My reader Samir recently asked me to write something on World at Work certifications, and their value worldwide and specially in the Middle East. Formerly known as the American Compensation Association, World at Work is the leading Total Rewards association in the world. They have 200,000 members, the majority of whom are based in the…
The GRP certification in the Middle East : to take it or not to take it ?
January 31, 2013 by 8 Comments
Reader Question – How do I get buy-in for the new Performance Management program ?
January 29, 2013 by Leave a Comment
I will mourn the retirement of LinkedIn Answers. This was, for me, one of the most engaging features of LinkedIn, where anyone could ask questions and other members would volunteer to share their views and knowledge. The conversations in there were real, and often led to making new connections based on a common interest. I…
Admit you don’t know, or accept the risks of silence : a Compensation example
January 27, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Pressure to perform, fear of looking bad in front of others, feeling uncomfortable about admitting our limits…. Very often, at work, we are tempted to pretend. We don’t want to say that we did not understand what the boss meant when she gave us an assignment. We don’t want to say to the employee asking…
Frustrated : a story of customer service and data format
January 22, 2013 by 4 Comments
You know something that really annoys me ? It’s the way that the large survey providers tend to treat their customers in the GCC. Let me share an example. I have more, from other providers – maybe I’ll write them up too in the future. The customer by the way, yes, that’s me. And you.…
Time saver tip – Custom Views in Excel
January 20, 2013 by 1 Comment
There is a nagging challenge that my team and I have encountered for a long time, and I’m sure all HR and Compensation pros have faced the same. You see, we build files with confidential information about all our employees, such as their package, performance ratings, promotion potential etc. We then share partial views of…
Do you pay for the job or the nationality ?
January 15, 2013 by 12 Comments
A recent article reviewing salary differences between nationalities in the GCC made me think. Obviously, in the region, we are all aware of these differences, even if we rarely mention them. According to the annual Gulf Business salary survey, “In the UAE, a Western expat makes 12.6 per cent more than an Arab expat and…
The History of Performance Reviews – infographic
January 13, 2013 by 8 Comments
I feel like starting the week lightly, so I’d like to share with you an infographic that I found both well-designed and educational. It is called The History of Performance Reviews and was created by the good folks at WorkSimple, which is a company specialised in social recognition and feedback. I have mentioned before that…
