WHERE ARE YOU NOW? GIULIA BUTTERY
Giulia Buttery UK Ambassador One Small Town p.06
BOOK REVIEW: GREATNESS IS NOWHERE
Melkart Rouhana: Author of Greatness is NOWHERE. p.08
THE POWER OF E-LEARNING: COCA COLA: CASE STUDY
Enabley Cuts Training Costs and Improves Effectiveness for Coca Cola. p.10
Considering the continued growth of the aviation industry and related carbon emissions, our sector needs to become more sustainable. So as KLM, we are taking responsibility for making our business more sustainable. How? By flying on sustainable fuel, with more efficient routing, with cleaner planes and by recycling our waste. Learn more about our journey to more sustainable aviation on klm.com/flyresponsibly
UAE Provides Coherent Social Security Policy providing a sustainable future for Emiratis and Resident Employees
The UAE’s Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation announced on Tuesday that an Unemployment Insurance Scheme for employees of the federal government and the private sector has come into force.
The Decree-Law on Unemployment Insurance Scheme stipulates that the insured will be compensated with a cash amount for a specified period of time if they lose their job until they find another employment opportunity, which is subject to terms and conditions.
The new system provides a “social security scheme that ensures the sustainability of a decent life for Emiratis and resident employees during their unemployment period, while reducing business risks,” the ministry said. “It aims to enhance the competitiveness of UAE nationals, boost the attractiveness of the UAE’s job market to attract both international and national talents - building a competitive knowledgebased economy that is among the best globally.”
Compensation will be paid monthly, calculated at 60 percent of the employee’s subscription salary and subject to a maximum of AED20,000 per month, for a period of no more
than three months from the date of their unemployment.
Dr Abdulrahman Al Awar, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation, said: “The decree reflects the UAE government’s approach in developing the business environment and enhancing the UAE’s position as a preferred destination to work and live, which is confirmed by global indices. Reports show the preference of people from all over the world to work and settle in the UAE because of the advantages it provides in terms of security, safety, job benefits, as well as the level of education, health, and quality of life.” This contributes to enhancing the stability and prosperity of society, which is among the top priorities of our wise leadership.”
The terms and conditions of the new law apply to all employees in the federal government and the private sector in the UAE, excluding investors, domestic helpers, part-time employees, juveniles under the age of 18, and retirees.
To be eligible for compensation, employees must have been insured for no less than 12 continuous months, and should not have been dismissed from work.. Furthermore, the compensation claim should not be through fraud or
deception and penalties shall apply to both the employer and the insured.
The insured may agree on additional benefits with the service providers –the insurance companies licensed by Central Bank of the UAE and fulfil the conditions for providing unemployment insurance, which are issued by the UAE Cabinet after consulting with the Central Bank of the UAE. Also, service providers may include other government entities assigned by the UAE Cabinet to provide unemployment insurance services.
The compensation to which the insured is entitled to under this Decree-Law shall not influence any other compensation or entitlements outlined under any other legislation in force in the UAE
The UAE has several laws in place that aim to prohibit discrimination and hatred, including laws to protect the rights of people of determination & for equal pay for women
In July 2015, H. H Sheikh Khalifa issued Federal Decree Law on Combating Discrimination and Hatred, which aims to protect everyone in the UAE and thus bring the concept of social security to a new level. The law aims to fight discrimination against individuals or groups based on religion, caste, doctrine, race, color or ethnic origin. Read more on UAE Antidiscrimination/Anti-hatred law.
Article 4 of the UAE Labor Law, on equality and non-discrimination prohibits forced labor and discrimination on the basis of gender, race, color, sex, religion, national or social origin or disability. Article 30 of the same law prohibits termination of women’s employment because of her pregnancy.
In 2018, the UAE Cabinet approved a law on equal wages and salaries for women and men. The UAE Labor Law already provides that the female worker shall be granted a wage equal to that as the man is earning if she were performing the same work.
Federal Law No. 29 of 2006 protects the rights of people of determination. Article 12 of the law provides: the country guarantees people with special needs equal opportunities in education within all educational, vocational training, adult education and continuing education institutions in regular classes or special classes with the availability of curriculum in sign language or Braille and or any other methods as appropriate.
No discrimination against people of determination in public and private sectors
Resolution No. 43 of 2018 in support of the ‘people of determination’ aims to support
the rights of ‘people of determination’ in the field of employment by enabling access to opportunities in the labor market.
