Amir Morshed
Managing Director & Co-Founder |
I have never been much of a past-dweller, as I have always been a future-seeker. Therefore, it does not come naturally to me to take a moment to think about the past 10 years. I know this is the same for Martin as we are alike in this and many more characteristics. It was in fact the similarity in our vision, values and aspirations that, after only a few conversations, led us to the decision to bring Propel International to life.
Our vision has remained unchanged and our commitment unwavering since those early conversations: To create the world’s leading assessment and development consultancy that is globally known for its best-in-class solutions. The success formula we followed over the past decade has been simple -always focus on quality, ensure that our solutions add real value, build long-lasting partnerships and deliver work with the world's best people. Martin and my aspiration has always been to identify with excellence and stand the test of time. However, as passionate business psychologists at the core of our endeavour actually lies our desire to help people we work with realise their full potential and achieve happiness. |
After 10 years, we are deeply proud of the large and diverse team of world class Propellers we work with on a daily basis. We are also grateful for all our long-standing, positive client relationships, which stand as testament to what we value and which are our greatest measure of success. Our appreciation also extends to our ever growing network of associates and partners, together with whom we are able to drive the industry forward.
To everyone who has been part of the journey, thank you for your work and support in building and shaping Propel to what it is today.
To everyone who has been part of the journey, thank you for your work and support in building and shaping Propel to what it is today.
Interview with the Founders
The evolution of Propel Technology with Cedric Giblasio
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A huge part of Propel’s success is owed to the pioneering technology that allowed us to seamlessly integrate hundreds of psychometric tools from various vendors onto one platform. Almost from the very beginning, Martin and Amir wanted to bring someone onboard to develop powerful reporting technology with the aim of delivering custom tailored insights and consolidated talent analytics data to clients. We spoke to Cedric Giblasio, the IT savant behind the Propel Talent Portal, to talk about his role in the evolution of technology alongside consultancy within Propel.
How did you come to be involved with Propel? Originally I was working on several IT projects all related to Talent Management, and I was doing this for about four years with companies like Korn Ferry Hay Group, which around that time was acquiring TalentQ. Eventually, project after project, I met someone who was working in Hay Group Dubai and he was in touch with Martin, who had this idea of creating a portal. So he put us both in touch in 2011, we had a call and decided to build something from scratch, really from scratch. What was good was that I was immediately able to understand what they were looking for since I already had some experience in Talent Management. Still, in the beginning it was challenging. We went through a lot of back and forth to build and improve the functionalities and it took us about 1.5 to 2 years in the meantime finding clients before we started to deliver psychometric and multi rater survey projects. What made you stay despite early uncertainty? To be honest, the first years were painful, but I was interested, and I thought it was a really great idea to integrate different suppliers. I had worked on the integration of TalentQ for Hay Group so I knew I could do it and centralize it. We saw the potential and we stuck with it hoping to succeed. I even took some shares in the company, accepting a lower rate to really be part of the project, because when you invest, you want to succeed even more. Even though it took some time, I didn’t look for anything else because I wanted to see the results of our hard work. I also wanted to be independent and have autonomy, so it worked well for me. What were the biggest challenges throughout the years? The pressures were different back then. I remember our first project for our first client was a custom Motivational Leadership Survey that needed to be sent to 7,000 people. I was sitting in front of my computer about to launch, sweating and hoping the system was not going to break. Two years later, we launched the same survey to 70,000 people but by then it was fine, I had much more confidence and a lot more experience. However, I spent 5 years alone before we were able to build a technology team. So it was extremely difficult for me when we started winning more projects, as I was doing everything myself: receiving and responding to all email requests and queries; managing, implementing and testing all IT projects; maintaining the server and security; responding to client data protection forms; etc. Now, we have people to help with each of those different responsibilities but at that time, it was just me so it was a lot. |
What are you most proud of?
