CONTINUOUS EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT When an organization is going through tough times, there is an increased need for employee engagement. It has been of utmost importance among many organizations in the current situation of the COVID19 pandemic. HR managers have to be innovative in their engagement activities, especially for the employees who are working remotely. Some of the engagement activities include virtual learning and development programs, online courses, live sessions for skills training, and more. When employees are engaged, they feel more committed to the company, and they find motivation amid the challenges of the pandemic. At ADCB, a dedicated team was created to focus on engagement with employees during the pandemic, along with ensuring business continuity. At the onset ofthe crisis, the bank's primary focus was on safeguarding the health and wellbeing of all its staff, while also providing uninterrupted services to its customers. Employee communications were a top priority for the HR management. They conducted a detailed survey to know the primary concerns of the employees during the transition into virtual operations. Individual communications with its employees were also conducted when necessary to ensure their health and well-being, both physically and mentally. ADCB strives to create a supportive and engaging working environment, which is important in helping its people perform their duties effectively and productively. HR management was tasked to ensure that their employees have all the support they need in adapting to the changing working conditions amid the global crisis. The bank noted a decline in the number of voluntary attrition in 2020 compared to 2018 and 2019. Moreover, the company is proud of the skills that its people have, which is why it strives to expand their competencies by providing training and learning opportunities. ADCB has established its Ambition University, which serves as the central platform for the company to deliver training and development programs for its people. The bank conducts mandatory annual training on key risk management, such as anti-money laundering, fraud, IT security, compliance, and business continuity, among others. To keep an engaged workforce, it is also essential to foster an inclusive work environment. Inclusion makes the employees feel trusted and involved, which increases their engagement. When trust exists in the organization, it improves engagement. ADCB promotes an inclusive work environment for everyone in the organization. Employees are encouraged to raise any concerns they have. They can tell their managers directly if they are uncomfortable. However, if they want to maintain anonymity, they can also use the company's formal grievance platform called Tawasul, which ensures that employees are heard and their grievances are addressed. In general, ADCB has delivered high employee satisfaction, and its impressive retention rates are a testament to this. Employees at the senior management ranks have an average tenure of 10.6 years while most of the highly experienced members of its Management Executive Committee have been with the company for more than 15 years. Exhibit 1 shows the results of ADCB'S employee engagement survey in October 2020, with an overall engagement rate of 87%. UPSKILLING FOR A DIGITAL FUTURE Technology has been changing the landscape for the banking and nance industry. The only way is forward, and ADCB needs to invest in its digital future so it would not be left behind. To remain competitive in the industry, upskilling its people is also essential. The bank has been building its teams and upskilling its people to prepare them for the digital strategy execution of the company. Preparing its people is important for the company to realize its goal for a digital future, while also equipping them with essential skills that will allow the bank to cater to the changing demands of the customers. ADCB has made the organization leaner and more efficient, however, it also meant job losses for some of its staff. While the company announced in 2020 that it would not implement job cuts during the pandemic, the company later conrmed that it will lay off around 400 job redundancies, mainly from its consumer business and senior management ranks. The redundancies are expected to happen as a regular course of business every year to remove underachievers and deploy talented people in other parts of the business, such as digital banking. It spells bad news to employees who would feel less secure about their jobs, which may also affect engagement and productivity in one way or another. PRIORITIZING DIVERSITY AND EMIRATIZATION One of ADCB's core values is to keep a highly diverse workforce, comprising of multi-cultural and multi-talented people from more than 80 nationalities. It also supports the UAE government's Emiratization program, which aims to increase the number of Emirati nationals employed in companies in the country. ADCB has managed to have the highest proportion in the UAE banking industry, with 50% of its workforce being UAE nationals. The company also supports female empowerment and diversity. Exhibit 2 shows the distribution of ADCB employees by gender and by age, whereas 40% of its workforce is female. The bank has committed itself to being the center of excellence for Emiratis, with ongoing efforts to provide UAE nationals with a comprehensive career development path through personal growth and skills acquisition. One ofthe key pillars of ADCB's HR approach is employee retention, especially the top talents among UAE nationals. As part of its efforts, the bank has created customized programs around the technical, behavioral, and leadership aspects. Going beyond the internal organization, ADCB has also committed to reinforcing employment opportunities for Emiratis within the banking and finance industry. In 2020, it signed a partnership agreement with the Human Resources Authority (HRA) to become a strategic partner with the HRA and the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) Academy