The resolution requires concerned government entities to protect the rights of ‘people of determination’ and to ensure their right to work on an equal basis with others and not to be discriminated against.
The resolution stressed the need to provide working and health conditions for ‘people of determination,’ and not to terminate their services or refer them to retirement due to disability or its occurrence after appointment, unless retirement age is reached or a competent medical committee decision states they are not fit to work.
Further, it stipulates that the private sector should be encouraged to integrate ‘people of determination’ into their institutions and grant them exemptions and privileges.
The UAE’s People of Determination Protection from Abuse Policy condemns all forms of abuse & neglect of people of
determination. Abuse and neglect involves depriving people of determination of their basic right to care, rehabilitation, medical care, recreation or community integration. It also condemns using such people to get material profits and not spend on them.
The Federal Law No. 10 of 2017 on Domestic Workers prohibits discrimination among domestic workers on the basis of race, color, gender, religion, political opinion and national origin or social origin.
Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958
The UAE is a signatory to the Convention concerning Discrimination in Respect of Employment and Occupation. The convention requires signatories to pursue a national policy designed to promote equality of opportunity and treatment in respect of employment and occupation, with a view to eliminating any discrimination in respect thereof.
Learn more about UAE laws to achieve gender balance.
You left the UAE in 2019, and returned to the UK, promptly getting a consulting role working in HR and L&D . What had changed in the HR and L&D World UK since you had left?
I was lucky the company put an emphasis on L&D seeing that it was beneficial to both the employees and the company. They assessed talent and skills and included learning as part of the employee and company’s journey to deliver high quality Services. They used a blend of online, in-person and coaching techniques which the employees seemed to enjoy, and this motivated the application of learning to their work creating better results. A key element was the availability of coaches to help implement learnings. I think the change I saw was that Learning and Development had become motivational, relevant and aligned to the individual’s and the company’s success.
You are now UK Ambassador with One Small Town? Would you like to tell our readers what this exciting initiative is?
One Small Town is my dream job. It is a global movement working with communities to turn their towns into places of prosperity, by building interconnected businesses spanning all industry sectors, which are co-owned by all the members of the community who
contribute time in exchange for dividends, and a share of everything that is created. It is clear that people are rethinking their value and so are looking for alternative ways of working, while being part of their community. Imagine your community growing it’s own organic food, served in your community’s restaurants, and also sold to your neighbors in your own co-operative store. Food is just one of the outputs, the lists of goods and services, which include energy and water, and wellbeing centers, are endless.
Currently, your role requires setting up a whole new “ organisation” , requiring Talent and implementing structure. What are your challenges?
Interest is growing daily. We are currently designing the global organisational structure, As a result, we will be actively recruiting for talent. High on the list is setting up the right structure to help people manage their co-created businesses, time and learning. Having HR and L&D professionals that comprehend our business model and philosophy, will be key. Our challenge is also our strength, as our organisation is one of a kind and requires a whole different way of thinking - it’s community driven and therefore strategy and policy are not driven from the top down, but rather driven from the collective goals and needs.
There is no doubt the organisation expand, and the exciting thing is that I am open to possibilities. I used to plan my next move, but now I feel excited to co-create with my fellow global teams, not defined or pigeonholed by their past roles or qualifications. There will be many exciting projects that we can all add value to as a collective with people contacting us daily how they can help. One challenge at the moment is how we onboard and utilise a diverse skillset. We have our own technical platform, helping us manage our members and their talents, currently being rolled out in our Lebanese and South African towns and soon in the Isle of Man, which is our first project in the British Isles.
Many ONE Small Towns are springing up all over the Globe. What kinds of projects are emerging which meet your unique set up?
The beauty of this is that everyone has a part to play. We are creating projects which span across each business sectors. The aim is to use peoples’ natural talents to produce goods and services to serve the community, and also have free time for family and their passions. It’s all about creating the community you want together.
Giulia
Tell us about you, your experience and time in the Middle East.
I refer to myself as an international gypsy! I opened my eyes in 1971 in the old Dubai; 2 months before the full union took place with the last emirate joining in; as my parents had migrated from Iran in late 60’s and made UAE their home. Right after high school it was time to head out to Stockholm, Sweden where I continued my university studies in Hospitality Management. Stockholm was home to few of my close relatives and being ranked one of the safest countries in the world it was the obvious choice besides Dubai. The time in Sweden (15 years) opened my mind to many things and one of the most important of all was “absolute tolerance”. Those years shaped me into who I am today.
