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If you've ever felt like the workplace has become harder to navigate, you're not imagining it.

In this episode of The HR & CQ Show, we explore why the traditional VUCA model no longer reflects the reality many organisations are facing, and why the concept of a BANI world—Brittle, Anxious, Non-linear and Incomprehensible, offers a more accurate picture of today's business environment.

Drawing on conversations from our recent HR & CQ Breakfast Bites event, we discuss what this means for leaders, HR professionals and employees working across the UAE and beyond.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why VUCA no longer tells the whole story
• What a BANI world looks like in practice
• How uncertainty and anxiety are influencing workplace culture and decision-making
• The impact of AI, global events and workforce transformation on organisations
• Why leaders need to move beyond control and focus on empathy, adaptability and communication
• How anxiety is experienced and expressed differently across cultures
• Practical ways HR teams and leaders can better support employees during periods of uncertainty
• How Cultural Intelligence provides a practical framework for navigating complexity and leading across cultures

One thing is becoming increasingly clear.

We may not be able to predict what's coming next, but we can develop the capabilities, behaviours and leadership approaches needed to respond with greater confidence.

Whether you're leading a team, shaping organisational culture, or simply trying to make sense of an increasingly unpredictable world of work, this episode offers practical insights to help you lead with clarity, confidence and compassion.

This episode was brought to you by Sarah Brooks and Emma Jordaan

Sarah Brooks is a CIPD-qualified HR professional and the Founder and Managing Director of Fikrah HR, a UAE-based consultancy specialising in strategic talent management, organisational development, and positive workplace cultures. With nearly three decades of HR and business experience across the UK and GCC, she supports SMEs with innovative HR solutions that drive employee engagement and organisational effectiveness and compliance. Recognised among the top 101 global HR minds at the World HR Congress in 2019 and 2020, Sarah’s expertise spans the full employee lifecycle, including recruitment, onboarding, policy development, and performance management. She is also the co-host of The HR & CQ Show podcast, where she discusses HR trends and cultural intelligence in the UAE. Sarah has also been featured on Dubai Eye Business Breakfast radio show discussing hot topics regarding employer health & safety obligations and remote work challenges and is currently working towards the launch of Gigit, which will connect UAE based fractional & project workers with opportunities.

Emma Jordaan is the Founder and CEO of Infinite Consulting, a Dubai-based consultancy specialising in learning and development strategy and Cultural Intelligence (CQ). With over 20 years’ experience across ...

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In this episode of The HR & CQ Show, we’re continuing the conversation from our  HR & CQ Breakfast Bites event and responding to one of the key questions raised by the audience:

How do we get wellbeing taken seriously by the C-suite?

Wellbeing is often dismissed as the “nice to have” part of HR, fruit bowls, yoga sessions, and one-off initiatives. But in reality, wellbeing has a direct impact on productivity, retention, engagement, absenteeism, psychological safety, and business performance.

In this episode, we explore what it really means to take a holistic approach to wellbeing in the workplace and why wellbeing initiatives need to be designed with culture in mind.

We discuss:

• How to build a stronger business case for wellbeing
• Why ROI matters when speaking to the C-suite
• Why wellbeing means different things across different cultures
• How to create inclusive wellbeing initiatives for a multicultural workforce
• Low-cost wellbeing ideas that still make a meaningful impact
• The role of accommodation, transport, food, financial wellbeing, and community
• Why not every initiative will work for every employee
• How HR teams can design a wellbeing calendar that feels relevant, inclusive, and practical

Because wellbeing is not just about offering initiatives.

It is about understanding what your people actually need and creating workplaces where they can feel supported, respected, and able to perform at their best.

