150,000 mark, making the

Hewitt Best Employers in Middle East Study the largest employee research project ever undertaken in Middle East.

• People Practices Inventory™ (PPI) – The PPI is a comprehensive tool that gathers information in different areas about

philosophies, practices, and policies that influence the management of people within organizations.

• CEO Questionnaire – This questionnaire is designed to record the CEO's philosophy and approach to managing people.

Hewitt received representative responses from more than 120 CEOs and Heads of the Human Resources Function,

thereby contextualizing the data received by employees.

Alongside the data collection process, Hewitt simultaneously collated all information received from participants in order to

prepare the materials required by judges in reviewing and making their decision. This included, but was not limited to,

analysis reports and relevant quantitative statistics generated from the study.

Hewitt conducted random audits of up to 20% of the participating organizations in order to verify the accuracy of data

provided by organizations. A few organizations were disqualified from the study when their submitted data did not match

the results of the random audits.

Judging (March 30, 2009)

Results Announcement (April 29, 2009)

Hewitt empanelled 5 esteemed representatives from the industry, government bodies and large organizations to convene

on the Judging Day in order to decide on the list of Hewitt Best Employers in Middle East.

Hewitt did not determine the list of Best Employers. Hewitt’s role was to provide clean data and preliminary analysis from

the study for their discussions and deliberations.

The judges considered a wealth of data that gave them a 360-degree view of each organization's employee perspectives,

leadership perspectives, and HR practices.

The names of the Hewitt Best Employers in Middle East 2009 were announced at an Awards Announcement and Press

Conference held in Dubai. The CEOs and Heads of HR of the Best Employers were awarded and publicly honored at this

event.


2009

42 43


2009

Front row, sitting L-R: Debabrat Mishra (Consulting Business Leader- Hewitt Middle East), Vivek Chachra (Consulting

Business Manager- Hewitt Middle East), Khaled Sewelam (Manager, Business Studies & Analysis Center- AmCham in Egypt),

Sultan Lootah (Vice President- Employment and Entrepreneurship Sector, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation),

Ibrahim Jamel (Director- Business Development and Operations, Dubai Knowledge Village), Abdulellah Al-Qassimi (Chief

Executive, Tamkeen (Labour Fund) in Bahrain), Reem Rasool Al-Jassim (Manager–Business Planning, Tamkeen (Labour

Fund) in Bahrain)

Back row, stand ing, L-R: Marwan Al-Kaabi (Associate Manager, Communications and Media Relations, Mohammed bin

Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation), Saad Abbas (Senior Project Manager- Employment and Entrepreneurship, Sector

Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation), Noura Al-Zaabi (Senior Executive, - Employment and Entrepreneurship

Sector, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation), Dr. Ayoub Kazim (Executive Director, Dubai Knowledge Village)

About Hewitt

Hewitt Associates LLC

With more than 65 years of experience, Hewitt Associates (NYSE: HEW) is the world's foremost provider of HR outsourcing

and consulting services. The firm consults with more than 2,300 companies and administers HR, health care, payroll and

retirement programs on behalf of more than 300 companies to millions of employees and retirees worldwide. Located in 33

markets, Hewitt employs approximately 23,000 associates.

Hewitt Associates has been partnering with the most prominent businesses and governmental organizations in the Middle

East for more than five years now.

Our service offerings in the Middle East include:

• Organization Capability Development

• Organization Structure Design

• Large Scale Organization Transformation

• HR Strategy Formulation and Development

• Compensation Strategy and Structure Design

• Compensation Benchmarking

• Competency Design, Assessment and Development

• Leadership Development

• Retirement and Financial Management

Hewitt provides the methodology for the Best Employers study and conducts the research into what makes a Hewitt Best

Employer. Hewitt analyzes the data from the three survey components—the Employee Opinion Survey (EOS), the People

Practices Inventory™ (PPI), and the CEO Questionnaire—and provides that analysis to the judging panels, which Hewitt is

not party to.

About the Partners

44 45

Tamkeen (Labour Fund), Bahrain

The Kingdom of Bahrain has taken vital steps towards a labour market reform which is an essential stride to ensure that the

human capital of the country is developed and that employment is made more attractive for localisation as well as to

improve performances of businesses. The strive towards labour reform will impact the Kingdom's economy and raise

standards of living as well as pose a challenging commitment to the improvement of services in Bahrain.

Formerly known as the Labour Fund, Tamkeen is a semi-autonomous yet independent authority which formulates strategic

and operational plans to use the fees collected by the LMRA in order to enhance the overall prosperity of Bahrain by

investing in Bahraini employability, job creation, and social support. Hence, the Tamkeen (Labour Fund)'s main objectives

are (i) to support Bahrainis to become the employees of choice, and (ii) to support high quality private sector job creation

and helping the private sector cope with the impact of labour market reform.

To achieve these objectives, Tamkeen (Labour Fund) will invest (i) in the cost and quality competitiveness of Bahrainis (e.g.,

reduction of cost of employing Bahrainis relative to expatriates, investment in skill and work ethic development programs

of Bahrainis) and tackle employment barriers on both employer and labour market entrants sides through a combination of

financial incentives and capability building, and (ii) in supporting the private sector's adjustment to new cost structures by

providing access to capital to alleviate short-term cash constraints or improve productivity, and in know-how initiatives

that support improvements in productivity and decreased reliance on expatriate labour through spreading management

and technical knowledge.

Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation

Established with an endowment of US $10 billion at the World Economic Forum on the Middle East 2007, the Mohammed

bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation is a personal initiative of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice

President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. The Foundation's projects span across the 22 countries of the

Arab World and are focused in three strategic sectors: Culture, Entrepreneurship and Employment, and Knowledge and

Education. The Foundation aims to develop the knowledge and human capabilities of the Arab World, to introduce a future

generation of regional leaders.

The Foundation forms strategic partnerships that advance sustainable home-grown solutions to regional challenges with

the following objectives:

• Developing and nurturing a generation of future leaders in government, the private sector and civil society

• Elevating research, knowledge creation and educational infrastructure to international standards

• Stimulating employment and entrepreneurship and empowering young people to innovate

• Promoting, recognizing and reinstating the status of culture, heritage and cross-cultural understanding


2009

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American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt

The American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt (AmCham Egypt) was established in 1982 as the 44th American Chamber of

Commerce to be established abroad and the first in the Middle East. AmCham's mission is to promote trade and investment

between Egypt and the United States.

Today, AmCham Egypt is one of the largest and most active overseas affiliates of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce,

connecting more than 1700 senior executives as members.

AmCham's membership network spans industries, sizes and nationalities and allows top decision-makers in the public and

private sectors an opportunity to discuss economic strategies and stay abreast of market developments. AmCham's

advocacy work, which focuses on trade liberalization, a friendlier business environment, and addressing common

challenges, has helped shape major policies including reform of the financial sector, customs and tax systems; to mention a

few. In addition to that, AmCham offers a wide range of specialized business services, both to its members and the business

community at large.

The AmCham Egypt Foundation was established as AmCham's charitable arm through which it carries out its corporate

social responsibility activities.

AmCham Egypt is a non-profit, non-governmental, tax exempt organization.

AmCham is a founding member and the permanent secretariat of the AmCham MENA Regional Council.

Dubai Knowledge Village

DKV Corporate Research Centre:

Dubai Knowledge Village (DKV), launched in 2003, places the Middle East on the map as a destination for learning

excellence. Its 1 KM long picturesque campus provides a ready environment for a variety of knowledge-based entities

including training centres and learning support entities.

This thriving knowledge community was founded as part of a long-term economic strategy to develop the region's talent

pool and accelerate its move into a knowledge-based economy. DKV has over 430 partners which include training centres,

research centres, assessment centres and consultancies. DKV also enjoys the distinction of being the world's only Free Zone

totally focused on professional training and learning support services.

The DKV Corporate Research Centre is the latest in a string of new initiatives launched by Dubai Knowledge Village,

focusing on research in the areas of business and corporate related issues whilst offering market data to serve the UAE

business community.

Dubai Knowledge Village aims to support and nurture the business community in Dubai by providing significant Data

Analysis and a Corporate Research bank. DKV in a joint effort with its very own pool of talent, the DKV Business Partners

armed with their wealth of knowledge and expertise in areas of research and consultancy offering up-to-date analysis on

Business research data, results and resolutions.

Oryx Advertising Company WLL, Qatar

Oryx Advertising Company (OAC) is one of the oldest and largest publishing houses in Qatar. Established over 30 years ago,

OAC is the only media house in the country that produces three monthly magazines – Qatar Today, Qatar Al Yom and

Woman Today all leaders in their respective categories.

The company's flagship title Qatar Today, launched in the early 70s, is the country's only news & business monthly

magazine. The magazine is read by opinion makers, officials and business leaders of the country and with a circulation of

27,000 copies a month, its reputation and acceptability in the market is clearly unmatched in every aspect. With the market

expressing a strong desire for an Arabic edition of the country's most popular magazine, Qatar Al Yom was launched in May

2005 with 18,500 copies circulated monthly. To cater to the large number of working women in Qatar, OAC launched

Woman Today magazine which caters exclusively to their needs. Woman Today is the country's only women's magazine. It

has a circulation of 22,000 copies a month.

OAC is actively involved in social and community services and has initiated several activities, viz, Qatar Today Round Table,

Read for a causes etc. The group continues to grow and contribute in maturing the media scenario and several new titles are

planned for the coming year.


2009

United Media Services, Oman

Established in 1988, UMS is one of Oman's largest media establishments with a number of specialised divisions. With team

strength of over 100, UMS is a formidable force in the field of communications today, covering every aspect of media and

integrated communication operations like publishing, media marketing, advertising, interactive and distribution. UMS has

been providing value-added communication solutions to some of the most prominent business conglomerates in the

Sultanate, and has built an enviable reputation of a 'pioneer' in the media and communications field.

Unparalleled in its resources, highly professional set-up and technology base, UMS is Oman's complete Media &

Communications Company and the only one which has the capability of creating, selling and distributing any relevant

(advertising) medium. United Media Services is a wholly owned subsidiary of Renaissance Services SAOG - a member of the

highly diversified Tawoos Group (Its patron being His Highness Sayyid Shabib bin Taimur Al Said - uncle of the Sultan).

Renaissance Services is a public limited company listed on the Muscat Stock Exchange.

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hewitt best employer award winners

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