I made my way to Italy as a professional in 2005 and continued to work in the luxury space within the hospitality industry; besides enjoying myself with the lifestyle and quality of life; and resided in Rome for 4 years. Again, a great city with immense learnings that broadened my view on many aspects in life. One of the most important learnings was to enjoy life and I mean every single day! Besides that’s where I met my partner in crime and wife Rita (whom I have been married to happily for the past 12 years). In 2009 I was offered an opportunity to relocate to UAE as a regional sales manager for the luxury chain I was working for in Rome (The Rocco Forte Hotels), which I accepted without a second thought, and with my wife’s support.
I moved “back” to UAE on 31st of January 2009 and it has been an amazing ride since! I have had the privilege of working with amazing people within the hospitality and went
off after leaving The Rocco Forte Hotels in 2012 to lead the global sales organization in Hilton Worldwide (Saudi Arabia & Bahrain offices) which in 2014 was followed by joining the Marriott International global sales organization and leading The Ritz-Carlton global sales in Middle East & India. My interest for training and learning start seriously to surface in 2015 when I was one of the sales training facilitators within Marriott International in MEA. Between 2015 and 2020 I certified over 500 associates in sales, revenue, negotiation, executive presentation and high performance trainings across Middle East & Africa, besides leading a multimillion sales department that won The President’s Circle in 2018 (top 5% of sales achievers in Marriott Int’l globally).
Besides this I was a freelance co-active coach and worked as an internal coach in Marriott Int’l with the HR department to deliver group
coaching and workshops. My burning passion for learning helped me when in August 2020 I waved goodbye to Marriott International and dedicated my full time to Pedari Coaching FZE and today I offer leadership coaching and learning solutions to organizations and professionals equally.
How would you describe the culture of your business?
At Pedari Coaching FZE the core values are the A to Z, and will not be discounted for anyone or any piece of business! I would sum it above in the following words: Daring, Innovative, Curious and Un-traditional.
How easy is it for you to get direct access to the decision makers in your company?
Middle East is not an easy place when it comes to decisions let alone decision makers! The best solution and time/ money invested is in networks and through referrals. I sincerely do not spend a single $ on advertisements (traditional or digital) and instead put all my efforts into finding and connecting with healthy and productive networks that comprise of entrepreneurs and professionals that can help each other “grow” by “giving”.
What are your biggest challenges in the next 5 years?
The coaching industry is a relatively young one in the region; even with a high number of certified coaches; and has huge potential! In order to grow Pedari Coaching FZE into a 7 digit profitable business the urgency to get the right investors is key for a long term success plan, and in return to take coaching to a digital platform and provide organizations a “democratic” solution to the traditional and expensive coaching that was available to few high income executives.
Sohail Michael Pedari – Pedari Coaching FZE Dubai“Greatness is the ability to unleash the best version of yourself, your team, and your organization,” says Melkart Rouhana, the author of Greatness is NOWHERE and distinguished international speaker.
“Ever since the dawn of civilization, greatness has been the voice of our human spirit. It is not an outcome, but a way of living. We are in a constant chase after meaning and progress. We seek to find the best possible version of everything, including ourselves, yearning to unleash our potential and make an impact.”
“Greatness is not exclusive to athletes or famous people,” says Melkart. “It concerns every one of us—you and me, people who choose to find meaning, the voice to lead a purpose-driven life, and the courage to make a meaningful contribution.”
Melkart asks readers what their definition is of greatness? “Is greatness nowhere?” he asks. Or is it now here?
In Greatness is NOWHERE, Melkart examines three principles to enable greatness:
• Principle 1: You can’t be what your culture is not
How do you promote and inspire a winning culture that is intangible and the hidden mark of distinction that literally shapes everything you do?
• Principle 2: You can’t be what your people are not
How do you translate talent to performance, surround yourself with the right, talented, and passionate colleagues, and bring out the gold in others?
• Principle 3: You can’t be what your investment is not
How do you bring your investment to the world, deliberately evoke emotions in your customers and convert your customer experience into one that chills
and thrills?
Greatness is NOWHERE answers all these questions and more and shares 3 Principles, 15 Truths, and 20 Tools to jazz up your culture, pep up your people, spice up your customer experience, and ultimately unleash greatness. Rouhana wrote to share a roadmap that will guide readers to find greatness and lead their people and organization to ultimately unleash their potential.
