BI WORLDWIDE leader reveals his approach to employee engagement
BI WORLDWIDE APAC Managing Director Omar Hadoui understands precisely what it takes to manage a team. Throughout his 20-year career spanning multiple countries and continents, he has learned one thing – employee engagement starts from the top.
During one of his earlier leadership stints in Hong Kong, Omar saw first-hand how employee engagement could make all the difference to productivity, motivation and retention. From then on, cultivating a personal approach to each and every employee has become a significant focus for him in every management role.
Today, Omar champions BI WORLDWIDE’s mission to help other leaders nurture positive company cultures – an approach he says has been a game changer in his journey.
“Nurturing and maintaining a strong company culture requires effort,” he says. “Creating a company culture means spending time with your team and engaging in activities that stimulate a sense of belonging, eventually benefiting business results.”
Driving engagement: what first steps can leaders take?
When it comes to a leader’s role in increasing employee engagement, Omar’s experience puts him in a unique position to offer insights to other organisations and leaders.
He shares that engagement is not just about how often you communicate with your team; it is also about how well you understand them on a personal level. A key step is to personalise each encounter, and to adopt different ways of communicating, because everyone receives and reacts to information differently.
The 12 New Rules of Engagement
Drawing on decades of research data, BI WORLDWIDE recently published its ‘12 New Rules of Engagement’, a combination of brand-new and reimagined concepts around employee experiences.
These rules aim to influence three key outcomes – commitment, effort and inspiration – and each rule can be tailored to suit a company’s existing culture and goals.
Regularly updated to adapt to the changing dynamics of the modern workplace, the latest edition reflects the post-pandemic era and the shifting demographics of employees today.
Incorporating these rules of engagement into his management style, Omar highlights the Make It Personal rule as a key differentiator in his everyday interactions. “It speaks to manager-employee relationships,” he says. “It’s critical to get a good grasp of who your employees are so that you know how to motivate them and learn how they work best. This helps to nurture collaboration and contributes to business vitality.”
He explains that another rule, Give It Meaning, is about “helping employees understand how their work connects to the mission and objectives of the business”.
“There’s also Magnify Their Success, which is the act of recognising your employees when they do great work, and Unite Them, which is all about teamwork and bringing people together,” Omar says.
“I’ve used many other frameworks throughout my career in leadership, but the 12 New Rules of Engagement drives what I feel is the right level of employee engagement, because you can really tailor how you use this framework to suit the specific needs of your organisation.”
Building an engagement strategy on years of experience
Undoubtedly, having unengaged employees means productivity suffers, there’s greater absenteeism, and the likelihood of high staff turnover increases. Omar’s experience with various company cultures, leadership styles and work environments has given him a solid foundation for his own approach to people management. His role at BI WORLDWIDE has also deepened his understanding of the importance of an engaged team.
“Everyone has different motivations and aspirations, and everyone sees the business a little differently,” Omar says. “We all want to go to Mount Everest, but there are so many different ways to get there, so that’s what you’re handling when you have a number of different reports!”
Like most people, Omar has seen his fair share of good and bad leaders. His 20 years in management have given him a bird’s eye view of how to produce the best levels of engagement possible, how to effectively manage a team, and the mistakes
to avoid.
“That’s all been part of my learning process, and it’s contributed to my interest in how positivity can be amplified.
BI WORLDWIDE really opened my eyes in terms of the layers and dimensions that come with engagement, and more importantly, when I hear our clients share their successes,” he says.
Understanding these layers involved in employee engagement, Omar says: “I devote a considerable amount of my own time to managing my team so that they’re always properly equipped in their work, stay motivated, and feel connected to our business mission and purpose.”
Improving employee engagement begins from the top. Omar believes that with the right strategies in place, organisations can bring out the best in their employees and drive better business outcomes.
Spotlight
“Employee engagement is a combination of many simple acts that occur on a daily basis, and it really doesn't require any magic,” Omar says.
“It’s essential to create many different points of engagement and a safe and inclusive environment where employees can focus on their development and growth. Points of engagement can be created in various ways: by gathering ideas from employees, celebrating their achievements, catching up on their goals, or simply with an informal check-in.
“A safe and inclusive environment really comes back to being authentic in all of your own interactions and using that to foster a sense of belonging,” he explains. “In short, if you can show that you are genuinely invested in your team’s time at the company, both personally and professionally, then you will go a long way towards increasing engagement.”
BI WORLDWIDE is a global engagement agency that uses the principles of behavioural economics to produce measurable business results by designing and delivering solutions that engage employees, channel partners and customers. We bring a global reach with offices in Singapore, the US, Australia, Canada, China, Latin America, India and the UK.
We offer a number of solutions, including sales incentives, employee recognition and reward programs, loyalty programs, customer engagement marketing, promotional marketing, global business solutions, gamification, corporate event solutions and integrated marketing.
Our consulting practice, creative/digital services, reward fulfilment, event planning and technologies can reach the most remote audiences. No wonder we are chosen by the largest, most far-reaching companies in the world to design and execute on their behalf.
By combining our proven global solutions with the local market expertise of our regionally based staff, we can deliver solutions that are locally relevant and globally successful.
