I’m really happy with the quality of the training and the service I received at LCT. You will receive a good recommendation, believe me.
LCT provides key personnel within Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy with effective Human Resources Management strategies to improve ‘on boarding’ of new employees.
The Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (formerly the Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee) was established in 2011 following FIFA’s announcement that Qatar would be hosting the World Cup in 2022. The president announced the establishment of this company to oversee preparations for the World Cup. The Supreme Committee’s primary responsibility is to deliver the proposed tournament venues on time, which was one of the crucial obligations under the hosting agreement signed by Qatar and FIFA. Currently there are over 500 employees in the Supreme Committee.
The Delegate
As a Mobilisation Specialist within the HR department, Mohammed Al Najdi’s main responsibility is to ensure successful ‘onboarding’ of new employees. This role involves effective employee induction into the workplace, both procedurally (ensuring that the relevant documentation is processed and employees are given appropriate clearance, permits and paperwork), and behaviourally (where foreign employees are given guidance, through formal staff inductions and meetings, in the rules and customs of Qatar, as well as how to become effective organisational members).
Due to the scale of its World Cup operations, the Supreme Committee employs overseas workers as well as domestic workers. It is important, in particular, for new European employees, to be instructed in Qatari culture and customs, with which they may not already be familiar. In light of this, the Mobilisation Specialist was looking to develop an understanding of how Britishorganisations approach the ‘onboarding’ process and how effective Human Resource Management is undertaken in the UK. He also wanted to understand more about leadership in HR – what qualities and skills are necessary to lead a team effectively. The fourth objective was to develop more of an understanding of HR at the strategic level – where it fits in with other key business functions – and how an HR strategy should be formulated. Knowledge of this kind is often a pre-requisite to promotion in the field of HR.
The Course
With time considered a scarce resource, the Supreme Committee turned to LCT to deliver an intensive course in Human Resources Management to cover this ‘knowledge gap’ and ensure these key learning objectives were met.
The aim of the course was to provide participants with a broader understanding of HR and develop the requisite skills to carry out the function to a greater ability. With
this in mind, a macro and micro approach to Human Resources Management was taken, with due impetus on HR Strategy and Organisational Development, as well as on key areas within HR, such as Recruitment and Performance Management. A final module introduced various ‘HR specialisms’ (such as policy development and employment law) which serve to improve the way HR is incorporated within an organisation.
The five day ‘Human Resources Management’ course was designed to:
- Develop effective HR and Organisational Development strategies
- Create a Learning, Training and Development organisational culture
- Assess the features of an effective recruitment strategy
- Examine the range of HR performance management tools
- Explore HR specialisms
- Maximise the Return on Investment
The consultants were experts in their respective fields having accumulated vast experience in HR over the years. Moreover, this experience was not limited to the UK. The GCC comprises one third of LCT’s business which meant that consultants were able to understand challenges that delegates face and could assist them in finding solutions and developing skills to surmount these challenges.
Furthermore, it was noted that they were very good at explaining the material and facilitating discussions. Having worked extensively with GCC countries over many years, LCT consultants were mindful of the fact that English is spoken as a second language and were able to explain present with clarity:
They made it easy for us to understand.
LCT blended practical training, in the form of case studies and role plays, with instructor facilitated discussions on topics such as cultural differences in HR Management. The participant appreciated that consultants were cognisant to different customs and cultures. This made discussions even more stimulating as participants were encouraged to share their own experiences:
Some things in HR in Qatar are different than in the UK. The consultants were flexible about that and willing to listen.
Given the diversity of clientele, delegates were invited to offer their own feedback on challenges that other participants faced in HR – particularly if they themselves had experienced similar challenges and how these were overcome by their respective organisations. Throughout this collaborative process, consultants guided the discussions, shared their own experiences in HR, and advised on best practice. Small class sizes helped ensure the training was interactive and participative. Rather than simply presenting material to the delegates, consultants opened discussions and posed questions. For the delegate, this helped to maintain the energy within the classroom.
It was good to have a small group size. It gave the course added interaction, focus and intensity, enabling the objectives to be covered thoroughly and within the timeframe.
The Result
The participant came out of the week-long training with a comprehensive understanding of the HR function and with new ways of thinking in this area. He was happy to achieve his primary aim of “wanting to learn more in HR”. Throughout the course, he learned much about the practice of HR – both at the strategic level, and also the micro-level, by looking in more detail at important HR functions such as recruitment, performance management, and succession planning:
I’m really happy it was delivered like
this. I was able to gain a thorough understanding of the subject.
One of the most important points of his development was in learning how to formulate a Strategic Human Resources plan, which predicts future HR needs based on the overall strategic plan, and seeks to ensure the organisation meets those needs:
I wanted to find out what steps to take to align Human Resources with the organisation. The consultants have delivered.
This meant that that he would be able to contribute to greater organisational and operational efficiency in line with the Supreme Committee’s Delivery and Legacy commitments. Moreover, the training had such an impact that the Mobilisation Specialist felt comfortable even making recommendations to management:
The training has delivered value to me and I will give management some suggestions about what was learned and how we can implement that within our operations.
On return to Qatar, he also felt he would make changes to both his leadership style and the team he manages. Such changes revolved around delegation and coaching. Despite the fact this is approached very differently in the Middle East, he felt he would be able to incorporate many ideas which would help motivate staff and improve performance. It would also be important to utilise the methods he had learned – such as how to communicate effectively, give and receive appropriate feedback, and how to identify problems and explore particular solutions with a mentee – when dealing with overseas workers who have grown up in different cultures and may be more familiar with these approaches:
The coaching method is totally different in my community but I believe I can make some improvements here.
For the Mobilisation Specialist, training at LCT was a breath of fresh air.
Everything is different – how they welcome you, speak with you, and how they teach you.
Asked for some final words, he commented:.
I’m really happy with the quality of the training and the service I received at LCT. You will receive a good recommendation, believe me.
About LCT
LCT is a leading corporate training provider in the UK, offering over 100 short courses in Advanced Management, Law, Oil and Gas, Management Skills, Operations Management, Finance, Human Resources, Public Relations, Sales, and Secretarial Skills. Human Resources Management is one of the many HR training courses at LCT, which last from between one and three weeks in length. Such programmes include Advanced Strategic Human Resources Management, Managing Organisational Change, Recruitment and Selection, Performance Management, Training and Development, Conflict Resolution, HR Analytics, Training the Trainer, and Succession Planning.