Two things. Mainly, of the role played a bit by myself and more broadly by Propel in the development of people who joined us as juniors and who grew a lot since then. My team members have come a long way in becoming more autonomous, taking more responsibilities, and have done really well in taking the lead. To be able to transfer my technology to them is also a huge satisfaction to me. Now they are able to deal without me and I know that everything is in good hands, whereas before it would have been impossible for me not to be involved. The second thing I am proud of, of course, is our super powerful portal. We started with TalentQ, Saville and Hogan, but have been integrating about 2-3 vendors every year since then. Moreover, there is no equivalent in the market that I know of that can rival the kind of functionality we have. Our flexibility in customizing solutions for clients right now is our greatest strength, but I’ll admit, it is also our challenge. The portal has become so complex that testing is such a critical phase as we don’t want to develop something that might break something else. What can you say about the relationship between technology and talent management consulting within Propel? At the beginning, there was not too much interaction between technology and consulting. They were kind of separate products/services within Propel. However, now I would say they are highly complementary. It’s good to have both – if you have only technology products or only consultancy services, then you have less credibility. It is important to show that our technology is backed by experienced, accredited psychologists and in turn, technology-enabled consulting also adds the most value. Right now in the UAE, most of our projects are rarely purely tech or purely consulting, it is usually a mix of both. For example, while we have the functionality to customize, it is also thanks to the consultancy team that we are able to advise and co-create custom solutions, competency models, surveys, etc. with clients. Any other reflections on this 10 year journey? If I think about the early days, I would say you have this kind of “start-up” spirit that you don’t find when the company grows, but of course, it has to grow. Those were really great times, not so great financially, but still a super experience. To create something, to be at the origin, is something I can’t forget. The most important thing for me is about the people and not really about the business – after all, there are thousands of ways to make business. I think something that everyone in the team can be proud of is that this company has been like a group of friends, which not a lot of companies can say. Maybe it’s not perfect and there is always room to improve, but employees can feel good in Propel, they are able to earn a living and are able to meet others and make personal relationships – and this is what I will remember the most.
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What’s New?
Propel Competency Framework
At Propel, we believe that it is now more important than ever to take stock and reevaluate current needs and practices to keep our edge in a world turned upside down. As we forge ahead into the future of work, we are delighted to announce the launch of our new Propel Competency Framework.
Updated to reflect current and future behavioural requirements, the framework incorporates long-established competencies adopted universally, such as Judgment and Communication, but also more recently emerging and increasingly crucial behaviour sets such as Digital Fluency, Resilience and Valuing Diversity.
Designed to be comprehensive and applicable to all roles, levels and organisations, the framework will form the foundation of upcoming Propel Products, as well as provide a starting point for clients looking to introduce or refresh their own Competency Frameworks, for use across all Talent Management applications.
How was the Framework Developed?
The Propel Competency Framework is based on extensive academic and practical research and benchmarking, in addition to the Propel team’s insight from our work with public and private sector organisations globally.
The competencies themselves are designed to be discrete and are underpinned by the latest research around personality and individual differences, to ensure that they can be measured meaningfully and reliably.
What does the Framework Cover?
In total, there are 16 competencies in the Framework, which are divided into four clusters: Self, People, Execution and Future. Within the framework there are behavioural indicators showing how the competency is demonstrated at Individual Contributor, Manager and Leader Level. An overview of the competencies is shown below .
Updated to reflect current and future behavioural requirements, the framework incorporates long-established competencies adopted universally, such as Judgment and Communication, but also more recently emerging and increasingly crucial behaviour sets such as Digital Fluency, Resilience and Valuing Diversity.
Designed to be comprehensive and applicable to all roles, levels and organisations, the framework will form the foundation of upcoming Propel Products, as well as provide a starting point for clients looking to introduce or refresh their own Competency Frameworks, for use across all Talent Management applications.
How was the Framework Developed?
The Propel Competency Framework is based on extensive academic and practical research and benchmarking, in addition to the Propel team’s insight from our work with public and private sector organisations globally.
