2022 has seen a transformation of business and organizational structures, dramatically changing the concept of work, workplace and workforce. That led to the emergence of new trends, and words like reset, re-imagine, and re-invent became the talk of the business world.
As we enter a new era of work — shrinking budgets, environmental and geopolitical instability, and macroeconomic uncertainty — HR leaders will face more complex challenges in 2023 than ever before.
Adopting a future-first strategy will therefore enable companies and leaders to survive and thrive in an ever-evolving workplace and workforce. Read along chapters in the #Flashback2022 series to revisit and review our most read leadership interviews with HR leaders from the Middle East who shared their insights to effectively guide and build the future of work.
1. The State of Digital Transformation in Saudi Arabia: An Interview with Yasser N Alobaidan of Jawraa
Fueled by its commitment to transformation and innovation, Saudi Arabia is steadily increasing its focus on digital transformation. Read his conversation with Jawraa CEO Yasser N Alobaidan to learn more about what is driving the country’s glorious progress in digital transformation.
2. Bringing the HR Digital Revolution to the Workplace: An Interview with Dr. EbrahimAlKhajeh, Head of Human Resources, Director General of Customs, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
From sharing key trends to highlighting the must-have qualities forward-looking leaders must adopt to transform their businesses of the future. In an exclusive conversation with us, Dr. Ebrahim Al Khajeh, Human Resources Director at the Directorate General of Customs, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, discusses how organizations are adopting transformative leadership strategies to thrive in this digital age. We share some detailed insights on what you can do. Read along to learn more.
3. Why DEI needs to be adopted as more than a trend for 2023: An interview with Nadine El-Hadad, Head of Human Resources, Unilever MENA
Read on for an exclusive interview with Nadine El-Hadad, Director of HR at Unilever MENA, to understand why diversity, equity and inclusion need to be the core principles of the future of work. To bring your true self to work every day.
Four. A rich and attractive EX is essential to retain valuable talent: Nouf Al Sowaidi, The Oil & Gas Holding Company
Read our conversation with Nouf Al Sowaidi, Group CHRO of The Oil & Gas Holding Company (Bahrain). She discusses innovative ways organizations can build a strong and capable workforce and the resources they must have to make an appeal. She gets the right talent and stays in the talent battle.
Five. Companies must embed ‘holistic well-being’ into their culture and values: Marie-Louise Ek, PepsiCo
To understand why creating a consequential employee experience has become imperative and learn about PepsiCo’s EX best practices in line with employee and business expectations, Marie, Senior Director, HR Africa, Middle East and South Asia – See Correspondence with Louise Ek. – PepsiCo, more.
6. Employee-centric technology with a lens that adds insight and value will be the focus: Oracle’s Chris Havrilla
In an interview with us, Oracle’s Chris Havrilla explained some of the key factors that contributed to the emergence of the hybrid work model, the role of technology in supporting HR Tech, and how CHROs have adapted to modern technology tools to succeed in hybrid. shed light on how to world of work. Please check this out for details.
7. Samir Maldini talks about designing EX for people to thrive
In this interview with Samir Mardini, Partner-People Advisory Services at EY, we look at how we can design experiences for moments that matter. Through discussion, we explored how HR can move from a process-driven mindset to a mindset that always starts with the experiences of HR’s customers, Talent.
8. Case Study: How KPMG Lower Gulf Builds a 360 Person Experience to Retain Employees
Over the past five years, KPMG Lower Gulf has seen a 31% increase in female employees and a 36% increase in UAE nationals. Over the past two years, the company has seen a 40% increase in women in management positions and a 136% increase in Emirati female colleagues. Read this exclusive interview with Ashutosh Sinha, his CHRO at KPMG Lower Gulf, to discuss the experience of 360 employees and the tremendous impact it has on the company’s retention and diversity metrics.
9. Korn Ferry: Inflation will only make war worse
In an exclusive interview with Korn Ferry Digital, Vijay Gandhi, Regional Director for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) at Korn Ferry Digital, discusses the ongoing talent war and other areas of global talent acquisition and compensation and benefits. We share some insights on the changing dynamics.Geopolitical phenomena such as recessions and inflation
10. Attracting top talent requires providing a quality of life: an interview with His Excellency Mohammed Ali Al Shorafa
His Excellency Al Shorafa discusses some of the policies that make Abu Dhabi a favorable location for building a global workforce, his views on skilled foreign workers and the growing demand in the region, among others. increase. Read along to find out more!