This episode was brought to you by Sarah Brooks and Emma Jordaan

Sarah Brooks is a CIPD-qualified HR professional and the Founder and Managing Director of Fikrah HR, a UAE-based consultancy specialising in strategic talent management, organisational development, and positive workplace cultures. With nearly three decades of HR and business experience across the UK and GCC, she supports SMEs with innovative HR solutions that drive employee engagement and organisational effectiveness and compliance. Recognised among the top 101 global HR minds at the World HR Congress in 2019 and 2020, Sarah’s expertise spans the full employee lifecycle, including recruitment, onboarding, policy development, and performance management. She is also the co-host of The HR & CQ Show podcast, where she discusses HR trends and cultural intelligence in the UAE. Sarah has also been featured on Dubai Eye Business Breakfast radio show discussing hot topics regarding employer health & safety obligations and remote work challenges and is currently working towards the launch of Gigit, which will connect UAE based fractional & project workers with opportunities.

Emma Jordaan is the Founder and CEO of Infinite Consulting, a Dubai-based consultancy specialising in learning and development strategy and Cultural Intelligence (CQ). With over 20 years’ experience across ...

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In this special episode of The HR & CQ Show, recorded live at our HR & CQ Summit 2026, we’re joined by Andrew Stotter-Brooks, Global Learning & Development Director at TGI Fridays.

Together, we explore what it really takes to lead, perform, and build high-impact teams in today’s increasingly complex world  and why the real competitive edge isn’t technology… it’s people.

In this episode, we unpack:
•Why leadership today is defined by complexity, clarity, and trust 
•What separates organisations that execute well from those that don’t 
•Why systems matter, but performance comes from how people operate within them 
•The role of trust and why once it’s broken, it’s never fully restored 
•The leadership capability most lacking today: listening and asking the right questions 
•Why psychological safety is critical to performance 
•Leadership lessons from global markets and why “people are people” 
•The human advantage in a world increasingly shaped by AI 
•Why “soft skills” are actually power skills 
•How leaders can better support teams during times of uncertainty 

We also explore the reality of leading in the GCC, one of the most diverse talent markets in the world and why connection, respect, and understanding are essential to unlocking performance.

Because in the future of work…

Technology will reshape roles, but it won’t replace human connection.

This episode was brought to you by Sarah Brooks and Emma Jordaan

Sarah Brooks is a CIPD-qualified HR professional and the Founder and Managing Director of Fikrah HR, a UAE-based consultancy specialising in strategic talent management, organisational development, and positive workplace cultures. With nearly three decades of HR and business experience across the UK and GCC, she supports SMEs with innovative HR solutions that drive employee engagement and organisational effectiveness and compliance. Recognised among the top 101 global HR minds at the World HR Congress in 2019 and 2020, Sarah’s expertise spans the full employee lifecycle, including recruitment, onboarding, policy development, and performance management. She is also the co-host of The HR & CQ Show podcast, where she discusses HR trends and cultural intelligence in the UAE. Sarah has also been featured on Dubai Eye Business Breakfast radio show discussing hot topics regarding employer health & safety obligations and remote work challenges and is currently working towards the launch of Gigit, which will connect UAE based fractional & project workers with opportunities.

Emma Jordaan is the Founder and CEO of Infinite Consulting, a Dubai-based consultancy specialising in learning and development strategy and Cultural Intelligence (CQ). With over 20 years’ experience across ...

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What actually shapes culture inside an organisation?

And why does everything seem to shift when leadership changes?

In this episode of The HR & CQ Show, we unpack one of the most relevant challenges facing organisations in the UAE today — navigating cross-cultural teams.

Drawing on real questions from our HR & CQ Breakfast Bites events, we explore:

•  Why individual cultural values (not just organisational values) shape workplace behaviour 
•  How leadership changes can completely shift team dynamics 
•  The reality of working across different cultural expectations around time, communication, and hierarchy 
•  Why relationship-building is critical in the UAE — and why many leaders underestimate it 
•  How remote and hybrid teams are losing trust without intentional connection 
•  Practical ways HR leaders can diagnose communication breakdowns 
•  Why most organisations mislabel communication issues instead of recognising them as cultural 
•  The role of Cultural Intelligence training, coaching, and behavioural accountability 
•  How diversity drives innovation, performance, and business outcomes 

We also explore the Cultural Intelligence lens — how assumptions, perceptions, and behaviours differ across cultures, and what leaders must do to adapt.

