While leaders and managers play an important role in creating the right work environment, a strained relationship with the person in charge can often lead to workplace conflict, explained Asma Bajawa, managing director of PeopleFirst, a Dubai-based human resources consulting firm.
“An employee who has a healthy relationship with their immediate manager is far more likely to be engaged in their job and prepared to work that little bit harder to make their manager happy,” she said. “If the relationship is strained, then this can lead to demotivation and resentment, which in turn can make an employee difficult to work with and manage.”
To identify and understand the problem, Bajawa recommends the following steps:
1. Be factual. Gather the facts of any incident/issue and write them down so that you can refer to them if necessary.
2. Meet with the employee in a room where there are no interruptions. Remain calm and talk to the employee about the incident/issue.
3. Ask the employee directly what the issue is. Tell the employee what you observe and how that is perceived. Ask the employee if they realise the impact of their behaviour/attitude.
4. Give an opportunity to the employee to respond and actively listen to what they are saying.
5. Be clear and tell the employee what you expect from them. Give the employee positive feedback as they work through their objectives and things improve.
Hire right
For start-ups and SMEs, Bajawa recognizes that hiring and firing can be an expensive process. To avoid recruiting difficult employees, or to prevent difficult personalities developing in the workplace, the HR specialist said it is important to try and get it right first time. Here’s how:
What are the skills you are looking for in hiring? Try and define “must have” and “nice to have” attributes so that you can shortlist only candidates that have what is necessary. Anyone with “nice to have” aspects will be a bonus.
Think about how you will assess “must have” and “nice to have” skills.
Try to define the personal attributes important for the job role and for the team fit.
Try not to rush recruitment decisions. Conduct reference checks for anyone you want to hire.
Consider using psychometric tests. The personality profile can help you assess a candidate’s suitability and team fit. These are good indicators of how an employee might behave in various scenarios.
The need to be more strategic and ‘add value’ has engulfed many HR departments across different businesses in the GCC and Middle East. But what does this really mean?
To answer this, we should first consider how value is defined or measured. It’s is not the design of a policy or a specific HR programme or initiative that matters, but what the employees gain which help to drive the business from these interventions that makes it value added. The HR value proposition means that HR practices, HR departments, and HR professionals must produce positive outcomes for businesses and all key stakeholders, which includes employees, managers, customers, and shareholders.
In order to add significant value to an organisation, HR departments and HR professionals must focus on how they can contribute to the execution of the corporate strategy. HR’s role in this endeavour is to build the capability of the organisation so that the strategic vision can be realised. This is not something that can be automated or outsourced and can only be delivered by having an intimate knowledge and understanding of the business, its strategy and its existing capabilities. Ultimately, strategy is delivered by people and because HR is all about people, it is HR’s role to deliver capable, suitably skilled and trained people. In addition HR will add value by ensuring there are robust policies, procedures and practices in place to make these things happen. The role of HR in delivering the bottom line should not be underestimated.
In today’s ever changing and highly competitive world, HR plays a key role in an organisation’s success or failure. Success, depends heavily on how effectively an organisation can attract, motivate, develop and retain its people. In today’s cost conscious environment, this means capitalizing on the organisational collective knowledge, skills and experience and working in tandem with managers to improve effectiveness and efficiency of the organisation.
The importance of attracting and retaining talent is a given, however, nowadays it is not enough for an organisation to attract potential employees and convince them that the company is a good place to work. HR professionals have to aim beyond this by demonstrating that ‘this is a great place to work’. Inspiring and motivating employees is a shared responsibility between leaders, managers and HR, however HR plays a critical role in helping engage employees and build trust and commitment with them. This is done by ensuring that the right HR policies and practices are in place that tie in employees for the long term.
In reality, HR does not always get the opportunity to add value in this way. HR is often seen as nothing more than an administrative function. This may be for a number of reasons. HR doesn’t get a seat at the leadership table, the role of HR is not understood and unfortunately the capability and skill level of some HR professionals. Because HR is seen as an administrative function, it often ends up as a place for people with the wrong skill set and this just adds to the vicious circle of not bring appreciated, not being able to make a difference, not being valued and most importantly not being involved by the business when it matters the most.
In today’s tough business environment, organisations should be looking to HR professionals to lead initiatives that improve workforce performance, productivity, and satisfaction. Organisations that align their HR practices with the most critical business issues will have the greatest impact on business results.