View the book’s trailer: https://youtu.be/8VMLpnWsx9A
Melkart Rouhana Consultant: Mentor & Executive Coach www.melkartrouhana.com
Three Principles to Jazz up Your Culture, Pep up Your People, and Spice up Your Customer Experience
Horst Schulze, Founder, Former President & COO of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, Founder & Former CEO of Capella Hotel Group.
Diana R. Oreck, NetJets Vice President, Service Representatives and Philanthropy, Former Vice President, The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center
“Whether you’re a CEO or an entrepreneur, you will be energized for more effective leadership if you embrace the principles advanced in this book.”
Andre Bisasor, Founding President, Harvard Negotiation Alumni Society; President, Institute for Negotiation Leadership & Diplomacy
“This actionable read is for those who wish to inspire the hearts, souls and minds of their teams.”
Kimberly Rath, MBA, Co-Founder & Co-Chair, Talent Plus
“Sensational book.”
Dr. Andreas Löhmer, MLitt, Director of Corporate Programs, Executive School of Management, Technology and Law (ES-HSG), University of St. Gallen (HSG), Switzerland
“I read it in one sitting—nowhere did my attention drop off!”
Shelley Perkins, Former Chief Talent & Culture Officer, Rosewood Hotel Group
Marc Dardenne, Chief Operating Officer, Accor Europe Luxury Brands
“If a non-fiction book can be described as a “page turner,” this is certainly that book.”
Jacqueline Moyse, Vice President of Organizational Development, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group
Unleash the best version of yourself, your team, and your organization.
Says Melkart Rouhana: Author of Greatness is NOWHERE
“Audacious, insightful and thoughtprovoking.”
“A riveting read!”
“A must read for all leadership fans.”Melkart Rouhana – Author of Greatness is NOWHERE
We speak with the Co-Founder and Chairman of CLO-ME as they rebrand and reposition into MEA HR & Learning
Chief Learning Officer Middle East (CLO ME) has been informing regional HR and L&D professionals for over ten years. Tell us why have you decided to reposition Clo-me as MEA HR?
In these changing times, I believe we now have an opportunity to offer enhanced and more intuitive services to our members, our strategic partners, and our stakeholders. We are doing this by firstly, rebranding and repositioning Clo-me and secondly by partnering with a successful and innovative UAE-based media and events business. We have added considerable value to the regional Human Resources & Learning and Development (HR and L&D) professions, but have been limited to what we can undertake because of the voluntary nature of our initiatives as part of our CSR services for the HR and Learning community.
Do the changes you are making to CLO -ME reflect growing recognition of the importance and stature of HR and L&D professionals to regional business and industry?
It is fair to say that we, along with the profession, have come of age.
Since the onset of the pandemic we have seen such a dramatic change in learning and HR, where technology has advanced significantly and the new conditions of employment and skills development
Michael Gledhill Co-Founder of Chief Learning Officer-Middle East
have pushed HR and L&D higher up the priority scale and into the boardrooms of an increasing number of businesses. So, it is exactly these changes that have prompted us to initiate our metamorphosis in order that we can be a leading voice in the regions’ HR and Learning community.
Why has Clo-ME partnered with MEAFinance/business to launch MEA HR?
MEA Finance and MEA Business are successful and well-regarded media platforms in the Creative Middle East Media stable. Their talented team are a perfect fit for us to help transition into not only a commercially successful company but also enhance our long-held values and vision of helping HR and Learning professionals by highlighting their growing importance to business in the region and keeping them up to date with the latest trends in our marketplace
How will the business model for MEA HR & Learning change with the rebrand and repositioning?
From our inception, because of our voluntary approach, we have not had a “commercial” model. However, we will now transition from our volunteer’s website to a commercial enterprise.
We have done an amazing job over the past 10 years, producing great content for our members, keeping them informed of the latest developments, jobs and up-to-date reports and data.
The new company will have a much wider array of offers, including digital and print publishing, providing updated news and opinions, events, and market networking opportunities which will enhance our stakeholder value and give opportunities for our strategic alliance partners to have the ability to expand their services to our members and readership.
How will the delivery of news and information to the market change under the new format?
We want to reflect the growing prioritization and prestige of the HR and L&D professionals in business in the region, and I believe the whole look and feel will be more contemporary and professional with deeper and richer news and content from a broader variety of contributors, not only from the Middle East but internationally too.
Will MEA HR be developing new ideas for interaction and networking in the regional HR and L&D arenas?
