Latest news with #employeeexperience
CNA
6 hours ago
- Business
- CNA
Somebody that I used to know: On the weird grief of colleague departures
This question has become part of my awkward welcome ritual for new hires: 'So ... are you a coffee person?' Day one usually begins at the cafe downstairs with a quick hello, a commemorative libation (coffee or otherwise), then a climb up the stairs to commence our journey as co-workers. Over the past decade of running my company, I've continued to personally onboard new workers. It's not that I can't trust someone else to do it. I just really enjoy it. I like showing them our 'designated crying area' (our pantry space) and explaining the curious phenomenon of the office bidet geyser. I like going through our culture deck, throwing in a few jokes to break the ice and seeing them decide how heartily they should laugh. It's orientation, yes, but also something more – a quiet hope that if you make them feel welcome and you remember their coffee order, they might stay a little longer. Then they leave. Sometimes after three years, sometimes three months. Sometimes on a good note, sometimes a strained one. And in that abrupt silence that follows, between offboarding checklists and looking at handover documents, I find myself wondering if any of these efforts were worth it. WON'T YOU STAY WITH ME? About a decade ago, the first person that I hired when I started the company decided to make a jump to a much bigger, more prestigious agency. It was a competitor but it paid her better and had a much more conducive structure for her career development. It made sense for her. We parted on good terms, but it was hard to maintain the same friendship once we no longer shared the day-to-day routines. Even seeing her career milestones pop up on social media triggered a small wave of disappointment – not at her, but at myself. It was insecurity and a bit of resentment all wrapped up in a forced double-tap of the 'like' button. We didn't speak for a long time. Only after a good five years had passed could we both approach the situation with some perspective and humour. Thankfully, we're now friendly again. This isn't a story about attrition rates or talent migration. It's about the emotional tax of investing in people who eventually walk away. No one tells you, when you first become a manager, that the job requires a strange kind of short-term memory. You pour time into someone, build a rhythm, start speaking in shared references and inside jokes – and then, poof, they're gone. Off to bigger things and better pay. The relationship seems to end abruptly there, apart from the occasional LinkedIn sightings. I know that's just the way the cookie crumbles. The workplace today is a revolving door of industry pivots, mental health breaks and career realignments. Everyone's chasing something – balance, purpose, remuneration, title and so on – and it's unlikely that staying in one place can offer everything. Still, why do I feel a small sting every time someone leaves? SOMEBODY THAT I USED TO KNOW I'll be honest. I still find it difficult not to take departures from the company personally. Not in a dramatic, weeping-in-the-toilet way, but in those smaller moments. When a photo of a past team outing pops up on social media, in a photo album or the memories in your head. Or when you retrieve an old presentation deck and you see the names tagged in the slides. Certainly not because they're wrong to go but maybe it's because, for a brief window of time, I had imagined a future where we'd keep building something together. This emotional dilemma isn't exclusive to managers and supervisors. The departure I've taken the hardest happened when I was still a junior executive, in the infancy of my career. At the time, I was part of a desk cluster with a senior who wasn't my direct boss, but who had become a de facto mentor. Christopher was soft-spoken, serious and a little stoic, but he always humoured my terrible puns. We'd often sneak off for 'planning sessions' at the canteen that had very little to do with planning. We talked about movies, music, family – the kind of conversations that anchor you during chaotic work days. One afternoon, Christopher told me that the following week would be his last with the company. He'd found a better opportunity elsewhere. In the 2002 Hong Kong movie Infernal Affairs, there's a pivotal scene where Tony Leung, playing an undercover police officer, watches the only person who knows his true identity get killed. The camera lingers on his expression of shock and horror and this remains one of the strongest gut punches in cinematic history. On that day when Christopher told me the news, my expression would've made Tony's look mild at best. 'Oh. Congrats, Chris!' I managed to say. 