Search is on for the UAE's best place to work

DUBAI //Job hunters will have a new yardstick to help them decide which company to apply to next year. Companies will open their doors to scrutiny from an independent judge who will rate them against other firms. The Great Place to Work Institute UAE, has started enrolling companies for a survey of job satisfaction. The programme, which is expected to run annually, has surveyed 39 other countries, including the United States and Britain.

Baringa Partners, an energy and financial company, tops the British list and SAS, a software developer tops Fortune's top 100 list in the US. The UAE results are expected to be published in January. Dr Michael Burchell, a partner and the director of the Great Place to Work Institute UAE, said companies were rated based on the relationships between managers, employees and their jobs, and between employees and other employees.

"In general, companies that put a premium on top talent at all levels of an organisation and that are well known for focusing on excellence tend to do very well." "In the UAE, companies in the financial, construction and hospitality industries typically fit this criteria, so we will see if it holds true here," said Dr Burchell. Any company with 50 or more employees can take part. The programme, which costs US$2,500 (Dh9,200), involves an employee survey and looks at human resource policies. The institute hopes to publish the UAE's top 20 companies to work for in January.

Cliff Single, a manager at the recruitment firm BAC Middle East, said it was a positive step for companies in the region to welcome scrutiny. "Regardless of how a company does, the sheer fact they open themselves up to that type of scrutiny is a very positive sign, because it indicates they are at least interested and thinking about how they are perceived by staff," he said. "Those companies, regardless of where they come in the rankings, get feedback and opportunities to improve and benchmark a little better."

Companies would pay attention to the rankings, as would potential new hires, which should foster improvement, Mr Single said. "Not all companies will be open to this. It involves a cultural shift in terms of transparency and openness, and there are some organisations that may not be so comfortable with that." The best companies to work for in the region tend to be those in the oil industry because it was perceived to have high wages and stable employment, Mr Single said. Big brand companies were also popular workplaces, he added.