This is a huge shift from where many HR departments are today so the change won’t happen overnight. HR departments and HR professionals need to start look internally to identify the gaps between of where we are today and where we want to be in the future.
PeopleFirst HR Consultancy was set up in 2008 in the middle of the recession by our visionary Managing Director Asma Bajawa who saw an opportunity and started the business with her own capital investment. PeopleFirst is now firmly established as one of the leading HR Consultancies in the region and we have already partnered with and successfully competed against some of the well-known global consultancies including the big four.
A testament to this success is the recent 2016 nomination from one of the UAE’s leading women’s publications – Emirates Woman – who have nominated Asma Bajawa for her outstanding leadership and personal business achievements throughout her 30 year career in the category of VISIONARY. You are invited to vote and recognize Asma and other women nominated for their achievements, nominee wins based on public vote.
The economy depends on businesses to maintain growth which in turn requires a motivated and engaged workforce to drive expansion and success.
Successful businesses understand this which is why they:
use technology to streamline administrative tasks
have specific policies and procedures in place to optimise HR practices
and typically engage at least one senior HR professional and other support staff to maximise people and performance
Smaller businesses are as dependent as large multinational corporations on the talent and motivation of their people to grow and succeed — perhaps even more so. However, small businesses generally do not have the same HR resources at their disposal and it can be a challenge for many companies to access a team of HR professionals or the latest HR technology and resources to drive productivity and efficiencies.
Many businesses find it challenging to justify HR outsourcing services due to budgetary constraints. Investment in HR information systems, professional training resources and programs that are designed to enhance performance and develop employees can prove to be a stumbling block as the ROI may not be instantaneous. As a result, investment in HR is not always regarded with the highest strategic importance but this is where HR outsourcing can add value and how we can help.
Through HR outsourcing, your business can access HR resources and expertise that is tailored to your budget. HR outsourcing services provided by PeopleFirst HR Consultancy will give your business an advantage as our flexible HR solutions enable your business to become more competitive, especially in today’s uncertain economic times.
Our HR outsourcing team would function as a your full-service HR department, offering professional HR guidance and resources that would streamline your HR administration, optimise your HR practices, and maximize people and performance, all from one source. The result? Sustainable business success and a competitive advantage. Are you ready to streamline your HR administration, optimise HR practices and maximize people and performance? In other words – are you ready to outsource your HR? Contact us today.
UAE’s leading magazines Aquarius spoke to HR experts, including PeopleFirst HR Consultancy Managing Director, Asma Bajawa about the top three things that affect the lives as career women – motivation, work/life balance and gender equality – this is what Asma had to say.
British, MD of HR consultancy People First, and mum to Mohsin, 32, and Safinaz, 29
We recently came across a tongue-in-cheek article by The Cooper Report called ‘Non-threatening Leadership Strategies For Women’. Its ‘advice’ included putting smiley faces in emails to try come across as more friendly, and not being too direct when setting a deadline so as not to come across as too bossy. Although it was satire, it made us realise how many of these things we do daily at work, and yes, it probably is to make people like us more. We asked MD of People First whether women tend to shy away from assertiveness at work in a way that men don’t, and what this means… The gender divide at work
“There’s no denying that the gender equality movement across the GCC still has a long way to go. So the issue isn’t whether women shy away from assertiveness or not, the issue is not having a balanced scale of equality. When men and women both have an equal chance to contribute to the economy, workplace, community and home, they are enhancing an entire society and country. Thankfully, the work culture and professional values in the UAE are changing rapidly; not only are we seeing more women in the workplace, we are seeing more women in senior management roles and as business entrepreneurs. At the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, women constitute 43 per cent of its investors, while the city’s businesswomen’s association boasts 14,000 members. In the past 10 years we have seen women taking on government positions with Shaikha Lubna Bint Khalid Bin Sultan Al Qasimi, appointed as Minister for Economy and Planning in November 2004 and subsequently promoted to her current post as Minister of Foreign Trade. Shaikha Lubna holds the distinction of being the first woman to hold a ministerial post in the country and her efforts have led her to be rated within the Forbes magazine’s 100 Most Powerful Women.
“This is all great progress. Research shows that companies with gender equality perform better and this is the key to achieving sustained economic growth.