Absolutely. The options are almost limitless but for right now, I suggest you watch this space for new and exciting initiatives coming in the form of new publishing, events, networking opportunities, and leadgeneration exercises from this new, bigger, and revitalized entity.
Enabley – a UK based e-learning company provides a platform for one stop training provision. Here’s how they ” enabled” Coca Cola demonstrating the power of learning right across the globe.
The Coca-Cola Company is a total beverage company, offering over 500 brands in more than 200 countries and territories. In addition to the company’s Coca-Cola brands, the portfolio includes some of the world’s most valuable beverage brands.
Our challenge was to strategically accelerate the business capabilities so that our Bottling Partners and their Stakeholders are able to ensure sustainable business growth. Previous training programs were discontinued as the Bottlers agreed that the resources allocated to the initiative were very high. Therefore we started looking for a solution with the intent to accelerate Coca-Cola System business growth, reignite KO system capabilities, modernize processes, learn and lead the IMCC while amplifying knowledge sharing with higher ROI, foster datadriven decision-making processes and ensure compliance of the current Franchise agreements.
We found the optimization, simplification, and innovation we were looking for with
enabley. We created a LEARNING HUB, our first version of a digital learning community, based on synchronous and asynchronous learning, available 24×7, and with a wide selection of topics. Userfriendliness, with a complete system of reports and certification, high security, cost-effective, and compliant with Agile principles. Following a robust and lengthy pilot, involving 600 participants coming from 8 of the 10 bottling partners, we chose enabley as our solution.
• Increase of learners using the content by 88%.
• 79% savings of previous training costs.
• Saved 65% of training time without
losing any effectiveness.
• High engagement, high adoption in the online experience, and eagerness to learn more.
• Cut training costs
• Business Growth
• Ensure company compliance
• Drive data-based decisions
• Modernize training processes
• Increased learner engagement and adoption
• Saved huge training costs
• Saved training time
• Training wherever, whenever, and on any device
Salvador Luna Galindo
“Enabley helped us save 79% of the training costs in respect to our previous solution, while maintaining the effectiveness and dimensions of our training”
Over the last two decades and across 5 continents, I have been privileged to be exposed to both the good and bad of Leadership at the C suite level. I feel it’s necessary to experience both spectrums of the Leadership continuum to appreciate what GOOD truly looks and feels like.
Here are the 3 top traits I believe world class CEO’s must have: the non-negotiables!
There is no doubt that the position of CEO is full of problems and opportunities. The problems that land on your desk as CEO, typically arrive there as no-one else in your business is able to or willing to solve them.
Making decisions that impact entire teams, organisations and customers is a critical competency and comes from a combination of knowledge, experience and skills. Being able to make decisions quickly (rather than suffering paralysis by analysis) with limited information is what makes this challenging. It’s relatively easy to make decisions when you have all the relevant information on hand.
Here you need: relevant knowledge, skills and experience in a timely manner in alignment to where the organisation is heading, not just for the short term. This requires a sense of risk taking with quality information and support from those around you! You need agility and daring to increase the value to those who believe in our business, from the employees through to your customers.
Drive is passion, conviction, energy and motivation. When these elements are demonstrated by the CEO, obstacles are more likely to be overcome, bringing
Gaj Ravichandra, International Career Path Strategist & Executive Coach
higher levels of positivity and success. Research shows that the “happiness chemical” Seratonin is released, improving communication efficacy at all levels.
Simply by undertaking work you are more passionate about and being exposed to leaders who demonstrate this drive, can result in higher levels of Serotonin being released.
Understanding what drives your people, your teams and organisation, allows CEO’s to lead effectively and to push the buttons required to achieve the most out of the organisation in a sustainable manner.
Ensuring people want to come to work is about creating a culture of inclusion. CEO’s should be authentic about who they are
and employees should be able to genuinely behave and trust that their uniqueness, quirkiness and diversity brings increased value to the organisation.
Valuing diversity is not easy as it requires a willingness to listen to points of views that are not necessarily aligned to your own and to be open minded to suggestions that are different. As a leader, we must accept that we don’t have all the answers but trust that they can be found through the people around us.
I have worked with many CEO’s looking to grow their business who hire great people but then stunt the business growth by then putting these same people into a box, and only listening to them when convenient. Using a ‘growth mindset’ and accepting that diversity in thinking and style is critical for success will help generate greater returns. Park the ego and intensify listening!
What are the non-negotiable traits you believe world class CEO’s should demonstrate to get the maximum return for their people and businesses?
