^{Sustainability} Employees

Our ambition is to create a thriving workplace that attracts and retains the most talented and committed people

Our employees are at the core of our long-term success, and we are dedicated to attracting and nurturing a diverse and highly skilled workforce – with the development of Emirati nationals as a strategic priority.

Our commitments

Continue to improve diversity and inclusion metrics, and maintain best in class employee satisfaction
Enhance employee learning through high quality content and dedicated training

Workstreams

Selected list category

Employee Engagement and Well-being

Attracting, retaining, and engaging skilled employees is an essential component of our ongoing success.

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Our Approach and Progress

With nationals from more than 80 countries, ADCB has a multi-cultural, and talented workforce. We are also fully committed to supporting gender diversity across the Group.

Our employees’ health, well-being, professional development, and the empowerment of UAE Nationals are at the core of our approach.

The retention of our employees is a key indicator of our successful approach. Our focus on staff retention and talent development is reflected in our management structure. The average length of service among our senior management (Group Heads and their management teams) is 12 years – almost double the average tenor for senior professionals in the top 1,000 US companies, as reported by the Korn Ferry Institute. Similarly, most of the members of our Management Executive Committee have been with the Bank for more than ten years.

Employee Engagement, Remuneration and Grievances

We carry out regular employee engagement surveys to better understand our employees’ requirements and aspirations – so we can implement practices to nurture talent, improve employee satisfaction, and enhance productivity.

We support remuneration levels to attract, retain, and motivate employees whose skills and experience enable us to provide a high-quality service in a competitive environment. Employee pay at our UAE operations is composed of a mixture of fixed pay, Social Allowance (for UAE Nationals), job-specific allowances, and benefits based on level of employment including private medical insurance, life insurance coverage, education and air travel allowance. In addition, there is variable pay based on performance over the year and a share-based retention scheme. As part of our benefits, our employees are supported with adequate parental leave, as per local regulatory requirements in each of the countries in which we operate.

We foster a safe and inclusive work environment for all our employees. In line with our Code of Conduct, our commitment to human rights and fairness is fundamental to who we are, and what we value. If an employee has any concerns, we encourage them to raise them directly to their managers or through our formal grievance platform, Tawasul.

For more information on employee engagement, including parental leave, employee remuneration, and employee grievances, please read our ESG Report.

Employee Health and Safety, and the Organisational Health Index (OHI) Survey

We actively encourage a work-life balance and take a responsible approach to the welfare of employees, providing high-quality medical insurance, which covers treatment for a wide range of illnesses, including COVID-19, free annual medical checks, and support for mental health. Our Health & Safety team ensures compliance with the regulatory and internal policies and procedures. Our policies and procedures comply with national standards and were awarded UAE Civil Defence Safety Certificates for all ADCB locations.

In our 2022 Organisational Health Index (OHI) survey, we achieved a score of 80 and ranked in the top decile for coordination and control, innovation and learning, and external orientation. Based on the outcomes of the survey, we are implementing an organisational action plan to improve in key areas.

Read more about our OHI results in our case study here.

For more information on the health safety and wellbeing of our employees and the OHI survey, please read our ESG Report.

Emiratisation

In line with the UAE’s national strategy to boost the economy and support its people, we are creating jobs and providing UAE nationals with relevant technical and vocational skills for employment and entrepreneurship.

1,910

Emiratis employed in our UAE operations

79%

Females among the Emirati nationals in the workforce

31%

Senior leadership positions occupied by Emiratis

19%

Emiratis working in the UAE banking sector employed by ADCB Group

Emiratisation figure refers to UAE nationals employed by ADCB UAE and AHB UAE.

Our Approach and Progress

In alignment with the national Emiratisation policy, attracting and developing UAE National talent is a key pillar of our sustainability strategy.

As a major employer of Emiratis in the UAE banking sector, we will meet and endeavour to exceed the targets set by the UAE Central Bank and are fully committed to empowering Emirati women.

Our comprehensive career development framework for UAE Nationals offers customised programmes to support technical, behavioural and leadership development requirements. As a result, the Bank continues to attract and retain top Emirati professionals whilst creating a future talent pipeline.

Training Programmes Offered to UAE Nationals

Ghadan 21

Providing UAE nationals with six months of classroom or on-the-job training, in collaboration with Abu Dhabi Global Market and the Abu Dhabi Human Resources Agency.