- Credible, generic, commercially available frameworks
- Organisation specific frameworks
- Academic research in competency development methodologies
- Future skills research
The competencies themselves are designed to be discrete and are underpinned by the latest research around personality and individual differences, to ensure that they can be measured meaningfully and reliably.
- Reflect common behavioural terminology and client competencies used in organisations and across a range of roles for ease of mapping.
- Be future-focused to ensure continued relevance and to allow organisations to future-proof their workforce from both a recruitment and development perspective.
What does the Framework Cover?
In total, there are 16 competencies in the Framework, which are divided into four clusters: Self, People, Execution and Future. Within the framework there are behavioural indicators showing how the competency is demonstrated at Individual Contributor, Manager and Leader Level. An overview of the competencies is shown below .
Propel has extensive experience in the design and development of organisation-specific competency frameworks and applying these frameworks across the Talent Management lifecycle. If you would like to talk to us more about the Propel Competency Framework specifically, request access to the full framework, or talk to us about how we can support you in the design and implementation of a new Competency Framework for your organisation.
Contact Us
Contact Us
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Phillippa Riley
Product Development Director |
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Bhagiya Lakshmi
Junior Consultant |
What’s New?
Career Transition and Outplacement Services
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Organisations that invest in Career Transition and Outplacement Services understand the importance of supporting their employees even in the toughest of times – giving them and their people a competitive edge both in the present and future. The best businesses care for every part of the employee life-cycle, including the final step, where employees transition into new roles and/or careers. At Propel, we want to offer you our support with world class consultants, technology and solutions, and enable people to transform and transition.
Propel can support your organisation’s needs for Outplacement services by:
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As part of the above, we offer program participants the opportunity to receive a complimentary personalised Career Navigator Report. This report is designed to help focus and guide their career decisions based on their Career Mindset, Career Drivers, Signature Strengths and Challenges or Watch-Outs. Through our world class technology, these valuable insights are drawn from our psychometric questionnaires which measure personal preferences, attitudes, motives and values.
Moreover, Propel is the only Career Transition and Outplacement Services provider to partner with LinkedIn Learning, an industry benchmark for the quality and variety of its e-learning catalogue, to provide the best development support for your employees. To focus the participant’s e-learning efforts, our assessments have been mapped by our team of Business Psychologists to relevant e-learning modules which will be made available to all participants.
To find out more about our workshops, e-learning modules, and our virtual assessment centers, visit propel-international.com/outplacement
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Propel Events: Upcoming Webinar
In partnership with Arctic Shores, we are proudly hosting a virtual roundtable discussion on the topic of Remote Hiring with our stakeholders from Zurich Insurance Group and KPMG on 29th September.
Propel Partner: BLOOVO
We are excited to announce a strategic collaboration with BLOOVO, one of the region’s fastest-growing, AI-powered recruitment technology companies. Our partner has already won several accolades as one of the most promising Startups in the Arab World and the Middle East by Forbes in 2007 and 2008, and in addition was named as the best Startup in the UAE for 2017 by FinanceME.
BLOOVO adopts revolutionary machine learning algorithms to provide organisations with advanced recruitment systems and have grown swiftly over the past 3 years, with already an employers’ database of over 5,000 employers from UAE, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.
Combining Propel’s expertise in the art and science of talent assessment and high potential identification with BLOOVO’s AI-powered Applicant Tracking system, the partnership aims to expand our offering, allowing us to truly support clients across their talent acquisition process. Through this blend of BLOOVO’s cutting-edge recruitment technology with our integrated talent assessment and analytics platform, which hosts the largest range of robust diagnostic tools and psychometrics, we help our clients meet the demand for an end-to-end best-in-class recruitment solution, addressing the ever-growing need to select the right talent through an engaging and seamless user experience.
Dr. Ahmad Khamis, co-Founder and CEO of BLOOVO, adds, “We are pleased to partner with Propel-International and aim through this strategic partnership & collaboration to add value to our clients across the region. We believe that adding robust assessments to our portfolio through our job platform (BLOOVO.com) and also integrating with our AI-powered Applicant Tracking Systems would add significant value to our clients by offering them a smart & intelligent recruitment experience, providing them access to a wide library of psychometric and behavioural assessments. Such partnership would strengthen our leadership position in the region as the most innovative AI-powered recruitment technology company with smart offerings”.