If you are leading a multicultural team, working across borders, or operating in the UAE’s diverse workforce — this episode will challenge how you think about culture at work.

This episode was brought to you by Sarah Brooks and Emma Jordaan

Sarah Brooks is a CIPD-qualified HR professional and the Founder and Managing Director of Fikrah HR, a UAE-based consultancy specialising in strategic talent management, organisational development, and positive workplace cultures. With nearly three decades of HR and business experience across the UK and GCC, she supports SMEs with innovative HR solutions that drive employee engagement and organisational effectiveness and compliance. Recognised among the top 101 global HR minds at the World HR Congress in 2019 and 2020, Sarah’s expertise spans the full employee lifecycle, including recruitment, onboarding, policy development, and performance management. She is also the co-host of The HR & CQ Show podcast, where she discusses HR trends and cultural intelligence in the UAE. Sarah has also been featured on Dubai Eye Business Breakfast radio show discussing hot topics regarding employer health & safety obligations and remote work challenges and is currently working towards the launch of Gigit, which will connect UAE based fractional & project workers with opportunities.

Emma Jordaan is the Founder and CEO of Infinite Consulting, a Dubai-based consultancy specialising in learning and development strategy and Cultural Intelligence (CQ). With over 20 years’ experience across ...

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End-of-service benefits (gratuity) continue to be one of the most frequently asked questions at our HR & CQ Breakfast Bites and Summit events, so in this episode, we’re unpacking it properly.

Sarah, our employment law expert, breaks down:

• What UAE law actually says about gratuity (mainland, free zones, DIFC & ADGM)
• What counts as final settlement vs. end-of-service benefits
• Whether companies can legally refuse to pay
• What deductions are and are not allowed
• New alternative schemes (including DIFC’s DEWS model)
• What employees should never sign without receiving
• How to raise complaints with MOHRE or free zone authorities
• Why cultural dynamics can stop employees from asking the right questions
• The role of whistleblower policies in DIFC and ADGM

We also explore the Cultural Intelligence lens, why employees from authority-oriented cultures may hesitate to challenge calculations, and how HR leaders can create transparency and psychological safety around end-of-service processes.

If you work in HR, lead teams in the UAE, or are navigating your own employment journey here, this is essential listening.

This episode was brought to you by Sarah Brooks and Emma Jordaan

Sarah Brooks is a CIPD-qualified HR professional and the Founder and Managing Director of Fikrah HR, a UAE-based consultancy specialising in strategic talent management, organisational development, and positive workplace cultures. With nearly three decades of HR and business experience across the UK and GCC, she supports SMEs with innovative HR solutions that drive employee engagement and organisational effectiveness and compliance. Recognised among the top 101 global HR minds at the World HR Congress in 2019 and 2020, Sarah’s expertise spans the full employee lifecycle, including recruitment, onboarding, policy development, and performance management. She is also the co-host of The HR & CQ Show podcast, where she discusses HR trends and cultural intelligence in the UAE. Sarah has also been featured on Dubai Eye Business Breakfast radio show discussing hot topics regarding employer health & safety obligations and remote work challenges and is currently working towards the launch of Gigit, which will connect UAE based fractional & project workers with opportunities.

Emma Jordaan is the Founder and CEO of Infinite Consulting, a Dubai-based consultancy specialising in learning and development strategy and Cultural Intelligence (CQ). With over 20 years’ experience across ...

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In this episode of The HR & CQ Show, Emma Jordaan and Sarah Brooks are joined by Niall Hughes, Talent Acquisition Director at KEO International, for an in-depth conversation on hiring, retaining, and managing talent in one of the world’s most culturally diverse regions.

