Weber Shandwick MENA among top ten ‘Best Workplaces in the UAE’ for sixth year running

Weber Shandwick MENA has been officially recognised as one of the ‘Best 30 Workplaces in the UAE’ for 2019 by Great Place to Work®, a global research, Human Resources consultancy firm that identifies the best workplaces in over 50 countries worldwide. Weber Shandwick MENA took seventh spot this year making it the agency’s sixth consecutive appearance in top ten.

The official list, which was announced recently during an awards ceremony at Jumeirah Zabeel Saray, is a ranking of the nation’s 30 best employers based on the confidential feedback of employees and an audit of management policies and practices. 

Part of the Middle East Communications Network (MCN) and the Interpublic Group, Weber Shandwick MENA is a leading communications agency with a network covering 11 markets. Specialists in developing pan-Arab, regional and international campaigns, in recent years the firm’s diverse team of analysts, campaign activators, designers and strategists has won some of the most prestigious awards in the region. Weber Shandwick MENA offers expertise across sectors and specialty areas, including consumer marketing, corporate reputation, healthcare, technology, public affairs, banking and financial services, corporate social responsibility, and crisis management, using proprietary social, digital and analytics methodologies. 

“We are delighted to be honoured in the top ten for the sixth consecutive year by Great Place to Work UAE®. This is a very special achievement for all of us and is testament to the outstanding work culture we have created at Weber Shandwick MENA. Our employees are key to our ongoing success and it is paramount we foster a work environment and culture where they feel listened to and supported; we will continue to invest in their development and well-being. In a time when the market is rapidly evolving, an engaged employee is an extremely valuable asset, and we will spare no effort in ensuring our award-winning teams’ continued growth,” said Ghaleb Zeidan, Managing Director Weber Shandwick UAE.  

Weber Shandwick MENA CEO, Ziad Hasbani, added: “Making the top ten for the sixth year in a row is a real achievement. Whilst our teams support their clients, it is our responsibility to provide a healthy and positive work environment. Our UAE management team remains focused on employee well-being and development - a key factor behind the often award-winning work we deliver for our clients. The energy at our offices is almost tangible and our colleagues should be extremely proud of this latest recognition.”

To select the ‘Best Workplaces in the UAE’, Great Place to Work conducts an evaluation of each participating company. Two-thirds of the company’s score is based on the results of the Institute’s proprietary Trust Index© survey, which is sent to the employees of each company. The survey asks questions related to their attitudes about the management’s credibility, employee engagement and job satisfaction. The other third of the scoring is based on the company’s responses to the Institute’s Culture Audit©, which includes detailed questions about pay and benefits programs and a series of open-ended questions about hiring, communication, and development.

Each entry is judged according to performance in eight key areas: Leadership, wellbeing, giving something back, personal growth, fair deal and how members of staff feel towards their manager, company and team. 

Commenting on this year’s Best Workplaces list, Maha Zaatari, Managing Director of Great Place to Work in the UAE, said: “The Best Workplaces list recognises organisations that have demonstrated a truly serious commitment to creating workplaces that foster trust, pride and 
camaraderie amongst their employees. Every organisation that made it onto the list should be proud of this noteworthy accomplishment. Based on our annual benchmarking study, we can say, without a doubt, that these 30 companies are the best workplaces in the UAE. Congratulations to all the list makers.”