'Happy for you.' Two weeks later at his cleaned-out desk, I shook his hand and said all the right things: 'Let's keep in touch. Don't be a stranger.' What I couldn't shake was the strange sense of grief and futility. What would be the point of keeping in touch if we no longer worked together? FRIENDS ARE FRIENDS … FOREVER? What is 'workplace culture'? We like to talk about it in terms of values and vision statements, but most of it comes down to the people. It is who you sit next to, the person who replies with a meme instead of a boring thumbs-up, the one who makes the 5pm slump bearable. So when they leave, it isn't just another email from the human resource department. It's a permanent glitch in your work day. Conventional business wisdom dictates that investing in people is never a waste, even when they might come and go – because people are the most valuable assets of any company. I've echoed those things. I even genuinely believe them. But there's another truth, too: that what isn't a waste can still sometimes feel like one regardless. It's only human of us to feel something, especially after we've poured hours into someone – coaching, giving feedback, having conversations over coffee and bubble tea – only to have them resign right when they finally started getting it. Maybe it is not quite bitterness but certainly, there is a sense of jadedness. The kind that makes you want to pull back with the next person, just a little. Don't get too attached. Don't ask about their weekend or their interests. Don't joke too much. Here's the catch: If you stop investing in your people earnestly and genuinely, you will slowly become the kind of manager you swore you'd never be. Transactional. Coldly efficient. Checked out. And ironically, that's exactly the kind of environment people want to leave. So I will keep trying, even when the farewell Slack message reads like a LinkedIn boilerplate. I will keep hoping that somewhere along the way, the time we spent together meant something. That, in between rushed deadlines and Monday check-ins, we managed to become more than just colleagues ticking boxes on a task list. Maybe that's the point – to make the workplace not just somewhere people pass through, but somewhere they felt seen, where they felt real connection, even if briefly. I love how Andy Bernard movingly puts it in the series finale of American sitcom The Office: "I wish there was a way to know you're in the good old days before you've actually left them." The real treasure, as they say, might just be the friends we made along the way.
Zawya
4 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
Cavendish Maxwell earns Great Place to Work Certification™
Dubai, UAE. Dubai based leading real estate advisory and property consultant Cavendish Maxwell has been named a Great Place To Work® by the global authority on workplace culture and employee experience. Based entirely on what current employees say about their working experience, the prestigious accolade is awarded only to companies that stand out as a top flight organisation when it comes to leadership behaviours, employee retention, innovation and a favourable working environment. More than 90% of Cavendish Maxwell employees surveyed in the UAE and regional offices in the GCC said the company is great place to work. Jessica Taylor, Group Chief Operating Officer, Cavendish Maxwell, said: 'We are honoured and proud to become Great Place To Work-Certified™. As with any thriving organisation, our people are key to our continued growth and success. The award comes as Cavendish Maxwell embarks on a new and exciting phase in its regional expansion and growth strategy. Our team members' skills, experience, dedication and loyalty are pivotal to our ongoing success in 2025 and beyond, and I am ever-grateful for their unwavering drive and support. The accolade is also crucial for our recruitment and team member growth, as top talent will be drawn to our Great Place To Work status.' Sarah Lewis-Kulin, Vice President of Global Recognition at Great Place To Work, added: '"Great Place To Work Certification is a highly coveted achievement that requires consistent and intentional dedication to the overall employee experience. Certification is the sole official recognition earned by the real-time feedback of employees regarding their company culture and by successfully earning this recognition, Cavendish Maxwell stands out as a top company to work at, providing a great environment for its people." Cavendish Maxwell provides a wide range of benefits, attractions and enhancements for its 120+-strong team. Among them: hybrid working, flexible hours, personal and professional development schemes and monthly initiatives to build inter-office and inter-departmental relationships. Events include employee awards, townhall updates, health and wellbeing initiatives, celebrations for Ramadan, Eid, Diwali and the festive season to reflect the cultural diversity at the company, and the ever-popular Cavendish Maxwell Beach Olympics, which brings together all team members from across the region. According to Great Place To Work research, job seekers are 4.5 times more likely to find a great boss at a Certified great workplace. Additionally, employees at Certified workplaces are 93% more likely to look forward to coming to work, and are twice as likely to be paid fairly, earn a fair share of the company's profits and have a fair chance at promotion. About Cavendish Maxwell Cavendish Maxwell is one of the Middle East's leading real estate advisory groups and property consultants, with offices in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah, Kuwait City, Muscat and Riyadh. The company is a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and offers a full range of property-related services, including valuation, strategic advisory, research, project and building consultancy and investment and commercial agency expertise. With a team of experienced professionals and a commitment to delivering exceptional service, Cavendish Maxwell has established itself as a trusted advisor in the regional real estate market. About Great Place to Work Certification™ Great Place To Work® Certification™ is the most definitive 'employer-of-choice' recognition that companies aspire to achieve. It is the only recognition based entirely on what employees report about their workplace experience – specifically, how consistently they experience a high-trust workplace. Great Place to Work Certification is recognized worldwide by employees and employers alike and is the global benchmark for identifying and recognizing outstanding employee experience. Every year, more than 10,000 companies across 60 countries apply to get Great Place To Work-Certified. About Great Place To Work ® As the global authority on workplace culture, Great Place To Work® brings 30 years of groundbreaking research and data to help every place become a great place to work for all. Their proprietary platform and For All™ Model helps companies evaluate the experience of every employee, with exemplary workplaces becoming Great Place To Work Certified™ or receiving recognition on a coveted Best Workplaces™ List.