Recorded at Ru'ya 25, Dubai World Trade Center, this episode explores the realities of talent acquisition in the GCC — from Emiratisation and nationalisation strategies to navigating applicant tracking systems, CV screening, and cultural integration in multinational teams.

With over 60 nationalities represented across KEO’s workforce and operations spanning the GCC and Europe, Niall shares practical, behind-the-scenes insights from the employer side of recruitment that jobseekers, HR professionals, and leaders rarely get to hear.

In this episode, we discuss:
- How KEO attracts and retains talent across 60+ nationalities
- Emiratisation and nationalisation: challenges, myths, and what’s actually working
- Graduate programmes and developing local talent sustainably
- Managing culturally diverse teams across regions, roles, and time zones
- Common CV mistakes recruiters see — and how AI & ATS really work
- Why honesty, clarity, and relevance matter more than ever in applications
- Cultural adjustment tips for professionals new to the UAE
- Cost of living expectations and the reality of job hunting in Dubai
- Why patience, adaptability, and cultural awareness are career accelerators in the region

Whether you’re:
✔️ A jobseeker considering a move to the UAE
✔️ Already applying for roles in the region
✔️ An HR or Talent Acquisition professional
✔️ A leader managing diverse, multinational teams

this episode offers grounded, practical insight from someone who sits at the heart of hiring decisions.

This episode was brought to you by Sarah Brooks and Emma Jordaan

Sarah Brooks is a CIPD-qualified HR professional and the Founder and Managing Director of Fikrah HR, a UAE-based consultancy specialising in strategic talent management, organisational development, and positive workplace cultures. With nearly three decades of HR and business experience across the UK and GCC, she supports SMEs with innovative HR solutions that drive employee engagement and organisational effectiveness and compliance. Recognised among the top 101 global HR minds at the World HR Congress in 2019 and 2020, Sarah’s expertise spans the full employee lifecycle, including recruitment, onboarding, policy development, and performance management. She is also the co-host of The HR & CQ Show podcast, where she discusses HR trends and cultural intelligence in the UAE. Sarah has also been featured on Dubai Eye Business Breakfast radio show discussing hot topics regarding employer health & safety obligations and remote work challenges and is currently working towards the launch of Gigit, which will connect UAE based fractional & project workers with opportunities.

Emma Jordaan is the Founder and CEO of Infinite Consulting, a Dubai-based consultancy specialising in learning and development strategy and Cultural Intelligence (CQ). With over 20 years’ experience across ...

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In this episode of The HR & CQ Show, recorded live at Ru’ya 2025 at Dubai World Trade Centre, Emma and Sarah sit down with Nashfi Qureshi, Director of Marketing at Bayt.com, the Middle East’s largest job platform.

With more than 25 years in the region, Bayt.com has transformed how organisations hire and how job seekers navigate the market. Nashfi gives us a behind-the-scenes look at how AI is reshaping recruitment—making job descriptions smarter, CV searches faster, and candidate screening more culturally aligned.

In this episode, we unpack:

🔹 How Bayt.com is using AI to streamline job posting, enhance CV searches, and power new video-based screening tools.
🔹 Why cultural values and organisational fit remain critical—and how AI attempts to interpret facial expressions, communication patterns, and values alignment.
🔹 The real challenges of Emiratisation—especially for SMEs—and how Bayt supports employers with personalised assistance, national talent pools, and government-aligned filtering tools.
🔹 How job seekers can prepare for AI-enhanced recruitment, from tailoring CVs to practising AI-driven interviews.
🔹 The growing tension between AI-generated CVs/interview answers and the need for genuine human assessment.
🔹 Whether AI might lead to more misplacements—or if new tools will actually strengthen the accuracy of hiring decisions.

This conversation blends HR insights, the future of recruitment tech, and practical guidance for both employers and job seekers navigating an evolving market.

If you’re interested in AI, talent acquisition, Emiratisation, or the future of work in the GCC, this episode is packed with value.

