Great Place to Work names consultancies among the 30 best UAE workplaces

Consultancies Delta Partners, Hill + Knowlton, and Weber Shandwick have been named among a list of the ‘Best Workplaces’ in the UAE by Great Place to Work.

Global research, training and workplace certification consultancy Great Place to Work has released its ninth annual list of the best workplaces in the UAE – one of the more than 50 countries the company covers worldwide – with the local branch of telecoms, media and technology (TMT) consultancy Delta Partners and PR consultancies Hill + Knowlton Strategies and Weber Shandwick among the 30 companies featured.

Reclaiming its title from 2017, German logistics giant DHL was once again named the overall regional leader, with this year’s winner’s circle spanning a wide array of sectors, from manufacturing, retail, and technology to finance, hospitality and healthcare. DHL was followed by luxury furniture retailer THE One (with CEO Thomas Lundgren claiming a second consecutive ‘Leader of the Year’ title), and Hilton – which jumped four spots to third.

WWP-owned Hill + Knowlton Strategies meanwhile completed the top-ten, alongside fellow PR firm Weber Shandwick and engineering professional services firm WSP, while Delta Partners and data analytics firm SAS Middle East were among the expanded roster of 30 companies listed for 2019 – with Great Place to Work assessing more than 300 organisations in the GCC each year. Other companies included Cisco, FedEx , and Omnicom – led by well-regarded MENA CEO Eli Khouri.

“With 30 companies earning recognition this year, it is immensely reassuring to see a record number of organisations invest in their employees’ well-being and cultivate exceptional workplaces that nurture, motivate and inspire,” said Maha Zaatari, UAE Managing Director of Great Place to Work. “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.”

To arrive at the final list, each participating company is assessed on eight criteria, including leadership, wellbeing, and personal growth, with two thirds of the weighting given to an employee survey measuring attitudes toward the management’s credibility, employee engagement and job satisfaction. The remaining third is based on company pay and benefits programmes and activities around hiring, communication, and development.

“There appears to be growing awareness among leaders in the UAE that workplace culture has become a major competitive advantage for their businesses,” Zataari added, with Great Place to Work having conducted its analysis in the UAE since 2010. “Pioneering organisations 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.”

Landing in 10th place overall, Hill + Knowlton Strategies has offices in Abu Dhabi and Dubai among its eight in the Middle East and North Africa, having operated in the region for more than 30 years. Regional CEO Bashar Al Kadhi said; “There’s no magic recipe for great company culture. It’s about hiring the right people, upskilling them and nurturing a creative, inclusive environment. Creativity is at the heart of our business and we believe in relentlessly refining our skills to ensure everyone has opportunities to create meaningful impact.”

Owned by Interpublic Group, seventh-placed Weber Shandwick – which last year launched the management consultancy United Minds – meanwhile has five offices across the UAE, Egypt, Kuwait and Qatar together with a network of country affiliates. “Our employees are key to our ongoing success and it is paramount we foster a work environment and culture where they feel listened to and supported,” Ghaleb Zeidan, Managing Director Weber Shandwick UAE.

Lastly, Delta Partners – which placed in 22nd – is a 2006-founded TMT-sector management consultancy and finance/investment firm with six offices worldwide, including its headquarters in Dubai. “For our firm to be recognised yet again is a fantastic achievement. None of this is possible without the dedication and hard work of our colleagues globally,” said Delta Partners co-founder Victor Font, a former managing partner with Oliver Wyman in the Middle East.