New findings show the increasing importance of Company Culture in light of the global pandemic

• Nine out of ten (88%) of the UAE respondents would consider leaving their jobs because of a poor organisational culture
• Nearly three quarters (73%) said the impact of Covid-19 had increased the importance of culture in their organisation
• More than a third (34%) feel their companies are failing to measure corporate culture, with a further 29% of respondents feeling that a business leader’s priority should be to create clarity around a business’s vision, purpose, and values.

Dubai : UAE businesses that do not address workplace culture are at risk of losing staff, according to a new survey released today highlighting the increasing importance of organisational culture. 

The ‘together 2021 UAE Culture Survey’ results point to a growing awareness of the importance of culture in organisational success and revealed that nine out of ten (88%) of the UAE workforce would consider leaving their jobs because of a poor organisational culture. Nearly three quarters (73%) also said that the importance of culture had increased in their organisation in the wake of the global Covid pandemic.

The findings revealed by ‘together’, the first dedicated Middle East workplace culture consultancy, are based on employees and management from 120 organisations surveyed in the UAE between 31 August and 30 September 2021. Over 55% of the survey respondents were from Director, C-Suite and Department Head level, and the remaining comprised of middle and junior management.

Survey findings underline the critical role that culture plays in the workplace, with more than six out of ten respondents (61%) questioned saying that organisational culture was extremely important to them.

Despite this, more than a third (34%) said their companies are failing to measure corporate culture, with a further 29% of respondents stating that a business leader’s priority should be to create clarity around a business’s vision, purpose, and values.

Speaking about the survey, Lucy d’Abo, CEO of ‘together’ said: “These statistics should ring alarm bells for UAE businesses. It has long been speculated that workplace culture directly relates to employee retention. Our findings prove the growing importance and highlight that many companies in the UAE are falling far behind in terms of culture measurement and communications.”

The 20-page report from ‘together’ highlights four critical gaps that UAE companies and CEO’s need to address including measurement, ownership, communication, and collaboration. The survey results also suggest that there are parallels with the UAE experiencing similar sentiments within its workforce compared with the rest of the world. According to the Global Microsoft Work Trend Index 2021, over 40% of the global workforce is considering leaving their employer this year and Forbes magazine ranks Culture amongst its top three most important Future of Work trends.

Explaining the findings, d’Abo said, “Many CEOs either let culture go unmanaged or relegate it to the HR function, where it becomes a secondary concern for the business. Our findings show leaders need to re-evaluate their involvement and the importance of workplace culture, with a third of respondents saying their companies are not even measuring corporate culture and 43% of respondents saying that they looked to the CEO and Board of Directors to set the direction on corporate culture.”

‘’With so many global statistics pointing to a dramatic shift in the workplace ecosystem, there is a need in the Middle East for a regional consultancy like ‘together’ that truly knows what it means to build, manage and perform in the business world with culture at the core,” d’Abo continued.

‘together’ was established with a mission to answer all of these challenges and provide a dedicated culture advisory and consultancy for organizations around Culture, Purpose and People. Through tailormade programs, results are achieved by working to create great cultures, build capabilities, drive engagement, change behaviors and encourage accountability for both the individual and teams.

Founder and award-winning entrepreneur, Lucy d’Abo, has been providing professional consulting services to global clients and businesses across the Middle East, Africa and Europe since 1998. Her first business, DABO & CO, which she co-founded with her sister, Camilla d’Abo, was the leading independent communications agency in the Middle East, subsequently acquired by the world’s largest PR agency, Edelman, and proof that culture can be a business superpower.

The ‘together’ team is supported with experts, both locally and globally, with a depth of experience and industry specialisms. From future strategists to training experts, to organisational psychologists, the extensive network of consultants and business partners are leveraged to meet client needs and to create, retain and develop a superpowered culture at work.

Please download the full report here:  https://www.dropbox.com/s/x51knrhn0cy6703/together%202021%20Culture%20Survey%20Report.pdf?dl=0 

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For further information please contact:
Lucy d’Abo, CEO – together
Email: (lucy.dabo@together.inc)
Website: www.together.inc

About together

together provides a range of advisory, consultancy and facilitation initiatives and programmes around Culture, Purpose and People. These are the essential ingredients to create, retain and develop a superpowered culture at work.

The team bring together over 60 years of experience in consultancy, employee engagement and people development. We are supported with experts, both locally and globally, with depth of experience and industry specialisms. From future strategists to training experts, to organisational psychologists, we leverage our extensive network of consultants and business partners to meet the needs of our clients.

For more information, please contact www.together.inc

© Press Release 2022