Four Top GCC Companies Highlight Flexible Policies, Awareness as Key to Diversity in the Workplace

Changing perceptions of women in leadership roles, acquiring and retaining local female talent, and overcoming practical challenges in terms of logistics and infrastructure are key issues that employers in the GCC face. These are the findings of a report conducted by The Pearl Initiative, a forerunner of women’s empowerment in the Gulf.

Titled ‘Women’s Careers in the GCC – Four Good Practice Case Studies’ –  the report focuses on various aspects of female employment, through surveys of four of the region’s leading companies - General Electric (GE), Olayan Group, Pepsico and Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) - each a leader in their domain. The participants also shared best practices that ensure inclusion and diversity in the workplace while discussing the strategies they devised to acquire and retain top female talent, thereby achieving stronger governance.

The results suggest that an integrated approach involving schools and universities, aggressive awareness drives at multiple levels, implementing supportive infrastructure and work environment, family engagement as well as women-specific policies and programmes are the most effective ways to address the challenges of female employment. Developing more role models from the region, creating women-centric opportunities, investing in segregated offices and other useful services at the workplace, and organising transportation to and from work are a few of the strategies companies can adopt to create an enabling work environment.

Carla Koffel, Executive Director of The Pearl Initiative, said: “In the recent years, women in the Gulf region have been breaking through the glass ceiling at a growing pace, increasingly taking on top government and private sector jobs. Yet, even with scores of highly qualified women graduating from universities in the region every year, female participation at the decision-making level still remains low. The private sector clearly plays a pivotal role in driving change.”
As a leading independent, not-for-profit, by-business for-business organisation, The Pearl Initiative works across the Gulf region to improve corporate accountability and transparency through good governance best practices, including positioning women in leadership roles.

Nabil Habayeb, GE’s President & CEO for the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey, said: “The launch of the report on ‘Women Careers in the GCC’ by the Pearl Initiative is an important step in setting the landscape in job creation for women in the region, and a way forward to further strengthen opportunities that will empower them with high quality and rewarding careers. As a key partner in the socio-economic growth of the region, we have taken concerted steps over the years to strengthen the participation of women in our regional teams.

“Committed to workplace diversity, we focus on hiring high achievers, building their skills, creating career pathways, providing networking opportunities, and supporting them through female talent development programs. We have steadily increased our team of senior female talent, and we will continue to roll out strategic initiatives led by our supportive and inclusive approach.”

The Pearl Initiative’s goal is particularly important in today’s economic landscape given that diversity breeds innovation, creativity, and business sustainability. In fact, industry experts find that companies which practice diversity in leadership enjoy better financial returns and higher profitability. 

In April 2015, The Pearl Initiative released a breakthrough report titled Women’s Careers in the GCC: The CEO Agenda, based on the findings of a Gulf-wide research programme conducted in partnership with the Sharjah Business Women Council. The study revealed that working women in the GCC are as ambitious and career-driven as their counterparts in the rest of the world, with over 50 per cent of those surveyed aiming at senior or board-level positions within the next seven years.

In addition, The Pearl Initiative invited top business leaders in the Gulf region to take a business pledge during their second regional forum, Sustainability in Action: Business and the Sustainable Development Goals, hosted in collaboration with the United Nations Global Compact in late October 2016. ‘The Business Pledge’ serves as both a commitment to and a guide on the Private Sector’s journey towards responsible growth, and suggests practical and implementable solutions across four areas, namely: Setting Targets for Sustainable and Responsible Growth, a More Inclusive Workplace, Promoting Integrity, and Collaborations & Partnerships.

The case studies continue this vein of governance-focused development, closely analysing the region-specific issues faced by companies over a period of time and sharing insights on the most effective measures used to address them.

GE, whose female workforce has reached 100 since hiring the first woman employee in 2009, recruits high achievers and boosts career growth through actively encouraging employees to take up challenges and reap the rewards. The company has created a growth-supportive environment combining classroom learning with live project responsibilities as well as individual coaching and career planning.

Having firmly established itself as a pioneer of female employment in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Olayan Group helps young ambitious women rise on the career ladder. The group has successfully increased the number of women in managerial or executive roles more than threefold in the last 15 years.

In less than a decade, the percentage of female employees in Pepsico’s Saudi office increased from five to 20, with women holding four out of 12 positions on the leadership team. The company has adopted a tailor-made gender diversity and inclusion programme with four main focus areas: improving work/life balance, nurturing a culture of understanding by setting the right tone, creating opportunities for women and communication.

Through implementing a multi-faceted programme promoting inclusion and diversity, PDO has succeeded in ensuring that a third of its directorial team - four out of 15 directors - comprises women, both in technical and non-technical roles. Today, the company has a 50:50 gender ratio of entry-level petroleum engineers, including the first female Omani driller, and a balanced talent pool at junior and mid-career levels.

The Pearl Initiative summarised the findings of the case studies under two broad headings:

• critical issues faced by companies in the  GCC region
• recommendations based on the outcome of the research

While the studies have found acquisition and retention of the right female talent to be the biggest challenge, they also suggest a solution for employers in the form of adopting five best practices: 

• Creating balanced corporate culture by setting stage for diversity in the workplace and providing role models.
• Investing in building career paths through structured career planning, mentorship and networking.
• Improving work/life balance through implementing flexible work policies and offering support systems.
• Adopting HR policies that ensure equality, such as harassment prevention, making facilities more women-friendly.
• Taking on the role of advocates of female employment within the wider community by proactively increasing awareness, launching initiatives and, in general, acting as ambassadors.

The findings of the case studies as well as the level of ongoing participation in the Business Pledge prove that there is a real need for and interest in achieving gender diversity in the region, which meets with increasing acceptance and encouragement at all levels. Through its multi-level interventions, Pearl Initiative is committed to changing the mindset of the entire regional business and student community in favour of diversity in the workplace.