The Knowledge and Human Development Authority in Dubai has succeeded in creating an exceptional work environment that enhances the positive energy of its employees and clients alike. It started by removing the doors and walls of the offices, and in addition to the fish tanks, ornamental birds and music, the employee attendance and departure system has been cancelled, as they are now able to practice their hobbies (artistic or sports) during work hours. As for the client, there is a “Happiness Taxi” that transports him from the parking lot to the door of the headquarters, where the “Hayakum” team receives him and offers his services. After the hospitality employee asks the client about his requests and takes a short break, the employee comes to provide the service.
Employees and customers considered this environment a source of positive energy, a motivator for happiness, and a living model of what future government institutions should become.
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6 scenes of happiness • There are no offices for employees at the Knowledge and Human Development Authority in Dubai, as everyone works in an open environment, without barriers or walls. • Ornamental birds and fish tanks are spread throughout the Authority’s headquarters, adding an atmosphere of joy and fun to the place. • The presence of employees and officials in one place contributes to the speed of completing transactions, as the employee sends the email to his manager and follows up on it directly while he is next to him. • The Authority’s employees can practice their hobbies during their work hours, whether sports or arts, as sports and musical equipment are spread throughout the Authority. • A day is allocated every week for group sports practice for the Authority’s employees and leaders. • The Authority provides its staff with specialists in yoga for women and men. Customer Journey •The journey of the customer or visitor to the Knowledge and Human Development Authority in Dubai begins from the parking lot, where he is greeted by the “Happiness Taxi”, whose mission is to transport him to the door of the Authority. •Once the applicant enters the Authority, he will be greeted by members of the “Hayakum” team who will welcome him and offer their services to assist him. •The customer is the only person the hospitality employee goes to to offer his services, and he receives special treatment. • After a short break for the customer, the employee responsible for his transaction goes to him to complete it as quickly as possible. •Before the reviewer leaves the Authority, he finds an electronic board through which he can evaluate the Authority’s work, and the evaluation results are directly linked to the Dubai eGovernment. •The visitor finds the “Happiness Taxi” waiting to receive him again and take him to his car. |
Chairman of the Board of Directors and Director General of the Knowledge and Human Development Authority in Dubai, Dr. Abdullah Al Karam, confirmed that the productivity of the Authority’s employees has increased significantly, after introducing radical changes to the work environment, as well as indicators of satisfaction and happiness among them and the Authority’s clients, pointing out that what the Authority has achieved is an actual translation of the government’s plans and strategies related to instilling the concepts of positive energy and happiness in government work.
Al-Karm told Al-Emarat Al-Youm that employee happiness is the beginning of success in government work, as this employee can devote himself to his work, and every official must work to provide it to his employees at the present time, not in the distant future, which affects his dealings with others and his trust in them.
He called for eliminating the traditional routine system in government work, and working to attract smart and talented employees who add creative ideas and solutions to problems, and participate with officials in developing successful plans and strategies.
He stated that the development and improvement of the work environment in the Authority took place in different stages, starting three years ago with the gradual change process, which was accompanied by conducting surveys to measure the success of each idea implemented, and each change activated by employees and reviewers, and its direct impact on the work environment and the employee, as the change began from the doors, followed by the removal of office walls, and working within an open, interactive work environment that reflects the spirit of teamwork and enhances transparency between employees and reviewers.
Al Karam stressed that the Authority’s surveys showed an increase in employee happiness rates from 6.1 out of ten to 7.3 out of ten in just 18 months. Employee productivity also improved through the way they deal with clients, and their presentation of constructive development ideas and various projects. He pointed out that the step of cancelling the system of linking employees to specific attendance and departure hours is a revolution in traditional work, at a time when global studies indicate that the average employee working hours do not exceed four hours. Therefore, the Authority is working to ensure that the employee’s presence within the Authority is as productive as possible.
He added that the Authority is moving towards transferring its work environment and climate to private schools in Dubai, after its experience in the Authority’s building and its remarkable success, by urging its management to adopt the experience and see the extent of its success.
In the same context, employees of the Authority expressed their happiness with the general climate in which they work, which is constantly evolving, and that it enables them to develop their skills and professional capabilities, in light of the direct and continuous interaction with the work team, in addition to the availability of all the capabilities and tools that make the work environment a suitable climate for creativity and excellence.
They added that removing barriers between them and their officials made them work as one team, increased the dynamism of work, and directly benefited from different experiences, which ultimately reflects on the client and the private education sector in Dubai in general. In addition, reviewers and clients of the authority confirmed that since they entered the building to complete their transactions, they find themselves in front of an exceptional institution by all standards, starting with the good welcome and ending with the speed and accuracy of completing the transaction, calling on government and private institutions to adopt the experience of the authority and apply it, as it is the ideal for employees and reviewers alike, and it is also the institution of the future that the government aspires to implement. “Emirates Today” publishes on its website a video report on the Knowledge and Human Development Authority in Dubai.
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