“Gender equality and gender inclusiveness should be encouraged across the UAE if organisations want to be progressive, fair and benefit from gender diversity. This will take time and requires patience. Changing mindsets which have been shaped and influenced by decades of tradition will take years to change, however development in recent years are showing promising trends in the right direction.
“In my opinion, today’s challenging business environment demands both men and women to perform at their best. Men and women must be able to engage with others in a collaborative manner so that they can work together and focus on what the individual brings rather than what gender he or she is.”
We would like to thank everyone who attended our strategic HR workshop on 27th September “HR – A Paradigm “; the contributions, inputs and questions from all attendees were very much appreciated.
The workshop was delivered by our Managing Director, Asma Bajawa, and HR Consultant Sabahat Ahmed both of whom spoke about the transition of the HR function, evolving trends in HR, HR business partnering and how HR can truly add value to an organisation.
We are aware that many of you signed up for our workshop however we were only able to accommodate a certain number of people in order to provide you with the highest quality of training. We are currently developing a series of HR workshops that aim to cover the following topics:
HR for non HR Managers
Organisation Design
Manpower Planning
Recruitment & Selection
Performance Management
Training Needs Analysis
If you are interested in one or more of these workshops, please contact usand let us know which one.
In today’s busy and often uncertain times, why are people willing to give up their own time to mentor or coach others at no cost or perceived benefit for themselves? Is this a one way street? Some will even argue that despite having the support of a Coach or Mentor, they still have to do things for themselves. So what’s the benefit in that?
Coaching and Mentoring are often used as interchangeable words however there is a difference. Before we look the importance of these very valuables activities, let’s identify what the key differences are so that we can differentiate and better understand the benefits for everyone involved.
Mentoring
Mentoring tends to be focused on the relationship between the Mentor and the Mentee and seeks to provide a safe environment for the Mentee to discuss or share any issues that may affect his/her professional and personal development .
The relationship between the Mentor and Mentee tends to be for a longer period of time and can continue indefinitely.
The nature of meetings can be more informal and meetings tend to take place when the Mentee needs advice, support or guidance.
The agenda is set by the mentee, with the Mentor providing support and guidance to prepare them for future roles.
The Mentor is usually a more senior person with more experience and/or qualification than the Mentee.
A Mentor is like a sounding board. S/he can give advice but the Mentee is free to pick and choose what they do.
Coaching
Coaching tends to be task orientated focusing on developing a specific issue or area of development and provides an opportunity for the Coachee to develop his/her skills by learning from the Coach.
The relationship between Coach and Coachee tends to be for a shorter, fixed period of time.
The nature of meetings are more structured and tend to take place on a more regular basis.
The agenda is focused on achieving specific, immediate goals.
The Coach does not need to have experience in the Coachees job role, unless the coaching is specific and skills-focused.
A Coach tries to direct a person to an end result, The Coachee may choose how to get there, but the Coach assesses and monitors progress giving advice when needed.
Whatever the differences, both coaching and mentoring have a very valid role to play in today’s work environment. For years, coaching and mentoring programmes have been used as a way to guide people and to transfer knowledge from one person to another.
So let’s look at some of the benefits for everyone involved; the Coach, the Coachee, the Mentor, the Mentee and the Organisation.
Employee Morale
Coaching and mentoring can have a direct impact on increasing an employee’s morale which in turn can help boost an employee’s commitment to the organisation. This can ultimately result in an increase in performance, productivity and potentially, retention.
Organisational Culture
Getting to understand and embrace the culture of a new organisation can sometimes prove to be very difficult and a new employee can really benefit from having someone they can go to for information. Both the Coach and Mentor can to be an excellent source of information. This can include more formal information such as the organisation structure, company policies and procedures but equally as important, they can share information about things that aren’t written into a manual or covered in the induction programme; The ‘how things work around here’ and the do’s and don’ts of the organisation.
Knowledge Transfer
Both coaching and mentoring programmes can provide employees with knowledge and insights that cannot be learnt in the classroom or by reading a book. By sharing real-life examples and on the job knowledge, these interventions can bridge the gap between theory and actual business practices.
