Al-Elm Company, the best workplace in 2008


Al-Eqtisadiya newspaper interview with Mr.Muhammad Bin Ibraheem Al-Araifi, the Financial and Administrative Administration Manager in Al-Elm Company

The Financial and Administrative Administration Manager in Al-Elm Company talks to Al-Iqtisadeyya about the distinguished workplace of the Company

1- First of all, we congratulate you on your inclusion in Al-Eqtisadya list for the best Saudi workplace, and we would like you to talk to us about the importance of the ideal workplace for your company. And about the importance of caring about improving and developing such workplace.

First of all, we praise Allah, glory be to Him, for the progress we achieved, and then we thank our sincere employees upon their faithful opinions and detailed evaluation in respect of the company the assessment depended. Actually, occupying an outstanding position in Al-Eqtisadya list as the best Saudi workplace is a great achievement, especially when we know that the company won the prize of the best Saudi workplace last year; the first initiative in the Middle East.

As for Al-Elm Company, providing the ideal workplace for the employees is  high in the list of its priorities, besides, adopting a systematic and clear policy based on the necessity of supporting the national march of human resources and the initiatives that target the utilization and employment of human energies in all fields of specialization; due to the fact that this is the main pillar of success of any foundation. As a matter of fact, the adopted policy of human resources in Al-Elm Company is a main policy within the policies of financial and administrative administration, as it is one of the biggest administrations that support and execute the basic policies and criteria of the company and the system of its work. This also is in conformity with the directions of the Custodian of the two Holy Mosques and his prudent government which targets giving the due care for human resources in Saudi Arabia, and his call for all businessmen and private sector to concern themselves with the ambitious Saudi young men who have the determination and willingness to participate and contribute in the development the Saudi society. Actually, this is identical with Al-Elm Company, whereas most of our employees are distinguished with their high skills in their specializations and works. Moreover, we strive hard to put such directions into action through the attempts to find a workplace that ensures the achievement of goals of our highly respected leaders and always seek the factors of success of any initiative that benefits our human resources.

How do you view your current workplace? And what makes it distinguished from the other companies?

Indeed, the workplace of Al-Elm Company is distinguished with the practical healthy atmosphere which helps the employees in productivity and to willingly double their efforts. On the other hand, achieving the internal satisfaction and the generous spirit is a top priority of the company in order to improve the performance of employees; this happens through creating the workplace which is highly professional, based on the freedom of exchanging ideas, participating in achieving projects, respecting all points of view, and adopting any idea that helps in the good reaction among employees though the exchange of knowledge and enhancing confidence among them.

Since its coming into being, the workplace of Al-Elm Company is accustomed to break any barriers between any manger and his employees, where there is no bureaucracy from any kind and the company will continue with such policy, God willing. Actually, we appreciate the importance of providing the suitable environment for employees, through responding to their requirements and needs and making them feel with their importance and value as to be the most important profits of the company. As there are rights for the company about which it is concerned, indeed there are rights for the employees about which the adopted policy in the company should be concerned and should give them the due care. This happens through adopting the most important principles regarding jobs which insure the highest ways of interaction between company and employees. This matter necessitated the stipulation of a bylaw in respect of employee which helps him in development and training to insure that he would continue working with us and there is no need to search for another safer and more comfortable place for him and his family. Such bylaw does not disregard the financial aspect which is the most important matter for any seeker of job. This is through providing many advantages, usually provided not by other companies, which insure the ideal workplace in order to increase productivity of employees; something contributes in raising the satisfaction level of clients in order to achieve the best financial and non financial revenues; as all are participants in making profits. Actually, the suitable workplace, achieving the internal stability, the continuous assessment of performance, motivating the producers, giving them the opportunity to lead work, and high-level training and continuous development all represent the adopted system within the company regarding the employees.

In your opinion, what are the most prominent practices of human resources applied in the company, and the allowances and benefits provided by the company to the employees?

In this respect, the company depends on the annual system of bonuses which ensures the financial development for employee; something achieves better future for him, God willing, according to the financial performance of the company. Indeed, there is the participation of employees in the annual revenues in accordance with what is determined by the administrative board. Also, there is "Al-Ataa' Program" which provides personal loans for employees with no interests and the employee immediately receives the loan after providing the loan application. Such program has a determined policy. Moreover, there are providing personal computers program, health insurance for employee, his family and parents according to his position, besides, the free car insurance, and the inclusion of employee in practical and scientific training system in his specialization inside the company, according to high-level transparency. It is a well known fact that the company is proud of adopting the open door policy with regard to dialogue among all employees, their mangers, and leaders of the company, which is the main motive to create the atmosphere of mutual confidence among all.