We look forward to the value this partnership will bring to our clients regionally and internationally through our exceptionally complementary solutions and to further achieving our key mission to create world-class talent solutions grounded in best-practice and evidence-based methodologies.
BLOOVO adopts revolutionary machine learning algorithms to provide organisations with advanced recruitment systems and have grown swiftly over the past 3 years, with already an employers’ database of over 5,000 employers from UAE, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.
Combining Propel’s expertise in the art and science of talent assessment and high potential identification with BLOOVO’s AI-powered Applicant Tracking system, the partnership aims to expand our offering, allowing us to truly support clients across their talent acquisition process. Through this blend of BLOOVO’s cutting-edge recruitment technology with our integrated talent assessment and analytics platform, which hosts the largest range of robust diagnostic tools and psychometrics, we help our clients meet the demand for an end-to-end best-in-class recruitment solution, addressing the ever-growing need to select the right talent through an engaging and seamless user experience.
Dr. Ahmad Khamis, co-Founder and CEO of BLOOVO, adds, “We are pleased to partner with Propel-International and aim through this strategic partnership & collaboration to add value to our clients across the region. We believe that adding robust assessments to our portfolio through our job platform (BLOOVO.com) and also integrating with our AI-powered Applicant Tracking Systems would add significant value to our clients by offering them a smart & intelligent recruitment experience, providing them access to a wide library of psychometric and behavioural assessments. Such partnership would strengthen our leadership position in the region as the most innovative AI-powered recruitment technology company with smart offerings”.
We look forward to the value this partnership will bring to our clients regionally and internationally through our exceptionally complementary solutions and to further achieving our key mission to create world-class talent solutions grounded in best-practice and evidence-based methodologies.
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Bhagiya Lakshmi
Junior Consultant |
In the Spotlight: Testimonials from Clients & Partners
"I have been privileged to partner with Propel International at 3 multi-national organizations. In our new ecosystem business models, they can be considered an extension of CoE teams bringing in deep science-based expertise "in-need" and "globally dispersed." Our collaboration has spanned across integrated talent management solutions such as the design of success profiles, bespoke assessment & development centers, high potential acceleration centers, leadership 360 assessments, executive assessments for selection and a global talent portal. The single most differentiating factor from Propel is their globally diverse and professional team of consultants, each hand picked to be the "best of the best" in their field, meaning you can have high confidence of quality work and client engagements."
"With over a decade of experience in the United States and The United Arab Emirates, I’ve had the unique opportunity to meet and work with many of the top thought leaders, consultants and coaches in the learning and development field. Propel stands out amongst them. Propel has been a trusted partner and instrumental in helping us develop sophisticated methods in strategizing, be it by creating programming on culture, team building, assessments, design and any other aspects when dealing with people, programs and projects.
"From the outset, it was clear that Propel are experts in their field and are committed to taking the time to truly understand the requirements, culture and values of their clients. They worked closely with us to understand what we were looking for and ensured that the entire process ran smoothly. Their approach of providing a tailored executive assessment process for each position also helped to ensure we were attracting and identifying the right candidates based on the requirements of the individual roles. We have been delighted with the service we have received from Propel and I wouldn't hesitate to work with them again in the future. Happy 10 year anniversary!"
"What set Propel apart was their expertise in customizing the solutions to client's needs as well as helping the organizations to create a self sustaining Eco-system for long run."
"It was such a pleasure to work with Propel that, now that I am back in the US, I still call on them when I need assessments done and they always deliver! I know I can count on them when I need help with assessing talent."
"I tell every HR professional I meet about our awesome Propel solutions and the difference they are making to our selection and development decisions. Cost effective, scaleable, insightful and pragmatic we're getting benefit from them across the organisation at all levels. Lucy and Jenny are warm, professional, super smart consultants who truly listened and supported us to choose wisely and implement carefully for lasting results. We are big fans."