Skills Development
Taking advantage of the expertise and knowledge of experienced professionals can help bring younger or less experienced employees up to speed very quickly. On top of developing employees, coaching and mentoring can improve the overall performance of a team by helping to identify the strengths and weaknesses of each employee. Mangers can then use this to capitalize on the resources within the team
Retention
Coaching and mentoring programmes can encourage loyalty to the company. Through mentoring in particular, senior, more experienced professionals can help to mould the career of a Mentee and as a result the individual is likely to feel a greater sense of connection and commitment to the organisation
Leadership Skills
The Coach and Mentor can also benefit from these programmes as the process can help to enhance their leadership skills and help them stay in touch with the day to day reality of the business across all levels of the organisation
Sense of Satisfaction
Those serving as the Coach or Mentor can gain a lot of personal and professional satisfaction by sharing their expertise with others. Having acted as both a Coach and Mentor, the satisfaction achieved in helping and guiding someone else by using your own experience and expertise is a very motivating and rewarding feeling
So what are the key skills and attributes you should look for when picking a Coach or Mentor to work with you to support your development?
Chemistry between both parties is very important so don’t ignore this however here are my top tips of what you should look for when selecting your Coach or Mentor.
A good Mentor will:
Lead by example
Motivate and inspire you
Give advice based on experience
Be prepared to give you open honest feedback
Have a good network of people to tap into
Be a seasoned professional and teach you what you can’t learn in the classroom
Has time and energy and the desire to help you achieve / succeed
A good Coach will:
Be organised and process driven
Be committed to supporting your development
Be a good listener
Be prepared to give you open honest feedback
Be knowledgeable / skilled
Be patient and flexible
Be firm and realistic
What is Succession Planning?
Succession planning is the process whereby an organisation ensures that employees are recruited and developed to fill each key role within the company. In any succession planning process, you should look for employees whom you can develop by increasing their knowledge, skills, and abilities, and prepare them for an advancement or promotion into ever more challenging roles in the business.
Actively ensuring succession planning guarantees that employees are constantly developed to fill each needed role in the organisation. As a company expands, loses key employees, creates new job opportunities – succession planning assures that employees are ready and available to fill new roles.
Who Needs Succession Planning?
All organisations, no matter their size, need succession planning. While it is less likely that you will have potential successors for every role in a 10 person company, you can minimally cross-train, which will keep the mission on track if a key employee leaves.
Many companies have not introduced the concept of succession planning in their organisations. Others plan informally and verbally for succession for key roles. The advantage to a more formalised system is that there is more of a commitment to groom and develop an employee so that they are ready to take over. Organisationally, it allows all managers to know who the key employees are in all areas of the business, which allows them to consider strong players when any key role opens up.
Effective, proactive succession planning leaves your organization well prepared for all contingencies. Successful succession planning builds bench strength.
Develop Employees for Succession Planning
To develop the employees needed for succession planning, you can use such practices as lateral moves, assignment to special projects, team leadership roles, and both internal and external training and development opportunities.
Through the succession planning process, you also retain higher performing employees because they appreciate the time, attention, and development that you are investing in them. Employees are motivated and engaged when they can see a career path for their continued growth and development.
Are you ready to start succession planning in your organisation? Contact us today.
Thank you to everyone who visited us at the 4th Annual Gov HR Summit which took place in Abu Dhabi at the Emirates Palace Hotel.
The UAE’s Minister of Happiness, Ohood Al Roumi, says this about her role and what she is trying to achieve during her time in office:
“Happiness is a serious job for governments,” said Ms Al Roumi. “The main job for the government is to create happiness. In 2011, the UN encouraged the member countries to look at happiness for a holistic approach for development.”
Ms Al Roumi, said: “The role of the government is to create an environment where people can flourish – can reach their potential – and choose to be happy.”
During the World Government Summit in Dubai earlier this year, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, announced that Minister of State for Happiness will have the responsibility to “align and drive government policy to create social good and satisfaction”.
“We want a government that works on building the skills of its people, aside from providing services … a government focused on putting the happiness of citizens at the forefront of its priorities,” Sheikh Mohammed.
The UAE is ranked as the 28th happiest country in the world, according to last year’s UN World Happiness Report. Denmark, Switzerland and Iceland occupied the top three slots. The UAE was the happiest country in the region. READ MORE >>
Continuing our partnership with the American University in Dubai (AUD), PeopleFirst once again designed and evaluated a term project for the students enrolled in two…