The Bankers Programme

18-month training programme for new graduates developed by ADGM and delivered by the London Institute for Banking and Finance. The programme offers a Foundations of Banking Certification, an intermediate specialisation programme and employability skills training, followed by 12 months on-the-job training. During this time, eligible participants are also offered Emirati Academy courses (see below).

Emirati Academy

Customised learning for Emirati nationals based on individual learning tracks (Mahara, Specialised, Management and Leadership) through internally and externally facilitated courses including:

Specialised Trainee Programme – 12-month training programme for fresh university graduates. The foundation level provides training in banking financials, business math and credit analysis. Intermediate level curriculum covers risk and credit, investment, corporate banking, and compliance
Mahara Trainee Programme – 6-month training for junior employees with high school or diploma certification. The course offers a Banking Foundations Certification in technical skills and understanding of banking financials, business math and credit analysis. It incorporates on-the-job training, followed by soft skills training
Tamooha Programme – empowering Emirati women to work remotely. The course combines a mix of soft skills, technical skills, and on-the-job training on systems and processes. The programme aims to support development and help women pursue a career without compromising their social values
Ambition University – UAE Nationals also have an opportunity to attend a range of in-house courses aimed at progressing careers and developing new skills
Receptionists’ Development Programme – two-year programme focusing on computer literacy, communication skills, customer services and office administrative skills

Learning and Development

Our focus on employee learning and career development allows our people to enhance their personal and professional skills – and gives ADCB a competitive advantage in attracting and engaging employees.

Average training per employee across the Group

44^hrs
Increase in average training hours for Emirati nationals compared to 2021

Our Approach and Progress

At ADCB, we are continuously building the skills of our employees through training and development – it’s one of the reasons we attract diverse talent and remain a leading employer of choice in UAE. To promote continuous development, we provide a curriculum of courses to suit all levels of the workforce. This is one of the reasons we continue to attract diverse talent, which has enabled ADCB to remain a leading employer of choice in the banking sector.

Training and Career Development

Our Ambition University (AU) offers courses to all employees at all stages of their career – aligning employee development progress with our strategic goals and adding value to the Bank’s business, shareholders, and staff.

Every employee is given an individual development plan, which clearly defines roles and responsibilities and a set of agreed objectives, with specific performance indicators linked to variable pay for each employee.

To develop effective future leaders, we have identified the most critical roles in the organisation and offer tailored support programmes to build capabilities and reflect the needs of our fast-changing business.

ADCB is committed to rewarding high-performing employees to reduce turnover risk and incentivise excellence within the Bank. Through our Retention Scheme, we offer share-based awards to those in key positions and high-potential UAE Nationals. This scheme is independent of variable pay awards.

Employee Retention

For all eligible employees below senior management in ADCB Group, we provide long-term incentives through the Retention Plan (which is independent of our Variable Pay Plan). The Retention Plan focuses on the development of key employees within ADCB Group, especially UAE nationals – mitigating turnover risk and ensuring business continuity. Key elements of the plan include:

Recognising key positions or key skills in employees
Aligning the interests of eligible executives with the interests of shareholders of the Bank
Providing long-term incentives to eligible executives who are capable of having a significant impact on the performance of the Bank
Awarding eligible employees with restricted stock options as part of the 4-year plan

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Our vibrant workforce represents over 80 nationalities from all over the world. We regard our differences as strengths, respect the views of others, and follow our Code of Conduct and professional standards.

Our Approach and Progress

We respect the human rights of our employees, ensuring dignity and equality for all, regardless of race, religion, gender, age or language. We are committed to treating our employees with fairness, equality and respect.

42% of the Group’s employees are females, with 16% in senior and executive roles.

Board Diversity

A key responsibility of the Board is to ensure that the Bank maintains a healthy culture. We believe companies that attach equal importance to performance and culture achieve exceptional results over time. The Board is committed to supporting gender diversity. In 2022, women represented 18% of ADCB’s Board membership. In early 2022, the second female member was appointed to the Board.

Tamooha

Tamooha, our award-winning inclusivity initiative for Emirati women, continues to grow and now supports 195 Emirati women who view ADCB as an employer of choice. The programme facilitates job opportunities and career development, providing an appropriate environment that suits social norms and family responsibilities, and overcomes regional barriers such as geographical remoteness.

The essence of Tamooha is to bring opportunities to the doorsteps of UAE National women. It offers women the flexibility to choose the way they work, including the location and the timing. This allows a perfect balance between career and family.

Rabab Aljaberi,
Head of Account Services