This episode was brought to you by Sarah Brooks and Emma Jordaan

Sarah Brooks is a CIPD-qualified HR professional and the Founder and Managing Director of Fikrah HR, a UAE-based consultancy specialising in strategic talent management, organisational development, and positive workplace cultures. With nearly three decades of HR and business experience across the UK and GCC, she supports SMEs with innovative HR solutions that drive employee engagement and organisational effectiveness and compliance. Recognised among the top 101 global HR minds at the World HR Congress in 2019 and 2020, Sarah’s expertise spans the full employee lifecycle, including recruitment, onboarding, policy development, and performance management. She is also the co-host of The HR & CQ Show podcast, where she discusses HR trends and cultural intelligence in the UAE. Sarah has also been featured on Dubai Eye Business Breakfast radio show discussing hot topics regarding employer health & safety obligations and remote work challenges and is currently working towards the launch of Gigit, which will connect UAE based fractional & project workers with opportunities.

Emma Jordaan is the Founder and CEO of Infinite Consulting, a Dubai-based consultancy specialising in learning and development strategy and Cultural Intelligence (CQ). With over 20 years’ experience across ...

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In this special year-end episode, Emma and Sarah look back at the most defining HR and Cultural Intelligence moments of 2025 — and unpack what these shifts mean for organisations across the UAE and wider GCC in 2026.

From the continued rise of Emiratisation to the rapid influx of new talent into Dubai, HR teams have navigated one of the most dynamic years yet. Add to this the accelerating expectations for HR to evolve from admin-focused tasks into true strategic business partnering, and you have an episode full of insights, challenges, and forward-looking guidance.

In this 2025 round-up, we explore:

Emiratisation in 2025

– What we learned from our conversations with guests from Chalhoub Group and others
 – Why genuine inclusion must replace “tick-box” Emiratisation
 – How organisations can attract, develop, and retain Emirati talent
 – What the new quotas mean — and why HR teams should prepare now, not later

Dubai’s Massive Talent Movement

– The city’s population surge and its impact on hiring
 – Why many newcomers misinterpret cultural differences as “toxic workplaces”
 – How Cultural Intelligence (CQ) helps bridge expectation gaps
 – The importance of researching workplace culture before relocating 

The Maturing Role of HR

– HR’s shift from administrative function to strategic influencer
 – The growing need for coaching skills, cultural intelligence, and people-centric leadership
 – The increasing importance of governance, wellbeing, and psychological safety
 – Why HR teams must be upskilled to meet the demands of Vision 2030 and beyond

Looking Ahead to 2026

Emma and Sarah also tease what’s coming next, including their upcoming HR & CQ Breakfast Bites event on 27 January 2026 at Radisson RED, Dubai, where they’ll unpack the must-watch HR trends for the year ahead.

This episode was brought to you by Sarah Brooks and Emma Jordaan

Sarah Brooks is a CIPD-qualified HR professional and the Founder and Managing Director of Fikrah HR, a UAE-based consultancy specialising in strategic talent management, organisational development, and positive workplace cultures. With nearly three decades of HR and business experience across the UK and GCC, she supports SMEs with innovative HR solutions that drive employee engagement and organisational effectiveness and compliance. Recognised among the top 101 global HR minds at the World HR Congress in 2019 and 2020, Sarah’s expertise spans the full employee lifecycle, including recruitment, onboarding, policy development, and performance management. She is also the co-host of The HR & CQ Show podcast, where she discusses HR trends and cultural intelligence in the UAE. Sarah has also been featured on Dubai Eye Business Breakfast radio show discussing hot topics regarding employer health & safety obligations and remote work challenges and is currently working towards the launch of Gigit, which will connect UAE based fractional & project workers with opportunities.

Emma Jordaan is the Founder and CEO of Infinite Consulting, a Dubai-based consultancy specialising in learning and development strategy and Cultural Intelligence (CQ). With over 20 years’ experience across ...

