What is your role in the organisation?
I oversee HR at Mumtalakat and the administrative pools that support our corporate and investment business units. In addition to Mumtalakat, my team also supports Edamah – our real estate arm – in HR and administrative services. I am also responsible for establishing the HR platforms for any new company originating out of Mumtalakat. My primary role is to transform HR into a centre of excellence, creating products in order to fulfil Mumtalakat’s vision to be recognised as the partner of choice for companies and investors seeking experienced managers.
How do you ensure your HR policies and processes are innovative?
Continuous policy development while keeping global HR trends and local market practice in mind is key to keeping policies competitive.
How can HR innovate this year to drive growth and productivity?
When dealing with people there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution. If we create policies for the masses, they need to be flexible yet consistent, and take into account people’s individuality. It is a difficult formula to implement but when you are rigid, people will confine themselves to ‘the box’ and the business will suffer.
Whats your advice to HR leaders to create a culture of innovation in their businesses?
In the last few years of my career I have met HR leaders who are innovative and others who still have a bit of ‘old school’ in them. Needless to say, the profiles of the businesses they serve reflect their respective approaches. HR leaders should exercise innovation in themselves in order for the organisation to follow. Gone are the days when HR retained control of all things ‘people’; what is needed now is a strong middle management that owns people initiatives and for HR to take on a consultative stance within the organisation. The labour market has grown more complex over the years and graduates are even more energetic and impatient. Dealing with this group is different from dealing with the generations of the past and a good understanding of the demographic break up of your population will tremendously help in engaging them.