Our people
Working within different countries, communities, and cultures, we know that our people are the key to our success, bringing a diverse array of skills and perspectives to the organization.
Diversity, equity and inclusion
Diversity, equity, and inclusion are cornerstones of stc’s People strategy endeavors. Our commitment to diversity and inclusion not only enriches our workforce but also propels us towards greater inclusivity within the stc Group.
With a workforce spanning three countries and comprising over 22,751 employees, we are unified in our mission to foster a culture of care and belonging.
stc group workforce
total workforce
22,751
In our commitment to fostering an inclusive workplace, stc has implemented initiatives in 2023 aimed at enhancing the experiences of people with disabilities (PWD) within the organization.
As part of our dedication to empower women at stc Group and fostering an inclusive workplace, stc has made extensive efforts 2023 focused on advancing the representation and empowerment of women within the organization. Programs such as the High Potential (HIPO) and Emerging Leaders aim to upskill high-achieving women, positioning them as future leaders within stc.
Employee workforce profile
stc strives to attract the best talents with inclusivity in mind, bringing valuable talents with various backgrounds and expertise to meet its expanding scope and future ambitions.
In 2023, the total number of stc group employees reached 22,751. Over 87% were employed on an indefinite or permanent contract, indicating a high job security, and women employment reached 14% compared to 12.5% in 2022 indicating a steady progress towards gender diversity and inclusivity in the workplace. Furthermore, and as part of addressing youth unemployment and attracting fresh minded and talented young professionals, stc has recorded 22% youth employment for people under 30 years. Additionally, in 2023, no major layoffs occurred.
Award-winning work environment
In 2023, stc was honored with multiple awards, recognizing the entire group’s unwavering dedication to creating an exceptional workplace environment.
A detailed list of these awards can be found in the Awards and Recognition section of this report, as well as stc’s awards page on the company website.
Culture and ethnicity
Even though our nationalization rates are high, our workforce includes people from different ethnic backgrounds and cultures.
In 2023, stc Group recorded a diverse mix of more than 50 different nationalities, reflecting the company’s commitment to fostering an inclusive and multicultural environment.
Women empowerment
Women form an integral part of stc’s business. We not only value the incredible contributions that women bring to the company, we also seek to foster an environment that creates meaningful careers for women.
With this in mind, stc has developed several talent development programs with competitive compensation for women.
In 2023, stc Group achieved a women’s hiring rate of 31.6%, with 8.9% of middle management positions and 5.2% of senior management positions being held by women. While these numbers represent positive improvements compared to past years, we remain dedicated to further enhancing gender diversity at all levels.
Inclusion of people with disabilities
As part of our commitment to fair employment and integrity in the workplace, we strive to create an inclusive culture that values all employees
We collaborate with “Qaderoon,” the Business Disability Network, to assess how to best integrate persons with disabilities as equal and effective members of the workforce. Our facilities are “Mowaamah”-certified and approved by the Ministry Labor and Social Development, declaring the adoption of best practices and standards in creating work environments suitable for people with disabilities.
In 2023, the percentage of recruiting PWD fresh graduate in stc KSA have been increased approximately by 12% of the total fresh graduate recruiting in TIP as well has been increased in the COOP program.
Across the group, in 2023 we increased the number of employees with disabilities from 76 to 104 across stc Group, representing a 36.8% increase from previous year.
Internal grievance reporting
stc is strongly committed to protecting the rights of employees and stakeholders by providing them with effective internal control mechanisms.
All stc employees are mandated to abide by the stc Code of Ethics highlighting the company’s Fair Employment Policy, ensuring the respect of workplace diversity and prohibiting harassment, bullying, and unfair employment practices in all their forms. Violations of these policies are strictly dealt with by the appropriate personnel, and all employees are to report such violations through SPEAK-UP (whistleblowing) channel. All grievances are handled in a professional and discrete manner with external supervision.
In 2023, there were zero reported grievances related to human rights violations, discrimination, or harassment.
Talent management
We focus on talent development and training of our people. This involves designing, defining, and meeting specific training paths, development plans, and various training needs for each employee
Learning and development activities are carried out through different methods, such as classroom and digital training, which are monitored and evaluated according to specific standards, methods, goals, and performance indicators that are tracked to ensure effectiveness.
In addition, the stc People sector is ISO- 29990 certified for “Learning services for nonformal education and training - Basic requirements for service providers” as well as ISO 29993 “Learning Services Outside Formal Education,” both renowned international standards designed to enhance transparency and allow comparison with learning services worldwide.
Training and development - stc Academy
Our overarching purpose is to prepare the next generation for a completely different technological reality, and our Training and Development Policy Statement outlines our commitment to investing in both personal and professional development for our employees while maintaining equal opportunities.