on The Bankers\" Programme. The entities sought to provide an educational platform for banking services, which would help UAE nationals across the nation enhance their skills and financial education. The goal was forjob seekers to enroll in specialized courses at the ADGM Academy and the ADCB would later recruit them based on its human capital requirements. Organizational Development at Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank: Transitioning Efforts During the Pandemic INTRODUCTION Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB) is one of the top banks in the United Arab Emirates with total assets of AED 395.82 billion. Since it was founded in 1985, the bank has been providing nancial services on retail, commercial, Islamic banking, and more. In 2019, ADCB merged with Union National Bank. ADCB's business segments include consumer banking, wholesale banking, investment banking, property management, and treasury banking. lts headquarters is located in Abu Dhabi, with 72 branches and around 450 ATMs all over the UAE. It has around 5,000 people in its workforce. The company's mission statement is \"Ensuring a stable foundation to allow responsible management, accountability, and decision-making through strong governance and the highest ethical practices.\" The bank upholds ethical practices and building an organization depends on leadership that has integrity, including its human resource management. ADCB considers its people as the success enablers. The bank is where it is today because of the strengths and capabilities of its workforce. HR management plays a crucial role in the organization, particularly in keeping the employees efcient and engaged. The company has also set a mission of \"Building capacities for the future by embedding leadership skills, complemented by a safe and inclusive work environment that capitalizes on the unique experiences and diversity of our workforce.\" The bank's HR management practices are particularly crucial to the organization during the coronavirus (COVlD-lQ) pandemic. Where many organizations were not able to survive the pandemic, those who managed to thrive owe much to their people. In times of crisis, HR managers need to find ways to rethink their programs and launch initiatives that will matter and make an impact. The bank attributed its ability to successfully navigate through the challenges of 2020 to its resilient culture and shared values. ENSURING HEALTH AND SAFETY One of the strengths of ADCB's HR management is in providing a healthy and safe environment. It has been promoting work-life balance among its employees. Reviews on Glassdoor (a popular job search and company reviews platform) by former and current employees highlight the work-life balance as one of the things that they like about the company. The company also developed a health and safety policy, which covers procedures like first aid, hazard risks, and emergency preparedness. ADCB ensured that these policies complied with the national standards, and it has also secured UAE Civil Defense Safety Certificates for all of its locations. The bank has also equipped its locations with re wardens and trained support staff, including nursing services and first aid clinics. When the COVIDl9 pandemic hit, ADCB was swift to respond, beginning in January 2020, at the onset of the pandemic. It created contingency plans to ensure business resilience and employee safety. It implemented a comprehensive crisis management response that enabled the company to sustain its operations. The bank allowed some of its staff members to work from home and provided them with the necessary equipment they need, such as laptops and computers and network connectivity. It also conducted awareness and training on proper hygiene practices, especially for the staff that remains working on-site. The bank also upgraded its facilities to include sanitation tunnels and other protective measures and provided dedicated areas for vaccine administration. It also subsidized PCR testing for its employees. LEADING INNOVATION AND CHANGE As a major financial institution in the UAE, ADCB feels a sense of duty to contribute to the national agenda. It makes sure that it is aligned with the UAE government's vision and efforts to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as well as the Abu Dhabi's economic vision. As such, ADCB has embedded sustainable in every aspect of its operations, particularly in implementing its Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) responsibilities. The bank has established four key pillars of sustainability: governance and ethics, accessible banking, UAE centricity, and success enablers. In line with these pillars, ADCB initiated innovation in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in terms of providing customer service. The emergence of the coronavirus drove the company's accelerated digitization to help entrepreneurs gain access to online banking. It introduced mobile-based point of sale (POS) application called Pace Pay, which has become instrumental in helping small and micro- businesses adapt to the new normal. The first Pace Pay was launched in September 2020 and provided business with zero cost per transaction. Moreover, ADCB also introduced its HUB71 to support technology startups, particularly those in the early stage of their business. ADCB envisions HUB71 playing a central role in solidifying a sustainable economy driven by entrepreneurship. The bank also continues to explore new ways to innovate its services and capabilities to serve customers and meet their needs and expectations. EXHIBIT 1 ADCB Employee Engaged Survey Results 2020 OVERALL ENGAGEMENT SCORE 87% COMMITMENT SCORE 86% ENABLEMENT SCORE 87% LINE MANAGER INDEX SCORE 89% PARTICIPATION RATE 91% ADCB EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT SURVEY RESULTS Source: ADCB 2020 Annual Report EXHIBIT 2 ADCB Employees by Gender and Age 40% 60% FEMALE MALE EMPLOYEES EMPLOYEES ADCB EMPLOYEES BY GENDER 31% 51% 18% EMPLOYEES EMPLOYEES EMPLOYEES >45 years 25-34 YEARS 35-45 YEARS or