Forbes
23-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
How Perceptions Can Differ About Experiences In The Workplace
Who has a more positive view of how employees feel about their productivity and connections with companies— the employees or executives? The answer might surprise business leaders. According to new research released today by The Conference Board: Gaps in how employers and employees perceive these key issues could lead to bigger problems down the road for companies. 'The biggest consequence of ignoring those [and other] The online survey for 'The Reimagined Workplace 2025: Managing Uncertainty' includes responses from 578 workers and 170 executives in the U.S., and was conducted in March and April 2025. This is the first time that the perceptions of executives were measured against those of workers. 'By comparing leader perceptions and worker realities side-by-side, it's clear that some leaders are underestimating how positively employees view aspects of their employee experience. While the disconnect wasn't measured explicitly before, this year's survey has quantified the perception gap and brought it into sharper focus,' according to Erickson. In the other surveys conducted by The Conference Board (but not previous versions of the 'Reimagined Workplace'survey), most employees reported the same or lower levels of well-being. They also reported the same or lower levels of engagement, mental health, and other aspects of well-being, a spokesperson told me via email. Companies could consider conducting periodic surveys of their employees to determine if there are perception gaps in their organization. Then executives can take the appropriate steps to tackle them, There are several ways to hep bridge perception gaps. They include soliciting feedback through anonymous surveys of workers, conducting regular listening sessions, holding direct conversations, and acting on the feedback, Erickson told me. But it's important that executives show that they are being responsive to the feedback. 'Employees become disengaged when feedback is collected and ignored, so transparency around what is heard and what actions are being taken to address those concerns is imperative,' she pointed out. To be in sync with employees, employers should take periodic reality checks to ensure they know what workers are experiencing. Otherwise, an employer's best intentions will fail. 'The biggest issue I see occurs when management has no idea what the day-to-day looks like for employees and then comes in with grand ideas and visions that, while great, have to then be executed by the employees who are left to clean up and manage the implementation of those ideas, Alexandra Suchman, a workplace expert, told me via email. When there's no effective connection between employers and employees, 'it creates a culture of resentment and burnout as employees try to keep up with the ideas of someone who (whether they actually do or don't) doesn't seem to understand what they go through,' she observed. The nature of the information that is being communicated to workers is also important. Executives might be proud of the fact that they are being transparent by sharing their priorities and metrics. But those efforts won't make any difference if employees really want to know 'the 'why' behind decisions… [and want] Business leaders should be careful how often they share information with workers, and how it is shared. 'Executives often think more communication is the solution to every problem. But from the employee side, endless emails, town halls, and text messages can feel overwhelming, not empowering. Leaders sometimes assume big annual awards or bonuses are enough, but employees crave smaller, more frequent, authentic recognition for day-to-day wins,' Matthew Higgins, chief operating officers of Live Better Hearing + Balance, observed in an email message to me. But communication and a shared vision about a company may not be enough to ensure that the perceptions of workers and employers are in alignment. 'It is about seeing and feeling the workplace the same way, and that is where the real gap often lives. Executives and employees usually agree on what matters, like purpose, impact, and flexibility, but the real disconnect happens in how those things are delivered and felt on the ground,' he concluded. Corporate leaders whose perceptions about their employees' productivity, engagement, and productivity are in sync with those of their workers will send the right message that they are really listening and taking their concerns and issues seriously. Those who choose to ignore how employees feel about their workplace experiences run the risk of creating or compounding an internal simmering problem that could morph into something more serious.