Author: Gaj Ravichandra gaj@kompassconsultancy.com
3h Solutions
The landscape changed. It did not allow time to think, prepare, act. One day we were holding face to face workshops with 20 delegates in a closed classroom, and suddenly, we were not allowed to. The pandemic and social distancing put paid to that thought completely. This shift was further complicated by a rapidly changing workforce, technological / digital developments, teetering economies, job losses, budget shrinkages and on-going market volatilities.
We found ourselves in uncharted territory. Some of us were more prepared than others. The ones that were not, either faded away or ended up shifting gears into other careers. Even the ones that were prepared, found it hard to hock their wares, given lockdowns etc.
The skill shift, clearly a digitized one, became apparent. Employees with brilliant skills pre pandemic were now being treated as less than average employees. Expected skill sets for our digital world were now not only sought after, but became prerequisites. We all knew change was upon us, with companies disrupting the status quo, and, bringing in Artificial Intelligence and Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality and Holographic abilities into the fray. But it was the sudden nature of the change that caught most people off guard.
Nothing prepared us for the change thrust upon us in such a short time. Driving change is a whole different ballgame. Changing yourself, is quite the other. Not only has the strategic vision for L&D changed, the skill sets
to achieve that also have. It’s not only about what we are trying to achieve for the future, but also how to absorb, allocate and execute it for ourselves, to remain relevant. Transformations are the norm in today’s world. But transforming oneself comes first. Not just our thoughts and attitudes but our beliefs as well.
According to PwC’s “Talent Trends 2019” report, “79% of CEOs worldwide are concerned that a lack of essential skills in their workforce is threatening the future growth of their organization.”
Skills can be learnt. What is missing is the application behind the learning and the accountability that goes with all this. If a line manager derides the entire experience and does not want things to change, they will not. Ensuring people across the organization are on board with learning initiatives is critical.
Making learning more strategic, tactile/experiential and agile are key. Making it relevant, applicable and future proofing it also helps. Ensuring it is easy to access, available anytime and anywhere, and, building
accountability into it, are essential.
All these factors would provide the desired impetus in transforming this segment into what it should be.
So, the end game should be simple. L&D activity impacts the bottom line positively.
All the words / aspects mentioned above are key. But what do they mean for L&D transformation?
• Strategy: Strategic emphasis towards this goal provides direction, focus and clarity of purpose. It provides a pathway and an outcome-based vision. Ad-hoc workshops just won’t do anymore. A well-defined Line-ofsight strategy is required.
• Tactile / experiential: Hands-on, work based, on-the-job. Theoretical, concepts-based, academic workshops don’t take into account real-life situations requiring physical understanding.
• Relevant & applicable: Not generic in nature. Specific to the job, short bursts and then evidence-based application of lessons learnt. Making it part of the way business is done.
• Accountability: Self accountability
included, but also monitored, answerable & justified.
Ease of access: Not only on different platforms, but also devices, 24/7/365, and, simplified. Direct and timely access for when the knowledge is required.
Anytime / anywhere access: Not simply intranet based. Internet based. On any device, anywhere, anytime. Including, without the Internet, in off-site situations.
Directed and bite sized: Gone are the days of 5-day workshops. Should be specific, short & to the point. Even if its 5 minutes before a meeting & a particular point is required.
• Future focused: Not simply addressing immediate needs of the day, but potential future needs as well. Aligning this with organizational strategies for the future.
Bottom line driven / Business outcome focused: All efforts in this arena must be leading towards outcomes / bottom line that the organization wants to achieve.
• Digitized: Not only content, but the focus as well. Digitized solutions, opportunities, breakthroughs, market trends, developments.
• Omni channel: Seamless learner experience across different platforms, devices.
• Agile: Flexible, scalable, responsive, rapid changes possible. Needs are shifting rapidly. A crystalclear strategy to ensure nimble & constant upgrades in tune with market needs.
Over & above the details, it’s not only how it’s done, but also what is done, when, and why.
Author: Uzair Hassan, CEO, 3H Solutions Group
The influx of millennials into the workforce over the last decade has challenged conventional thinking on the most effective ways for organizations to onboard, inspire, and equip new employees. In contrast to previous generations, this emerging generation thinks differently and has different expectations which has actioned a paradigm shift. As a result, organizations had to re-evaluate their strategies for attracting new talent.
