DUBAI –

Aon, a leading global professional services firm providing a broad range of risk, retirement and health solutions, has announced the results of its Best Employers Middle East study for 2018.

The most comprehensive employer benchmarking program of its kind in the region, the study has revealed that Best Employers in the Middle East once again lead across a number of business-critical indices, including organizational agility (85% versus 69% market average), engaging leadership (83% versus 69%) and talent focus (82% versus 63%), reflecting their commitment to employee engagement as a strategic business function.

Aon Best Employers also continue to excel in employee engagement, with a score of 84%, compared to the market average of 67%. In addition, Best Employers were found to have 3.5 times lower attrition rates and ranked 24 percentage points higher than the general market for their focus on retaining talent for the future (83% versus 59%). Best Employers also report 50% higher total shareholder return (TSR) than the market average – reflecting the impact a highly engaged workforce has on overall business performance.

Aon assessed participating organizations against its regional database of more than 350 organizations and 275,000 employees. Best Employers Middle East 2018 were selected based on ranking consistently high levels for employee engagement, organizational agility, engaging leadership and strong talent focus. For the first time this year, two companies were also awarded ‘Honorable Mentions’ in recognition of excelling in one of the four Best Employers indices.

The Aon Best Employers in the Middle East for 2018 are:

Christopher Page, CEO, Talent, Rewards & Performance, Aon Middle East and Africa, said: “Stronger employee engagement provides the unique opportunity to significantly contribute towards the digital transformation of organizations. Our Best Employers Study not only serves as a credible benchmark to effectively measure and track employee engagement, but we also provide the expertise to delve deeper into the results and help organizations maximize this data for success.”

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Through increased visibility, organizations can implement a continuous feedback loop that will allow them to establish continued dialogue with their employees and futureproof their business against impending talent deficits. After all, the research proves that organizations with a more engaged, agile culture outperform others across business-critical areas including profit, talent retention and sales growth.”

In the face of impending digitalization across all sectors, an agile, innovative culture and the ability to adapt quickly will have a profound effect on long-term organizational survival. 80% of employees at Best Employers believe their organization is developing a workforce that adapts well to change (market average, 69%), while 90% feel their workplace is highly responsive to the changing needs of customers (market average, 78%). In addition, 86% believe their workplaces foster a culture that is inclusive of diverse backgrounds and ways of thinking, compared to just 67% of other companies.

— SG

Organizations are increasingly understanding the importance of a productive and engaged workforce in creating competitive advantage and futureproofing their business for success. 89% of employees at Best Employers consider their organization to be one of the best places to work – a lead of 15 percentage points over the rest of the market, while 85% of employees also reported feeling encouraged and motivated by their managers (market average, 71%). Further, employees at Best Employers are more willing to stay with their organization, as compared to the rest of the market (79% versus 62%, market average).

In a market where attracting and retaining the right talent is becoming increasingly competitive, 82% of employees at Best Employers feel their organization is attracting the right people (market average, 63%). Not only do Best Employers also lead the market by 21 percentage points for actively supporting talent development, 86% of employees also feel their performance management process does a good job of identifying their strengths and improvement areas (market average, 60%).

In marked contrast to the general market, 83% of employees at Best Employers report that their senior leadership makes them excited about the future of the organization (market average, 64%), with the same number also believing that their senior leadership provides a clear vision for the company (market average, 66%). Leadership at Best Employers also rank 16 percentage points higher for transparency, while 84% of people said their managers provide the support that they need to strive for high performance (market average, 71%).

Speaking about the study, Khalid Youssef, Associate Partner and Employee Engagement Practice Lead, Aon Middle East & Africa, said: “This year, we’ve seen a 26% increase in the number of participants in the Aon Best Employers study – reflecting the increasing awareness across the region of the value an engaged workforce brings to an organization. Aon Best Employers not only measure engagement, they are also committed to implementing targeted action plans that help deliver an elevated employee engagement. Our research shows that happier, more engaged employees create competitive advantage in the long-term, and it is promising to see businesses becoming more aware of this correlation.” — SG