11. Leaders League: Updates with Emad Al Abrani, National Bank of Kuwait
Emad Al Abrani, General Manager of Human Resources at Head Group, answers a variety of questions about his motivations for joining HR and shares some highlights from his HR journey so far. Read this interesting conversation.
12. Leadership must be flexible, adaptable and collaborative for an organization to build a competitive advantage: Hanan Abdulkarim, SAP
In a candid conversation, Hanan Abdulkarim, vice president of human resources for SAP Middle East North, discusses the evolution of leadership over the past few years, its impact on various organizational functions, and how leaders demonstrate agility while managing healthy boundaries. I share my thoughts on how to balance their team.
13. A purposeful culture needs a strong foundation of core values: Maan Fatani, GCHRO, MEPCO
Maan Fatani, Group CHRO of Saudi Arabia’s Middle East Paper Company, shares insightful strategies for building a high-performance work culture in an exclusive conversation with us. Read along to learn interesting highlights from the interview!
16. Tarek Lotfy on Building Relevant Organizations to Work
In this tete-a-tete with Tarek Lotfy, CEO of IMETA, Mercer explores building a people-centered work culture, building trustworthy organizations, and empowering leaders to become the workforce’s new priorities to lead the future of work. Talk about how you need to adapt to
17. Debra Teles Leading Workplace Culture Change at Al-Ghurair Investment
One of the Middle East’s largest family business groups puts culture at the heart of its transformation, accelerating its path to becoming the best true employer. Vice President of Al Ghurair Investment’s People & Culture Group, he read this interview with Debra Teles to discuss some of the key initiatives as part of the cultural change and what it means for the company’s talent. I’m talking about impact.
18. Case study: How a Riyadh gaming company builds a people-first culture
To find out more about this new-age company looking to disrupt the MENA region’s million-dollar market, hear from Sandsoft Games’ Head of People & Culture on what makes Sandsoft Games such a dream company. We spoke with Miquel Muñoz Giménez, Through our conversations, it became clear that people are at the core of his Sandsoft and that a people-centric culture allows the company to foster an environment where diverse people work together and thrive. read!
19. Learning Revolution to Achieve Saudi Vision 2030: Sofiane RamalMe
In this interview with Sophian Ramali, we discuss the current state of skills and training in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the efforts organizations need to scale to prepare their workforce for the future, and the region’s revolution in skills to meet its goals. Decipher how to cause Vision 2030.
20. Digital literacy is a key ability to keep up with changes in the business world: Riad Baroudy, CHRO, United Steel Industrial Company (Kuwait Steel)
Riad Baroudy, CHRO of United Steel Industrial Company (Kuwait Steel) discusses building and maintaining high performing, innovative teams at scale, digital HR trends, the importance of employer branding, and agile leadership share insights about Read along to learn more.
twenty one. Redesigning Total Rewards for the Post-COVID Era: An Interview with Waleed N. Al-Ghonaim, Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, KSA
To reflect on the profound workplace changes across the Middle East region and delve into its core tenets of redesigning a robust compensation system for a future-oriented workforce, ETHRWorld International recently hired Waleed N. Al-Ghonaim Assistant Deputy Minister – Talked to Skills. & Training Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, KSA.
twenty two. How SABIC is investing in future-leading leadership
In this interview, Abdulaziz Al-Oudan, Executive Vice President – Human Resources, SABIC, discusses how SABIC, a Fortune 500 company and global leader in the chemical industry, is building the next generation of leaders to lead the future. It explains how read more.
twenty three. Leading the Future of Work: An Interview with Emma Davies, CHRO at Masafi Water
As we enter a new era of rapidly evolving ways of working, today’s organizations and their leaders are rethinking and redesigning how they lead into the future of work. Similarly, in an exclusive interview with us, Masafi Water’s Chief Human Resources Officer, Emma Davies, shares insights on how to influence and pave the way for the future of work through leadership. Read on to know more!
follow #Flashback2022 ETHRWorld Middle East shares roundups and insights on this year’s most notable trends!