Generation Z (born between 1995 and 2012) is considered to be “digital native” because they have never known a world without the internet and social media. They want to have the flexibility to work anywhere, including at home or in the conventional office setting.
As COVID-19 made it possible for people to work remotely and flexibly from their homes, a wider range of the workforce begun to adopt this trend towards a mixed mode of working. The majority of Generation Z (Gen Z) workers started their careers during this time, which is where the difference lies. This indicates that they anticipate the technology at work to be just as advanced and efficient as their personal devices.
The Gen Z workforce were swiftly ushered into an era of video-first strategy. Due to their strong visual sensory experiences, this worked in favor of employers. As a result,
companies will now need to figure out how to implement a digital workplace for the upcoming generation, while juggling the needs and preferences of the current workforce.
Organizations will need to think about using platform-agnostic technology
that enables work to become a secure, but free-flowing activity. This means empowering employees with home devices, workplace computers, phones, and meeting room video conferencing technology that are flexible and decentralized. Gen Z has grown up with personal video-telephony programs, which have democratized
the once-exclusive idea of international corporate video conferencing and turned it into a valuable resource for the workplace.
Companies will need to take the well-being of their employees into consideration when competing for the best future talent. The future generation will not base job decisions on factors like highest salary or bestlooking company car.
Benefits that promote employees’ health and wellbeing will be considerably more valuable in contrast. These include programs for workplace inclusivity and flexible working arrangements. But in order to succeed at this, companies must demonstrate
that taking care of their employees is an integral component of how they operate, not just a tactical addition to company culture. They will need to demonstrate this in all that they offer employees and in how they conduct themselves.
Organizations must take into account more advanced digital tools to accommodate the changing nature of the workforce and the rising environmental pressures associated with climate change. The COVID19 crisis caused the momentum surrounding climate change to slow down, but it never completely vanished. In fact, the crisis-induced shifts in commuter and business
travel patterns have demonstrated what a more sustainable future might entail. Compared to previous generations, Gen Z is more likely to take action to support environmental movements. This contrasts with the older generations’ tendency to adopt a more passive attitude. They must work hard to lessen their carbon footprint and act as responsible stewards of the environment.
There are other aspects of work that will likely change from being text-only to including video. Companies need to prepare for the influx of today’s youth coming into the workplace by equipping their offices with some of the latest techs including conference cameras, such as one of the best sellers on the market, the Rally series, which is a premier modular video conferencing system.
Additional tools and tech need to be in place such as room solutions, webcams, headsets, collaboration tools, and accessories. As the Digitally Savvy workers will expect to be able to work both inside and outside the company, using technology at work that mirrors their technology at home. This fusion of personal and business technology transforms the workplace into a new hybrid environment.
In conclusion, there are a variety of ways that the entry of Gen Z into the workforce is likely to alter it. The top of the list is undoubtedly video infrastructure.
To attract today’s youth to work for your business, it will be crucial to comprehend and adjust to their needs. Organizations that make sure they have the proper technologies, tools, and working conditions have the best chance of succeeding. There are many things at risk as the older generation, with their more conventional workplace communication methods, start to make way for the “Gen Z”.
Author: Loubna Imenchal, Head of Video Collaboration for the MENA and Central Asia region at Logitech
With new Series D investment, the company is set to aggressively ramp its team in the UAE and is staging the opening of its next GCC office in Saudi Arabia.
Darwinbox, Asia’s fastestgrowing HR tech platform, has leaped to a unicorn valuation in its latest USD72mn funding round, with the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region identified as a key growth market in its next chapter of global expansion. The company’s valuation now crosses the USD1bn mark and takes the total investment raised by the company thus far to over USD110mn.
The latest fundraising round has been led by the US-based Technology Crossover Ventures (TCV) along with participation from Darwinbox’s existing strategic investors Salesforce Ventures, Sequoia Capital, and Lightspeed Ventures. The company has grown 200% since the last fundraise from Salesforce Ventures exactly 12 months ago and has added more than 700,000 users on the platform in this short period.
Founded in 2015, Darwinbox’s cloudbased Human Capital Management (HCM) platform caters to private and public sector HR needs across the entire employee lifecycle. The new-age HR tech platform is powering digital HR for more than 1.5mn employees from 650+ enterprises across the globe. Darwinbox supports leading global brands like Nivea, Starbucks, Sephora, Zara, and AXA, along with
inevitable for organizational success.
Lulu Group, Aramex, and Mobily Infotech in the region.
