Building a culture that champions diversity
The importance of developing a robust culture that’s reflective of your people and community simply can’t be understated. At Grant Thornton UAE, the investment in and willingness to build a culture that’s centered around diversity and inclusion has seen both the firm and its people flourish.
It’s taken years to get there, and there’s always more work to be done, but Grant Thornton UAE’s inclusive approach has allowed it to really stand out as a beacon for opportunity within its community.
As CEO of Grant Thornton UAE, Hisham Farouk, explains,
“For me, it was very important to map out and consider what our community looks like and ask
how can we have a reflection of that in our organisation, and what are the efforts we need to put in place to ensure that that is done?”
This introspective approach to diversity, equity, and inclusion has seen Grant Thornton UAE grow to have a team comprising more than 50 nationalities, with people from almost every continent represented at the firm. This amazing mix of backgrounds and viewpoints has been key in building the culture of the firm into one that is truly inclusive of everyone – enabling deeper relationships to be built across both communities and clients.
“Everyone comes in with their experiences, their backgrounds, their understandings – and collectively I think that elevates intellect, it elevates creativity, it elevates harmony, and really allows us to be a very unique professional services firm in our own right.” - Hisham Farouk, CEO, Grant Thornton UAE
This desire to have a culture that accurately reflects that of the community around Grant Thornton UAE is something that has really driven the firm’s focus on DE&I. Ultimately, the firm wanted to be able to mirror the multicultural society it saw in the world around it. When referencing the people at the firm, Mr. Farouk spoke of how “everyone comes in with their experiences, their backgrounds, their understandings – and collectively I think that elevates intellect, it elevates creativity, it elevates harmony, and really allows us to be a very unique professional services firm in our own right.”
Any firm is only as great as the sum of its parts – the people that are at the heart of the organisation. Building a community of diverse people, who can all feel safe to communicate their points of view, allows a firm to develop much quicker.
It’s also important to note Grant Thornton UAE’s commitment to achieving gender parity at the firm, and how this has enabled its rapid growth and success. The firm is close to achieving gender parity, with 45% of its population now female – a stark contrast from the 90% male population just five years ago. This has been the result of a steady focus on increasing female representation at the firm over those past five years. Initiatives such as a 50/50 gender spilt of internal promotions have helped this immensely, with the firm also committed to increasing the number of women in leadership over the next number of years as part of its strategic growth plans.
It can sometimes be difficult to measure the direct success of DE&I initiatives on the everyday workings of a firm. Instead, we can often look to the people that work there to see the true value in investing in these initiatives. The focus on gender parity and on fostering a community where women feel valued, and that they can progress, has led to an environment where women feel safe and appreciated.
“Something that really stood out for us, was that the psychological safety for women in our firm was actually higher than for men, which I think was a great and a very unique accomplishment in our own right.” Hisham Farouk, CEO, Grant Thornton UAE
Grant Thornton UAE has also invested in several other DE&I initiatives that have brought real value to its employees. The firm implemented training around unconscious bias and how to eliminate it, particularly throughout the talent recruitment process. This brought a new level of objectivity to the firm’s hiring process, and enabled its existing staff to become more mindful of the biases that can exist in their day-to-day lives. This resulted in “radical shifts in the organisation in a very short period of time” according to Mr. Farouk.
The firm is also dedicated to its work with people of determination (The UAE government refers to people with disabilities as ‘people of determination’ in recognition of their achievements in different fields), offering chances to expand their horizons through the Grant Thornton network and giving opportunities that might not have been available otherwise. This has had a lasting effect on the Grant Thornton UAE community and has added “more energy and drive to continue making changes” according to Mr. Farouk.
"Women can have a very different perspective of looking at challenges and problems and managing stress. And when you have that at a leadership level, it cascades down to the firm as a whole.” - Hisham Farouk, CEO, Grant Thornton UAE
While many of the rewards for investing in DE&I may go unseen, there are some very clear results at Grant Thornton UAE that can be directly attributed to its commitment to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion. In the past five years alone, revenue and employee headcount have both trebled – in no small part due to the firm’s focus on DE&I allowing it to attract and retain top quality talent. The ability to demonstrate the firm’s diverse talent pool and capability has also given it a distinct competitive advantage, enabling it to win larger clients and provide them with extremely high-quality service.
Externally, the firm’s commitment to DE&I has also garnered it some attention. Last year it was nominated for the Grant Thornton Go Beyond Diversity award for its clear desire to champion diversity from the inside out. Grant Thornton UAE has also built-up strong relationships within its community as a result of its efforts, such as its contribution to the 1 Billion Meals campaign and the company’s fresh graduate program.
As with any firm’s DE&I journey, it’s never truly complete. There is always more work to be done, and Grant Thornton UAE recognises that and has kept DE&I at the heart of its strategic plans over the coming years. A key focus now for the firm is to increase the proportion of women in leadership, with this now selected as one of its highest KPIs for its upcoming 2027 strategy, which is soon to be implemented.
“It’s not just a matter of women being given the opportunity to represent themselves and show their professionalism, it’s actually the influence that women have. Women can have a very different perspective of looking at challenges and problems and managing stress. And when you have that at a leadership level, it cascades down to the firm as a whole.” Hisham Farouk, CEO, Grant Thornton UAE
Another focus is to continue to develop the firm’s work with people of determination. There has always been significant support for existing initiatives in the organisation, with it already having pledged that 3% of its workforce will be dedicated to people of determination. Grant Thornton UAE has seen firsthand the impact these initiatives can have on its people and are keen to continue providing opportunities for change where they can.
Committing to champion DE&I may seem like an easy decision, but the work and commitment it takes to follow through on these plans is significant. Grant Thorton UAE is a shining example of what can be achieved when an organisation dedicates itself to change throughout the company. They’ve been clear in their message, endeavouring to remain transparent and to communicate effectively with all of their staff. Their work is far from done, however, with Hisham Farouk explaining that:
“It’s a journey – there's no endline to it. We are constantly learning and thriving and expanding. It’s very important to appreciate that and ensure that it’s part of our continuous growth model.”
Grant Thornton UAE’s DE&I journey is far from complete, but the work done so far and the success that it’s brought should exemplify what can be achieved through strategic focus and determination. The “never-ending journey” as described by
Mr. Farouk is what makes investing in DE&I special. We are constantly learning, growing, and progressing – and ultimately creating a workplace and a community that is welcoming to everyone.
