Your managers shape how your team performs more than any perk you offer. Here are 8 habits that work in Kuwait.
1. Weekly 15-minute check-ins beat annual reviews
Cover priorities, blockers and one piece of feedback. Gallup found daily feedback makes people 3.6 times more likely to be motivated than annual feedback. Deloitte moved to weekly check-ins for the same reason (HBR, 2015).
2. Train managers before you add perks
Gallup estimates managers drive at least 70% of the variance in engagement. Spend first on manager basics: clear expectations, recognition, and fair discipline (Arts. 35–37).
3. Onboard in writing
Give every new hire a 30/60/90-day plan. Close the probation review before day 100 (Art. 32). Only 12% of employees say their company onboards well (Gallup).
4. Delegate with SOPs
Write down the recurring work:
- payroll cut-off
- leave approval
- exit-permit approval
- schedule updates on PAM
This way the owner stops being the bottleneck.
5. Plan Ramadan early
Set a 36-hour weekly schedule and register it on PAM's system (Resolution 15/2025). Stagger customer-facing shifts.
6. Handle exits legally and humanely
- Follow the notice rules (Art. 44).
- Never give notice during leave (Art. 45).
- Investigate before any penalty (Art. 37).
- Pay final dues promptly.
A badly handled exit can become a PAM complaint.
7. Lead multinational teams with clarity
Write your policies in Arabic first, as the law requires (Art. 29), and add translations. Explain your decisions. Clear rules reduce the feeling of unfairness.
8. Treat Kuwaitization as a talent strategy
Plan roles, career paths and social security costs for Kuwaiti hires early. Government-contract work now has formal Kuwaitization units (Cabinet Resolution 1179/2023).