In this session, Mashreq will share some of the lessons learnt in a 7 year journey that culminated with Mashreq winning the elite ‘Gallup Great Workplace Award’ in 2014, one of only 36 companies in the world to do so. The session will focus on helping the audience see the 5 things to recognise in creating sustained culture change and how best to use engagement surveys effectively to build culture. Ashok will also share his recommendations for how to impact culture, one employee at a time. Ashok Gopal, Head of Talent Management, Mashreq Bank

1. ASHOK GOPAL
HEAD – TALENT & OD
MASHREQ BANK

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3. Established in 1967 as Bank of Oman,
Mashreq is one of UAE's oldest and
most prominent financial institutions.
Mashreq is among the highest
performing banks in the region both
from a business standpoint and for
leading banking innovation.
With over 50 branches, we continue to
lead the way in innovation as the first
UAE bank to offer chip-based credit
cards, digital point-of-sale readers, and
many more.

4. The Mashreq Engagement Culture – both the outcome and process have received global
vindication
Mashreq is one of an elite group of 36 companies across the
world to win the Gallup Great Workplace Award (GGWA). In
the Middle East, we are one of only 3 winners (and the only
bank)
Mashreq is the first (and only) winner of the Trailblazer Award.
Of the 36 companies that won the GGWA, Mashreq was the
only organisation to be recognized as a Trailblazer.
The award demonstrates success in building the engagement
momentum with focus on long-term sustainability and growth.Trailblazer
TrailblazerAward

5. 5
Structure of this Document
▪ The Global state of Workforce Engagement
▪ The Mashreq story - Impact of Engagement
▪ The Mashreq story - Driving Staff Engagement

6. A picture of the Global workforce
ENGAGED NOT ENGAGED
EMPLOYEE
ACTIVELY DISENGAGED
EMPLOYEE
“I can’t wait to get
back to work”
“My job is okay, but
…”
“Oh No, it’s Sunday
again…”
2012
2010
13% 63% 24%
11% 62% 27%
PASSIONATE
CHECKED - OUT DESTRUCTIVE
Source : Gallup data

7. …engagement of employees at Mashreq stands out…
..this does really matter…a leading indicator of performance….
Source : Gallup data

8. …engagement at Mashreq was at fairly pedestrian levels only a few
years ago…..
Key Demographics

9. 9
Structure of this Document
▪ The Global state of Workforce Engagement
▪ The Mashreq story - Impact of Engagement
▪ The Mashreq story - Driving Staff Engagement

10. What contributed to this evolution?
– Key role played by 3 different constituencies:
– Leadership
– HR
– Manager and team
– Change in thinking :
– Engagement not = Money & Rewards alone, not socialisation
– Engagement everyday
• Strategic use of Employee Engagement surveys
– Simple, focused
– Linked to Performance (Show me the Money)
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11. Involving Leadership - Making the business case for engagement….
In 2011, it was important to establish a business case for engagement, or to risk it
dying out.
2011 Business Impact
Business Case
presented in 2011
‘Engaged Employees’ have a 28% better performance versus targets
Mashreq Branches with higher engagement outperform lower engaged branches
Attrition among employees with higher engagement (>=75th %tile) was half that
of the bank as a whole.

12. How????????
Driving engagementDriving engagement
Leadership
Line Managers
HR
EMPLOYEE
ENGAGEMENT
Enterprise + Local level actionEnterprise + Local level action
SPONSORSHIP
CATALYSIS OWNERSHIP

13. ..without Leadership ownership, no hope…
..because as per an old German proverb
‘ A fish stinks from the head’

14. What does Leadership commitment mean?
• Visible action
• Involvement
• Assign senior sponsors/champions in each group
• Look for every opportunity to involve employees working
together

15. Leadership endorsement - Engagement became the platform around which
to deliver on Key Strategic Initiatives……
EngagementEngagement
Driving RevenueDriving Revenue
Grow overseas contributionGrow overseas contribution
Driving the Nationalization agendaDriving the Nationalization agenda
Mashreq works on a 3 year strategy with key strategic initiatives identified for the
period. Engagement became the platform around which each of these Strategic
initiatives was driven
Strategic Initiatives

16. What drives engagement at Mashreq – Leadership commitment….

18. MEE
Umbrella
Instilling
Pride
Sense of
belonging
Recognition
Physical Well
Being
Communication
HR ROLE – CATALYSTS

19. Impact engagement through the year…
Communication
CA Townhall CA Townhall CEO’ s Townhall Engagement Survey
Communication campaign
Al Mashreq -Internal
Magazine
Skip Level meetings Al Mashreq -Internal
Magazine
Recognition
Rewards & Recognition
Budgets
CEO’s Club -U.A.E, Qatar+
Egypt
Closure of R&R Budgets
Performance
Management
Setting MBO Mid Year Review Performance
Management Internal
Poll
Annual Appraisal
MEE
Sharing Engagement
results
Engagement - health
check via internal Poll
MEE survey Share Survey results with
individual groups
Engagement Training
Workshops
Engagement Training
Workshops New
managers
Impact planning sessions Review of Impact Plans
Corporate Social
Responsibility
Health awareness camp Blood Donation drive Free health checkup
camps
OD Initiatives
Family Day Summer Camp for Staff
children
Mashreq Cares – Reward
staff children for their
academic achievements
Mashreq First Step
(internship program for
staff Children)
1st Quarter1st Quarter 2nd Quarter2nd Quarter 3rd Quarter3rd Quarter 4th Quarter4th Quarter

20. Constant review..
• Onboarding
• PMS
• Help draw lines to existing initiatives – eg.
Engagement + Lean
• C & B
– Regular internal surveys

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…the myth of organisation culture …
Workplace Engagement
The Local Manager/Leader
Poor Great

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621
860
1019
2011 2012 2013 2014
Building culture where it is created
Triggering the catalyst……
Team based Action Plans
Managers held accountable to Engagement, trained on
how to impact it

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Mindset change - driving/sustaining Engagement through the
year….
Copyright © 2009 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved.
• One employee at a time….

24. 24
Structure of this Document
▪ The Global state of Workforce Engagement
▪ The Mashreq story - Impact of Engagement
▪ The Mashreq story - Driving Staff Engagement

25. ..employee engagement at Mashreq has indeed been a leading indicator of
Mashreq’s financial performance…
In the last 2 years, Mashreq’s Net Profit has more than doubled This pace of growth
has outstripped competition. External vindication has come from a string of
prestigious international awards, including being the ‘Best Banking group in UAE”.
Bank Overall
The above illustration depicts Mashreq’s financial performance
compared to its peer group.

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Less than 30 questions in the questionnaire – Standardisation +
Customisation
Easy to administer, no fatigue – focused on areas that relate to
employee performance
Covers the entire organisation
Same time each year – part and parcel of way organisation runs (no
compromises even during cost-cutting)
Focus on what matters – simple, short survey….

27. GARBAGE IN GARBAGE OUT……..
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ENGAGEMENT AND SATISFACTION ARE DIFFERENT

28. Lessons learnt from driving Change
Change takes time
Leadership involvement, Manager led action, HR catalyses
Demonstrate the linkages to Performance – else, GIGO
Brand the engagement process
Coach managers on how to drive action - Create Accountability

29. APPENDIX