How Chalhoub Group Bahrain Is Transforming Culture through Listening, Learning, and Leading
A global provider of luxury experiences in the Middle East for over 70 years, Chalhoub Group sustains a reputation for excellence, leading with a people-centric approach, agility, and innovation. This was Articulated by Omaima AlAradi, People Experience & Culture Partner, and Mohamed Turaif, Senior HR Manager and People Partner at Chalhoub Group Bahrain. Operating as part of a large regional network, the team in Bahrain maintains agility alongside the intimacy and dynamic of a close-knit team.
A committed Great Place To Work® since 2021, consistently ranking among the best workplaces, Chalhoub Group Bahrain translates the unique feeling of belonging into results-driven practices—supported by the powerful data and benchmarking hub, Emprising™.
Meet Chalhoub Group Bahrain
Employees
179 Bahrain-based Employees
Industry
Retail
HQ Location
United Arab Emirates
Customer Since
2021
Hi, I’m Omaima AlAradi, Senior Associate – People Experience & Culture at Chalhoub Group. I partner with leadership to drive culture transformation, enhance people engagement, and lead corporate social responsibility initiatives that foster a positive and engaging workplace. And I’m Mohamed Taraif, Senior HR Manager and People Partner at Chalhoub Group Bahrain. I focus on people strategies, talent attraction, and development, and I’m passionate about guiding individuals on their professional journeys through a people-first, servant leadership approach. Together, we’re committed to creating thriving, sustainable workplaces where both people and organizations grow.
Key Outcomes
Trust Index™ insights served as the baseline for our commitment to cultivating a higher sense of pride.
Trust Index™ insights backed our journey to understanding the parameters of anchoring an environment that fosters creativity and innovation.
Trust Index™ survey helped us focus on fairness, build relevant initiatives, and ultimately achieve a significant jump in this indicator.
Why we partnered with Great Place To Work®
The partnership was a natural step, as we were looking for a clear benchmark to assess the progress we were making in building a great workplace. Rather than relying on assumptions, our team sought data that could accurately show where we stood, highlight areas for improvement, and reflect how well our efforts aligned with our Team Members’ actual experiences. By leveraging external benchmarking and comparing it with our internal culture, we were able to plan more strategically for the future.
“Partnering with Great Place To Work® came as a natural step for us because we wanted a clear benchmark to evaluate our progress in building a great workplace for our people.”
Omaima AlAradi, People Experience & Culture Partner at Chalhoub Group Bahrain
Challenge
Maintaining purpose and a positive company culture
We’re proud to be advancing a workplace where people feel trusted, enabled, and encouraged to learn and grow, but our 2023 Trust Index™ survey also highlighted areas needing attention:
- In the area of innovation, only 75% of Team Members felt they make a difference, a score that showed room for improvement.
- Feedback around fairness and equity also surfaced, signaling the need to ensure our efforts were consistently felt and understood across the Group.
- Some Team Members expressed limited awareness of the Group’s efforts in diversity, inclusion, and people wellbeing, suggesting a gap between intention and perception.
These insights showed us that while progress was being made, there was still work to be done to reinforce fairness and trust.
Solution
Trust Index Survey insights
With the Trust Index™ survey results, we were able to identify four main focus areas: Inclusion, Communication, Support, and Building Trust.
We concluded that the solution lies in bringing awareness to the many initiatives and projects we have running around inclusion and equity. This was addressed by implementing face-to-face roadshows to foster awareness and interaction around policies and processes.
Innovation was encouraged through learning platforms like Chalhoub University and Individual Development Plans (IDPs), which helped Team Members explore cross-functional roles.
We advanced workshops dedicated to teaching leaders how to create psychological safety within their teams. Additionally, we rolled out wellbeing initiatives such as Wellbeing Thursdays and group-wide therapy access to support holistic wellness.
Outcome
Up to 14-point increase in key culture indicators
The changes we implemented led to increased transparency, Team Members enablement, and a deeper sense of trust. Team members understood their growth paths, felt involved in leadership conversations, and engaged more actively in innovation.
- 90% of team members expressed pride in working at Chalhoub Bahrain
- 86% reported fairness regardless of gender
- 80% felt supported in innovating
Consistent communication and targeted initiatives built a workplace where people felt heard, valued, and included.
“When we started communicating, people understood clearly how the organization worked. People felt that they were a part of it, felt informed, felt like they know what their next steps are to grow.”
Omaima AlAradi, People Experience & Culture Partner at Chalhoub Group Bahrain
Advice to Other Organizations
Organizations should listen to their people with empathy, communicate clearly, and act consistently. Trust is built when organizations not only share information but also ensure team members understand the purpose behind decisions. Involving team members in meaningful conversations and demonstrating compassion at every level helps build a sustainable and positive culture.
Key Takeaways
- Face-to-face policy roadshows and wellbeing programs transformed trust from concept into lived experience.
- The Group achieved double-digit gains in innovation, pride, and fairness by aligning team members feedback with leadership action.
- Innovation became actionable through learning platforms, cross-functional exposure, and psychological safety workshops.
Products and features used
Trust Index™ Survey
Our rigorously developed employee survey is the global standard for quantifying the ROI of workplace culture, leadership impact, and measuring the employee experience.
Great Place To Work® Certification™
Certification gives employers a recruiting advantage by providing a globally recognized and research-backed verification of great employee experience.
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