Zawya
19-05-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Westcon-Comstor certified as a Great Place to Work in five MEA countries
DUBAI, UAE – Westcon-Comstor, a global technology provider and specialist distributor, today announced that it has been Certified™ by Great Place To Work® in five countries across the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region. The recognition highlights Westcon-Comstor's welcoming, inclusive and people-centric culture and reaffirms its position as an employer of choice within the IT channel. Great Place To Work is the global authority on workplace culture, employee experience and the leadership behaviours proven to deliver market-leading revenue, employee retention and increased innovation. Whether a company achieves certification is based entirely on what current employees say about their experience. This is the first time that Westcon-Comstor, which employs more than 3,600 people around the world, has sought and achieved Great Place To Work certification. It is now certified in 27 countries globally, including the following five in the MEA region: Kenya, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and UAE. Across the five MEA countries in which certification was achieved, an average of 83% of employees described Westcon-Comstor as a great place to work compared to a global average of 80%. Globally, the company achieved a Trust Index of 77% based on a higher-than-average response rate of 89%. The vast majority of Westcon-Comstor employees (85%) globally expressed pride in their work and the company, with an even higher proportion stating that they and their colleagues are treated fairly. Other strengths highlighted by employees include a strong sense of flexibility and autonomy, coupled with confidence in the leadership team. 'This is a proud moment for our business, one which illustrates our success in creating a truly people-centric culture across the MEA region,' said Rakesh Parbhoo, Executive Vice President, Middle East and Africa at Westcon-Comstor. 'We have strived to foster a workplace environment in which people feel valued, safe, fulfilled and able to be themselves. This recognition from Great Place to Work is a fantastic demonstration of the progress we have made.' 'We are thrilled to achieve Great Place To Work Certification in so many countries at the first time of asking', said Erna de Ruijter-Quist, Chief People Officer at Westcon-Comstor. 'We are very proud of the recognition. It is testament to the great culture which has been built over the years. We are equally clear that this is just the beginning. The real work starts now as we evaluate what our people have told us and make further improvements to our employee experience. We continually strive to make Westcon-Comstor an even better place to work and one where our people can thrive.' 'Great Place To Work Certification is a highly coveted achievement that requires consistent and intentional dedication to the overall employee experience,' said Sarah Lewis-Kulin, Vice President of Global Recognition at Great Place To Work. 'By successfully earning this recognition, it is evident that Westcon-Comstor stands out as one of the top companies to work for, providing a great workplace environment for its employees.' According to Great Place To Work research, job seekers are 4.5 times more likely to find a great boss at a Certified great workplace. Additionally, employees at Certified workplaces are 93% more likely to look forward to coming to work, and are twice as likely to be paid fairly, earn a fair share of the company's profits and have a fair chance at promotion. Find out what makes Westcon-Comstor a Great Place To Work®, and explore current career opportunities About Westcon-Comstor Westcon-Comstor is a global technology provider and specialist distributor, operating in more than 50 countries. It delivers business value and opportunity by connecting the world's leading IT vendors with a channel of technology resellers, systems integrators and service providers. It combines industry insight, technical know-how and more than 30 years of distribution experience to deliver value and accelerate vendor and partner business success. It goes to market through two lines of business: Westcon and Comstor.