Reach us at biworldwide.com.sg.
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20
Fun fact
“I love all extreme sports, and I’m a certified scuba diver, free diver and skydiver. I also love driving big bikes, such as
Harley-Davidsons, around the world”
Career highlight
“Not only have I learned from the best around the world, BI WORLDWIDE has helped me find inspiration and meaning in the things I do”
Omar Hadoui
Managing Director, APAC at BI WORLDWIDE
Reflecting on his 20-year journey,
Omar Hadoui talks about his leadership style and how it aligns with BI WORLDWIDE’s approach to nurturing positive employee experiences
Read on
“Employee engagement is a combination of many simple acts that occur on a daily basis, and it really doesn’t require any magic”
Omar Hadoui,
BI WORLDWIDE
“I’m a big believer that company success is only due to its people. This is why I devote a considerable amount of my own time to managing my team so that they’re always properly equipped in their work, stay motivated, and feel connected to our business mission and purpose”
Omar Hadoui,
BI WORLDWIDE
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Spotlight
Fundserv is the indispensable connectivity hub for the Canadian investment industry. Headquartered in Toronto, we electronically connect Manufacturers, Distributors, and Intermediaries, enabling them to buy, sell, and transfer investment funds. With more than 100 employees, Fundserv serves hundreds of members—executing up to 63 million yearly network transactions—and provides online access to more than 70,000 investment fund products.
Established in 1993, Fundserv is a private corporation that is owned by the industry we serve. Our 10 shareholders are a cross-section of Manufacturers, Distributors, and Service Providers who represent our members.
We operate using a cost-recovery model, meaning any unused profit may be rebated back to our members. In addition to our network and applications, we lead and facilitate industry committees and working groups that promote automation initiatives and establish the industry’s electronic standards.
By ensuring every trade is processed timely, accurately, and securely, Fundserv has rightfully earned a reputation for service excellence—a hallmark of more than 25 years in the investment industry.
Company Profile
“Employee engagement is a combination of many simple acts that occur on a daily basis, and it really doesn’t require any magic”
Omar Hadoui,
BI WORLDWIDE
“I’m a big believer that company success is only due to its people. This is why I devote a considerable amount of my own time to managing my team so that they’re always properly equipped in their work, stay motivated, and feel connected to our business mission and purpose”
Omar Hadoui,
BI WORLDWIDE
Years of Experience
20
Fast Fact
“I love all extreme sports, and I’m a certified scuba diver, free diver and skydiver. I also love driving big bikes, such as Harley-Davidsons, around the world”
Karen Adams
President and CEO at Fundserv
Before becoming CEO of Fundserv, Karen Adams held a variety of leadership roles around the world – and she learned that listening and understanding are key to both providing service and developing talent
Read on
Share
Share
Spotlight
Company Profile
Years of Experience
20
Career highlight
“Not only have I learned from the best around the world, BI WORLDWIDE has helped me find inspiration and meaning in the things I do”
Karen Adams
President and CEO at Fundserv
Career highlight
Before becoming CEO of Fundserv, Karen Adams held a variety of leadership roles around the world – and she learned that listening and understanding are key to both providing service and developing talent
Read on
“Employee engagement is a combination of many simple acts that occur on a daily basis, and it really doesn’t require any magic”
Omar Hadoui,
BI WORLDWIDE
“I’m a big believer that company success is only due to its people. This is why I devote a considerable amount of my own time to managing my team so that they’re always properly equipped in their work, stay motivated, and feel connected to our business mission and purpose”
Omar Hadoui,
BI WORLDWIDE
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Achieved the highest revenue in the history of the company in Asia
Eligible to join the President Club after first year as MD
Promoted from Business Development Director, APAC to Managing Director, APAC after a year at
BI WORLDWIDE
Only one to receive the
Pace Setters award globally in FY2020/21
Accolades
Career highlight
“Not only have I learned from the best around the world, BI WORLDWIDE has helped me find inspiration and meaning in the things I do”
FUN Fact
“I love all extreme sports, and I’m a certified scuba diver, free diver and skydiver. I also love driving big bikes, such as Harley-Davidsons, around the world”
Favourite quote
“There is no growth in comfort”
Favourite quote
“There is no growth in comfort”
Favourite quote
“There is no growth in comfort”
Fundserv is the indispensable connectivity hub for the Canadian investment industry. Headquartered in Toronto, we electronically connect Manufacturers, Distributors, and Intermediaries, enabling them to buy, sell, and transfer investment funds. With more than 100 employees, Fundserv serves hundreds of members—executing up to 63 million yearly network transactions—and provides online access to more than 70,000 investment fund products.
Established in 1993, Fundserv is a private corporation that is owned by the industry we serve. Our 10 shareholders are a cross-section of Manufacturers, Distributors, and Service Providers who represent our members.
We operate using a cost-recovery model, meaning any unused profit may be rebated back to our members. In addition to our network and applications, we lead and facilitate industry committees and working groups that promote automation initiatives and establish the industry’s electronic standards.
By ensuring every trade is processed timely, accurately, and securely, Fundserv has rightfully earned a reputation for service excellence—a hallmark of more than 25 years in the investment industry.