Through stc Academy, we:
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Follow a customized learning approach and adopt best practices
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Design customized learning solutions to build targeted employee’s capabilities based on business needs
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Deliver tailored level learning solutions to uplift the capabilities on sector level based on top common competencies, Jadara gaps, business customized need and business vendor engagement
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Partner with top training providers to support in delivering best learning solutions.
stc Academy in numbers:
Summary of employee training
In 2023, more than 530,073 hours of training were provided to stc Group employees, with 52% of those training hours provided in-person and the remainder through e-learning platforms. Each employee received an average of 39 hours of training.
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Diversity & Inclusion training
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Data privacy and security training
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Human rights training
Youth development programs
With a growing population of young individuals graduating every year, there is an urgent need to integrate them into the job market and benefit from young talent in the workforce. Our flagship talent development programs help youth achieve their full potential by improving their knowledge, skills, and abilities.
In 2023, we had 678 Tippers across stc Group. We also extended 60 scholarships to employees, with 25 of them form stc KSA. The SDP and HiPo programs are exclusive to stc KSA, and during the year we had 683 employees join the SDP and 80 join the HiPo.
Nationalization
We are committed to nationalization as part of our effort to improve economic empowerment of local communities.
Our initiatives and programs that aid in supporting the recruitment and retention of national employees include nationalization targets for specific areas (such as enterprise architecture or strategy), a three-year strategic workforce plan program (with mandates to hire, develop and retain nationals in key roles), and talent programs for national employees, which cater to people with different goals.
Employee engagement
We continuously seek to understand the needs of our people in an effort to ensure they are engaged and happy in their role.
In 2023, we proudly launched the Employee Experience Index (EEI) on a group level, a powerful tool designed to elevate the voices of our valued employees
The score of the 2023 perception survey for stc group was 80.1 and for stc KSA was 80.7.
Employee attraction and retention
Our goal is to attract, develop, and retain the best talent to fill all company-wide positions. We also want to ensure that the next generation of leaders are equipped with the tools, skills, and confidence to perform at the highest level. With this, we aim to hire the right people for the right jobs, with succession plans in place to retain key employees.
Parental leave
We want to make it easier for our employees to return to work after parental leave, which is why we support employees through generous parental leave options, childcare options, and assistance in finding nursing care for family members.
Health, safety and wellbeing
We prioritize a safe and healthy work environment. This is not only intended to protect employees and contractors from injury and illness, but also to increase productivity, work quality, and raise employee and contractor morale.
Occupational health and safety
Our primary workplace focus is centered on creating a positive safety culture based on principles of awareness, prevention, and proper care. The Management Commitment to Occupational Health and Safety policy statement affirms stc’s top management commitment to occupational health and safety and outlines safety responsibilities to ensure individual and organizational compliance with relevant health and safety laws, regulations, policies, and procedures.
In 2023, stc maintained ISO45001 certification, reaffirming the company’s commitment to comply with both national and international OSHMS standards. Our Health & Safety Management System also complies with the following entities and forms our internal regulations:
- National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health (NEBOSH)
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
- Saudi Building Code (SBC)
- National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
- High Commission for Industrial Security (HCIS) Directives
- Civil defense requirements
Hazard identification, risk assessments and incident investigation
We constantly identify and assess any and all kinds of potential hazards. These include physical, chemical, biological, or of human factors, arising from materials, machinery and equipment, working environment, or personnel functions involved in all business operations or services of stc Group. We have put in place control measures that are reasonable, effective, and viable to reduce impacts to the safety and health of the personnel of the Group, contractors, and the relevant third parties.
All stc employees, vendors, suppliers, contractors, subcontractors, and visitors are required to follow our Safety and Security Policy and Procedures and make sure that all accidents, incidents, dangerous occurrences, potential hazards, and near misses are immediately reported to Safety Services so that necessary steps can be taken to reduce risks and protect people.
Health and safety training
We are heavily focused on health and safety training through stc Academy, our e-learning platform, ensuring all employees are up-to-date and well-trained with regard to the most important health and safety issues.
In 2023, as part of our health and safety training program, we also offered first aid training to the families of our employees to equip them with the essential first aid skills and empower them to respond effectively to emergencies, and at stc Bahrain, we distributed 700 fire safety kits to employees and their families to emphasize our commitment to the well-being of our people and their families.
Promoting employee health wellbeing
As per the stc vision, we always search for new methods to help us motivate our employees and increase loyalty towards the company. We currently provide various services not covered by typical insurance policies, such as the infertility treatments, obesity programs, special needs education allowances, and more. All these services are available through stc HUB (intranet platform).
stc Group demonstrates a strong commitment to supporting the community through its blood drive initiatives. In 2023, stc Group organized 8 blood drives, providing opportunities for employees to make a positive impact. The enthusiastic response, with 510 employees volunteering, highlights stc Group’s culture of care and its dedication to promoting health and well-being within and beyond the organization.
