RIYADH — On March 25, 2021, Great Place to Work — a global research, training and consultancy firm that recognizes the Best Workplaces in over 60 countries worldwide —revealed its annual list of ‘Best Workplaces in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’ for the year 2021. The list recognized the top 30 companies with outstanding workplace cultures. This year brought about many challenges across all industries around the world. In all instances, organizations had to struggle to meet the demands of the ongoing pandemic to maintain business productivity. Our Best Workplaces list for this year celebrates heroes that have gone above and beyond in ensuring their employees are their top priority. Securing the No, 1 spot for this year is Cisco — after moving up a rank from the previous year. Cisco was able to utilize what they are good at to support not only their employees but their community at large and there is no doubt this organization seized this time as an opportunity to allow their technology to grow to benefit their people. Within that framework, communication platforms at Cisco guaranteed employees’ voices were heard and technological advancement at the organization also ensured the safety and wellbeing of frontline workers. A leading partner for luxury across the Middle East, Chalhoub Group, ranked second on our Best Workplaces list for this year. The organization asserted workplace culture as they maintained constant internal communication and transparency. The organization launched regular surveys for valuable employee feedback and recognized employees for their efforts. They did not go easy on their employees as they continuously supported their people while providing them with the means to grow and develop; there is no doubt that Chalhoub Group went the extra mile to showcase employee talents and unique attributes. Ranked third for this year is Dar Al Riyadh, an organization that went by the words: people before profit. It was made clear Dar Al Riyadh took every little detail into consideration before setting action plans, which instilled in their employees a sense of belonging. When it came to health and safety, their efforts were no different as action plans were forcefully carried out by highest authority with one goal in mind: to always put people first. An organization designed for resilience, not only efficiency: Al Dabbagh Group (in fourth place) provided constant care across all levels on the organization to provide employees with the security and stability they required during this turbulent time. Employees were granted all requirements they needed to work from home and were recognized and appreciated for their efforts in tackling the pandemic. In fifth place, Hilton — a leading global hospitality company, made sure to empower their people by offering training and development programs as well as wellness initiatives. Continuously abiding by these motives, it is of no surprise that Hilton was able to bring out the best in their people. Ranking from 6th to 10th place on the list were The Dow Company, Landmark Arabia, DHL Express, Charity Committee for Orphans Care (ENSAN), and Sara Group, respectively. Rounding out the final 20 positions on the list were Amgen, AutoWorld, Tawal, Alkhabeer Capital, United Cooperative Assurance, Saudi Contractors Authority, AbbVie Biopharmaceuticals GmbH, Aqalat, MSD Pharmaceuticals, Servier, SEDCO Holding, Basamh Group, Communication and Information Technology Commission, Capital Market Authority, Mayar, Maersk, Al Majed Oud, Apparel Group, Saudi Industrial Development Fund, Sudair Pharmaceuticals. Commenting on this year’s Best Workplaces list, Tanzeel Rehman, managing director for the KSA and Bahrain, Great Place to Work Middle East, said: “Our goal is to evolve the work culture in the Kingdom by empowering employees and accelerating performance for them to be able to reach their full potential. “There is no doubt that the Kingdom is working towards becoming the world’s happiest nation as we proudly celebrate our heroes today. “This year has been-and it seems will continue to be-tough, but every leader on our Best Workplaces list for this year has gone above and beyond for their people. Congratulations to all the organizations that made it to our Best Workplaces list for this year! We are proud of you!” Great Place to Work Middle East conducts a rigorous audit of every participating company before it can be listed as one of the Best Workplaces in the region. This year, the Best Workplaces spanned across multiple industries that include retail, social services and government agencies, transportation, finance and media. The organizations were surveyed on fundamental issues that take into account how trustworthy and caring an organization is for their employees during times of crisis. To obtain Best Workplace ranking, the companies are scored. Sixty percent of a company’s score is based on the confidential feedback of their employees while the remaining score is attained from an audit of management and HR practices —a reflection of the company’s solutions to specific criteria. This year, the audit was strictly built around the bold acts of leadership the organizations have undertaken in response to the COVID-19 crisis, and the ways the pandemic has impacted their people, business and the community. Within this framework, employees were asked about their physical, emotional and financial health which mirrored some of the tough choices’ leaders had chosen to take during this unsettling period of time. Having said that, the heroes that are continuously building a greater environment for their employees have stood out, and we are always here to celebrate them. — SG