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In this episode of The HR & CQ Show, hosts Emma Jordaan and Sarah Brooks sit down with Umnia Ahmed, Emiratisation Director at Chalhoub Group, the region’s leading luxury retail group with over 16,000 employees from 120 nationalities.
Umnia shares Chalhoub’s remarkable 20-year Emiratisation journey, exploring how the organisation views national talent not as a quota, but as a strategic advantage deeply rooted in purpose, culture, and community.

From inclusive onboarding programmes and Emirati cultural awareness training for leaders, to The Emirati Way learning modules and five internal academies, including Leadership, Retail, and Wellbeing, Umnia reveals how Chalhoub Group has made localisation an integral part of its DNA.

Key insights include:
🔹 Why Emiratisation is a competitive edge, not a compliance exercise
🔹 How to attract Emirati talent to industries like retail and hospitality
🔹 Practical advice for SMEs struggling to meet Emiratisation targets
🔹 The power of cultural intelligence in integrating diverse workforces

This conversation offers valuable takeaways for HR leaders, L&D professionals, and business owners looking to create inclusive, high-performing organisations in the UAE and beyond.

This episode was brought to you by Sarah Brooks and Emma Jordaan

Sarah Brooks is a CIPD-qualified HR professional and the Founder and Managing Director of Fikrah HR, a UAE-based consultancy specialising in strategic talent management, organisational development, and positive workplace cultures. With nearly three decades of HR and business experience across the UK and GCC, she supports SMEs with innovative HR solutions that drive employee engagement and organisational effectiveness and compliance. Recognised among the top 101 global HR minds at the World HR Congress in 2019 and 2020, Sarah’s expertise spans the full employee lifecycle, including recruitment, onboarding, policy development, and performance management. She is also the co-host of The HR & CQ Show podcast, where she discusses HR trends and cultural intelligence in the UAE. Sarah has also been featured on Dubai Eye Business Breakfast radio show discussing hot topics regarding employer health & safety obligations and remote work challenges and is currently working towards the launch of Gigit, which will connect UAE based fractional & project workers with opportunities.

Emma Jordaan is the Founder and CEO of Infinite Consulting, a Dubai-based consultancy specialising in learning and development strategy and Cultural Intelligence (CQ). With over 20 years’ experience across ...

Send us Fan Mail

 In this episode of The HR & CQ Show, Emma Jordaan and Sarah Brooks dive into the hidden challenges of international assignments in Dubai and beyond. With nearly 40% of relocations failing—and 70% of those due to family members not settling in—the conversation explores the real costs for organisations and the human impact on assignees and their loved ones. From cultural onboarding and family support to practical relocation coaching and HR’s role in smoothing the transition, Emma and Sarah share strategies to reduce assignment failure, boost retention, and build happier, more effective multicultural teams. Whether you’re an HR professional, a business leader, or an expat preparing for a move, this episode offers practical insights you won’t want to miss

This episode was brought to you by Sarah Brooks and Emma Jordaan

Sarah Brooks is a CIPD-qualified HR professional and the Founder and Managing Director of Fikrah HR, a UAE-based consultancy specialising in strategic talent management, organisational development, and positive workplace cultures. With nearly three decades of HR and business experience across the UK and GCC, she supports SMEs with innovative HR solutions that drive employee engagement and organisational effectiveness and compliance. Recognised among the top 101 global HR minds at the World HR Congress in 2019 and 2020, Sarah’s expertise spans the full employee lifecycle, including recruitment, onboarding, policy development, and performance management. She is also the co-host of The HR & CQ Show podcast, where she discusses HR trends and cultural intelligence in the UAE. Sarah has also been featured on Dubai Eye Business Breakfast radio show discussing hot topics regarding employer health & safety obligations and remote work challenges and is currently working towards the launch of Gigit, which will connect UAE based fractional & project workers with opportunities.

Emma Jordaan is the Founder and CEO of Infinite Consulting, a Dubai-based consultancy specialising in learning and development strategy and Cultural Intelligence (CQ). With over 20 years’ experience across ...