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- Thomas Lundgren, CEO of THE One, takes the Great Place to Work® ‘Leader of the Year’ for second year running
- Ever-expanding list underscores the value that UAE employers are placing on employee well-being and benchmarking themselves against their peers
Dubai, UAE - Great Place to Work® - a global research, training and consultancy firm that awards the best workplaces in over 50 countries worldwide - has revealed its ninth annual list of ‘Best Workplaces’ in the UAE. The 2019 UAE Great Place to Work® list is the most substantial since its introduction to the United Arab Emirates in 2010. Now featuring 30 companies from a broad spectrum of industries, the list has witnessed several remarkable changes in the rankings compared to last year.
Distinguishing the country’s best workplaces marked by outstanding cultures, Great Place to Work® conducts a rigorous audit of each participating company. Two-thirds of the company’s score is based on the results of the Institute’s proprietary Trust Index© survey, which is sent to the employees from each company. The survey asks questions related to their attitudes about the management’s credibility, employee engagement and job satisfaction. The other third of the scoring is based on the company’s responses to the Institute’s Culture Audit©, which includes detailed questions about pay and benefits programs and a series of open-ended questions about hiring, communication, and development.
From logistics, technology, finance, media, retail, fashion, FMCG, hospitality, healthcare and manufacturing, the 2019 Great Place to Work® list celebrates efforts across a varied number of industries. This year in the UAE, the retail sector demonstrated the highest level of participation with companies such as THE One, Danube Home, Baby Shop, Emax, Centrepoint and ShoeExpress placing in the top 30.
As the UAE moves towards a knowledge-based economy, the importance of attracting and retaining the best talent to achieve sustainable growth cannot be understated. A characteristic amply demonstrated by this year’s winner, DHL.
DHL made a striking return to the top spot from second place last year, thanks to its efforts to ensure its employees have the best possible work environment. DHL has constantly raised the bar when it comes to people practices. The company has fostered a unique and enviable workplace with an emphasis on Learning and Development. Judges also applauded DHL for a rich and sustainable culture characterized by trust, respect and fairness.
A collaborative spirit carries through into every aspect of the working environment, where employees feel they each make a tangible difference. DHL employees admitted to having well-planned career paths, resulting in highly engaged staff and reinforcing the company’s empathetic, familial culture.
The coveted honor of ‘Leader of the Year for 2018-2019’ went to Thomas Lundgren, CEO of THE One for the second year running. The esteemed leader was awarded for his efforts in keeping THE One among the top five Best Workplaces list for eight consecutive years and for achieving the highest Trust scores from direct reports amongst all participating leaders in the award. Lundgren’s ongoing pursuit to continuously improve THE One’s workplace experience has elevated employees’ perception of management, supported the company’s expansion plan and contributed to its financial performance.
Companies that have previously attracted recognition in past years have also continued to feature in the program, reinforcing the ongoing value placed on maintaining an exemplary workplace and benchmarking against peers.
Rounding out the top-three best workplaces this year was THE One, followed by Hilton which moved up four spots from last year’s seventh spot. Impressively leaping five places from ninth last year, CISCO UAE comes in fourth, followed closely by Omnicom Media Group, at number five. Notably, both Hilton and CISCO UAE are rand new entrants in the top five in this year’s rankings.
FedEx Express, Weber Shandwick, WSP, Hilti and Hill + Knowlton Strategies meanwhile completed the top-ten. The final 20 positions on the list were taken by KFC, Temenos Middle East, Danube Home, General Mills, SAS Middle East, Glander International Bunkering, Five Hotels, NMC Healthcare, Wirecard Dubai, Leminar Air Conditioning Company & Industries, Transworld Group, Delta Partners, UAE Exchange, Babyshop, Emax, Pizza Express, FCM Travel Solutions UAE, Centrepoint, Shoexpress, and Al Dabbagh Group. Please see Notes to Editors for the complete list.
With 2019 declared the Year of Tolerance in the UAE, Maha Zaatari, Managing Director of Great Place to Work® in the UAE, recognizes the increased prominence organizations are placing on fostering diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
“There appears to be growing awareness among leaders in the UAE that workplace culture has become a major competitive advantage for their businesses. Pioneering organizations are continuously monitoring their employees’ work environments and seek new and impactful ways to increase happiness levels, enhance skills and retention rates and, ultimately, augment productivity.”
“With 30 companies earning recognition this year, it is immensely reassuring to see a record number of organizations invest in their employees’ well-being and cultivate exceptional workplaces that nurture, motivate and inspire. It is these values of tolerance, diversity, trust and inclusion that are intrinsic to the UAE’s vision and are actively promoted by the government in its quest for sustainable growth and to establish itself as the happiest nation in the world.” said Maha Zaatari, Managing Director of Great Place to Work® in the UAE.
Dubai-based Forbes Middle East magazine partnered with Great Place to Work® for the 2019 ’30 Best Workplaces in the UAE’ list.
For more information, please visit www.greatplacetowork.me or reach out to Nikita Arora at narora@webershandwick.com
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About Great Place to Work®
Great Place to Work® is a global research and management consultancy that recognizes the best workplaces in over 50 countries worldwide and provides premier business and advisory services. Its mission is to improve peoples’ lives and create a better society by improving the workplace experience. Great Place to Work® was founded in 1991 to provide a simple, research-driven methodology that could be widely used to understand and assess organizations. A proprietary employee survey and assessment of HR policies form the foundation of the Institute’s research and consulting services and has been used by companies from all over the world to create strong workplace cultures based on trusting relationships. Great Place to Work® believes that in a society of great workplaces, employees feel respected, proud, and trust that management is committed to “doing the right thing.”
Following increased demand from the GCC for its workplace evaluation services, Great Place to Work® expanded to the UAE in March 2010 as a licensed division of Best Companies Group. The UAE operation serves as the regional headquarters for the Middle East, with consultants and sales staff appointed in each market.
About the ‘Best Workplaces in the UAE’ list
Any UAE workplace with 50 or more employees is eligible to participate in the fee-based program. Any work place that appears on the list is selected primarily on the basis of their employees' responses to the Great Place to Work Trust Index©, a proprietary employee survey developed by Great Place to Work®. In addition, the Institute evaluates materials submitted by the work place, including the work place's response to the Great Place to Work Culture Audit©, any accompanying materials submitted by the work place for consideration, as well as information gathered from other reputable sources such as media stories about the work place.
Workplaces interested in applying for the 2019-2020 Best Workplaces list may register their interest with Maha Zaatari at Maha.Zaatari@greatplacetowork.com
Media Contacts:
Nikita Arora
Weber Shandwick
Tel: +971 56 202 3336
narora@webershandwick.com
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