The new funding will supercharge Darwinbox’s plans by allowing the company to accelerate its platform innovation agenda, and scale its go-to-market presence in MENA, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. With its regional office based in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), the company aims to invest aggressively and grow its team in the UAE. It is also staging the opening of its next GCC office in Saudi Arabia in the near future. Prioritizing product development for the region, Darwinbox will be launching its Arabic mobile app specifically tailored for MENA employees later this year.
Darwinbox’s agile and intuitive HR technology platform helps
Investing behind technology to manage talent has become
enterprises realize superior business outcomes by driving higher workforce productivity, better cost efficiency and smarter experiences for the modernday employees. Built with advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) capabilities, Darwinbox HCM has pioneered innovations such as Voicebot for HR, facial recognition based touchless attendance, and several other features that are critical to manage the post-pandemic workplace.
“Markets across the Middle East,
especially in the UAE and KSA, have some of the world’s highest smartphone penetration rates and a growing young population that’s digitalsavvy. The pandemic was a significant inflection point for Middle Eastern enterprises, with a majority adopting remote and hybrid work practices. At Darwinbox, we understand that people are at the core of every successful enterprise, and we will work closely with companies across the region to deliver a disruptive, modern, and intuitive experience to their workforce,” shared Jayant Paleti,
Co-founder at Darwinbox. “With this funding, Darwinbox will accelerate its expansion across the MENA region, aiming for a 400% growth by the end of 2022.”
Darwinbox currently stands as the youngest and the only Asian-origin player on Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for enterprise HCM. It is also rated the highest (4.8) globally on Gartner’s customer reviews platform, Peer Insights; racing ahead of global giants like SAP, Oracle and Workday – a position it secured on the back of innovative technology, deep understanding of market context, intuitive user experience and great customer traction.
Expanding on the product investments, Chaitanya Peddi, Co-founder and Product Head at Darwinbox, added: “Building for agility and delivering stellar employee experience has been critical in defining success for Darwinbox’s customers. We will continue to invest in new and innovative technology to deliver a frictionless experience for the work-from-anywhere workforce. In continuation to our vision of building a product that prioritizes local compliance and context, significant focus has been directed towards product development tailored to the MENA region.”
“Investing behind technology to manage talent has become inevitable for organizational success. Darwinbox’s demonstrated ability to build agile, innovative, and userfriendly solutions along with deep customer centricity has made them a platform of choice for several leading enterprises,” added Jessica Neal, former Chief Talent Officer at Netflix, and a Venture Partner at TCV. “We’re excited to partner with them on their journey to global HCM leadership,” she added. TCV is known for its investments in disruptive tech brands like Netflix, Facebook, Spotify, Airbnb, GoDaddy, and Gitlab.
The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) has introduced a WhatsApp business account for customers to get in touch and submit enquiries. The services will be available in English and Arabic, and customers can reach the ministry via the number 600590000.
The new channel, verified by Meta –owner of WhatsApp, offers employers, employees, domestic helpers and other categories to contact MoHRE in a seamless manner around the clock.
With the new service in place, MoHRE has become the first federal entity in the UAE to have a verified WhatsApp business account.
Users can view the law on labour relations in the private sector (UAE Labour Law) and its executive regulations, as well as the law on domestic helpers and other ministerial decrees that regulate work environment in the UAE. The service channel offers credible information in a way that protects the users’ data privacy.
MoHRE’s WhatsApp business account also allows customers to enquire about their application status – the most used service on MoHRE’s website, mobile app and call centre.
Aisha Belharfia, Assistant UnderSecretary for Labour Affairs at MoHRE, said, “The new WhatsApp service is the latest addition to the Tawasul Integrated System – a unified and secure technology -powered series of channels for effective communication with the ministry’s customers. It
includes channels that utilise modern technologies and smart mobile apps to serve customers and empower the work environment in line with the government’s directives.”
She pointed out plans to develop the ministry’s WhatsApp channel during the fourth quarter of 2022, including introduction of establishments’ statement report, which includes details on the establishments’ file at MoHRE, such as status of work permits and compliance to the Wages Protection System (WPS).
The Tawasul Integrated System includes multiple communication channels, including the call centre (600590000), online chat via MoHRE’s website, smart mobile app, the email ask@mohre.gov.ae, Tawasul platform at MoHRE’s offices, which offers video calls with customers and the website www.mohre.gov.ae.
In addition, customers may reach the ministry via social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube, with the same handle –@mohre_uae.
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