Could you please, talk to us about the efforts of the company with regard to training and developing employees?

Actually, training provided by Al-Elm Company is one of the most prominent factors help in attracting the human qualified cadres, in the light of the fact that, it is a main factor in developing the human cadres to continue in their paramount performance to be in conformity with the daily changes privately happen within technologies we use and generally in the world. In this respect Al-Elm adopts some basic principles, whereas the planning and development administration designs and executes the plans of training employees. It starts with probing the need for training, then determines the suitable programs, and then executes such programs whether inside company or through delegating the distinguished experts in this field.

In your opinion, what are the most prominent advantages that make the internal culture of workplace in the company distinguished from the other companies, and how do you view its influence on raising the level of satisfaction of employees in the company?

Firstly, I would like to clarify that Al-Elm Company has seven main points more like unwritten constitution among the workers; they are: Respecting time during work and leaving, the spirit of mutual responsibility, team work and principle of exchanging experiences, perfect productivity and diligence in work, initiative and innovation, preserving the properties of the company and its policies, and establishing excellent work relations among the colleagues.

Indeed, there are much developing efforts exerted by Al-Elm and there are plans executed to develop and qualify the human cadres in order to provide effective performance, quality of work, and creating the suitable workplace which ensures for every employee in Al-Elm the continuity of developing his abilities and promoting his work performance within suitable work atmospheres. No doubt that the employee who feels attracted to his workplace, who finds the factors of comfort and the suitable challenges in his work, he would be more productive and more desirous of developing. Indeed, this is the matter we concerned about, and I believe that we strived enough to achieve it since the beginning of work at the company. As we continuously asked the employees about their opinions and suggestions in respect of many strategic decisions, such as decisions of innovating and developing services and decisions of supporting policies, and observation of such services.

Could you please, shed light on the most prominent social activities systematically practiced in the company in order to contribute in finding some kind of balance between work and the other aspects of life?

As a matter of fact, there are many social activities gradually performed by the company. We, in Al-Elm Company, wish the employee join a healthy club if he wants that and the company undertakes more than half of the cost and he pays the other half in installment during the time of joining the club. The company also launched internationally unique program, that is stopping smoking program from which number of employees has benefited, due to the favor of Allah and then their efforts. Also, there is "human resources committee" that was specially formed to represent them, to help them performing their work in the suitable way, and to provide many entertaining programs which relieve the work atmosphere. Indeed, there are many programs for this committee, for example, but not limited to this, the committee organizes a journey very summer for employees to an area in the kingdom. The goal behind such journey is enhancing the relationships between our employees which make them return to their work more innovative and optimistic. Besides, the annual journey of employees with their families, and even those who are not married. On the other hand, the company is concerned with the religious aspect of employees and undertakes its role in enhancing the religious communication in all aspects of life in order to win the satisfaction of Allah, glory be to Him, and in harmony with the customs of this country and their leaders, may Allah protect and safeguard them. Moreover, the day of sons of employees in the company, whereas, the employees receive their dear sons in the company and spend the day with them. During such day, the sons recognize the place in which their fathers work and spend time out of house. Also, there are monthly picnics for employees, the collective breakfast in Ramadan which organized every year and the company undertakes its expenses, the festivals of exchanging felicitations on the occasion of feast, the well known festival of Al-Elm regarding its internal relationship with employees. The festival is annually organized and takes a day where there is no work. During the day, some programs are introduced and a huge lunch banquet is made for all employees and leaders of the company, such as the executive manger, the vice president, and the mangers of administrations. As for this committee, it is selected by direct election among employees and the company specified a monthly budget for it in order to motivate it to perform many activities to achieve its goals.

What is your opinion about the methodology used in assessing foundations that participate in the list and mechanisms used in executing the assessment? And what are your developing suggestions with regard to such methodology?

We, in Al-Elm Company, appreciate the great role done by the arbitration committee due to the credibility we touched in the count votes and nominations and their great concern to stipulate precise criteria for electing the best companies in introducing and providing the ideal workplace which mainly aim at increasing employees productivity; something contributes in raising the level of clients satisfaction. We also praise the development done in the content of presented questionnaires which, no doubt, has been updated based on the last year experiment; the matter resulted in raising the efficiencies of companies in results and benefits might be obtained thorough participation in such competition. But the reports and feedbacks presented to us after the last year participation was the right path directed us to encounter some issues the company suffers from in order to solve them.

We also thank the responsible characters for this prize for their great initiative to the private sector and for their efforts in adopting such competitions which creates more and more competitions among companies to win the prize and to exert more effort to win the highest grades. the matters have positive reflections on the reputation of the company in the national market and make it a direct target for many national competences and make persons care for joining it in the future.

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