GCC jobs: the best workplaces for millennials in 2022

Dubai-based furniture chain The One has been named the best workplace for millennials in the GCC in 2022, as companies in the region continue to focus on employee well-being, work-life balance and learning opportunities in the post-pandemic era, a survey by management consultancy Great Place to Work showed.

Dubai Police Academy, financial services provider Century Financial, international fast-food chain McDonald's and Hady Express Exchange round out the top five best companies for millennials — those born between 1981 and 1996 — to work, said the survey, which was released on Tuesday.

“The organisations that made it to the list have proven that employee well-being does not need to be compromised in order to achieve growth, in fact, both go hand-in-hand,” the survey said.

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Luxury retailer Chalhoub Group is the best company to work for in the UAE this year, according to LinkedIn. Photo: Chris Whiteoak / The National

“Maintaining employee well-being in a post-pandemic era is not plain sailing; hence these organisations exerted tremendous efforts.”

The annual survey, which polled millennial employees on a range of topics, included companies in sectors such as retail, social services, government agencies, transport, finance and media.

Since the Covid-19 pandemic began in 2020, employees and job candidates have been increasingly requesting to work from home at least two days a week in addition to asking for flexible hours and training opportunities, recruitment company Robert Half said in its 2022 salary guide.

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Last week, a survey by global consultancy PwC found that professionals in the Middle East are prioritising opportunities to improve their skills as well as seeking transparency, flexibility and well-being in the workplace.

However, the region’s millennials are the most likely age group to request both pay rises and promotions — or leave to seek a new employer that meets their requests, PwC said.

“With 30 per cent of respondents in the Middle East very likely to look for a new job within the next year, versus 19 per cent globally, factors such as flexible working, trust and transparency, well-being and promoting a culture of openness are increasingly integral to the war for talent,” the consultancy added.

Meanwhile, GCC companies that ranked in the top 30 Great Place to Work survey focused on creative ways to connect with employees to build a “solid foundation of trust” and sense of belonging, as well as providing staff with learning opportunities.

“The stability that was granted to [employees] throughout the year provided them with the chance to get inspired and grow mentally and physically while seeking to uphold the success of their work-life balance,” the survey said.

Consistent communication and recognising millennial employees when they least expect it are also key to boosting workplace morale, it added.

Some companies in the top 30 list also provided a more sustainable environment that allowed employees to prosper.

“Despite the challenges we have faced during the pandemic, we are proud to witness even more continuous growth in employee culture awareness among leaders in the UAE and the Middle East in general,” said Ibrahim Mougharbel, managing director for the UAE, Qatar, Oman and Kuwait at Great Place to Work Middle East.

“Our best workplaces for this year have persevered through the time of unprecedented upheaval and have continued to persevere post-pandemic and we are here to celebrate them.”