"Propel have worked with Epicor long before I joined the business and delivered a number of consulting workshops."
"They are a high caliber team and their work is always innovative, client-focused and methodologically robust. It is my pleasure to be a part of such an amazing, professional and fun group of colleagues!"
"Propel are one of those rare organizations, where I look forward to every single conversation and project, with every single member of the team. Why? Because there is always positive energy, new ideas, courage to experiment and to innovate. With such a culture, grounded on science and experience, they are a valued partner, one that we know we can collaborate with safe in the knowledge we have shared mindsets and ambitions."
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"I worked with Propel in my previous organization, Majid Al Futtaim across multiple disciplines. They were instrumental in enhancing and evolving our 360 Survey from both and expertise and platform perspective.
"I have enjoyed a great partnership with Propel for many years, particularly in EMEA. Propel's contribution in the talent space, particularly in talent assessment and 360 feedback has been very instrumental. Leveraging Propel's practical tools and professional resources, we grew and developed senior talent in the organization. I wish Propel continued success and prosperity in their glorious 10th anniversary."
"I've worked with Propel for many years, in many countries! Primarily in designing and delivering leadership assessments, and providing coaching to our leaders. I've also enjoyed being part of the thought leadership breakfasts they run in their Dubai head office. The unique culture of Propel means that an agile, customer-focused and warm partnership is always guaranteed. I'm excited to see where Propel go in the future!"
"As a client they always delivered a high quality service to me and were ever patient with my changing requirements […] All in all they are a joy to work with and for - the culture and values shine through and here's to the next 10 years of successes!"
"I've always enjoyed working with every single person within Propel. They seem to have developed a rare blend of warmth and professionalism and I can trust them to deliver on their promises."
"I've been lucky enough to contribute as an associate consultant psychologist to a number of Propel projects. ...I've developed new insights by working with Martin, Amir and the team. The unsung heroes for me are the back-room team who are always highly supportive and invaluable in smoothing the path of complex projects.
"Working with Amir in the past and getting to know this incredible team of dedicated people all working toward a noble mission has been a great experience."
"From my perspective as a client, the Propel assessment portal has been incredibly helpful in enabling me to provide a streamlined and user friendly candidate experience […]"
"I've been working with Propel as a client or a colleague since 2015. I'm proud to have had the privilege of being a small part of their ten-year journey. Amir and Martin are without doubt two of the best psychologists I've worked with, the trust they've earned with clients, Propel's global footprint and the company culture are testament to that. I'm grateful to have them and the wider team in my network as thought partners and friends."
"Worked with Propel on 360 feedback for Leadership team. The entire experience was seamless, from designing assessments to delivering insightful reports that helped in engaging conversations with top talent. Wish you the very best. Great Team!"
"I have been working as an Associate with Propel International in the Middle East for the past two years and have always found them to be a professional, collaborative and high standard consultancy. I have supported several different clients on their behalf as both a Coach and an Assessor and have found their knowledge of the client's needs to be customer focused and the delivery of solutions aligned to propel's passion of assessment and development to support the client's talent management approach. Propel's team are professional and friendly experts in their field of work and I can personally say I have enjoyed working with them enormously and hope it continues!"
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"I worked with Propel in my previous capacity as Head of Talent. Together we created a Development and Assessment Center for our Mid and Senior Level Managers. I very much appreciated the professionalism, competence and ease of interaction with the team. Both Amir and Mana were great partners throughout the process and the outcome was very well regarded by both the beneficiaries of this experience as well the organization. Congrats on your 10 year anniversary and wishing you further succcess!."
"I have partnered with Martin and the team at Propel for most of these 10 years. Propel has had a strategic impact on the identification and development of key talent in my global teams as we have raised the bar in the customer experience we provide."
"Its not one size fits all with them. They really get to know the company, the brand and the people and what we are going to achieve. Unlike many suppliers, we have consistency with our account managers."
"Having worked with Propel for a number of years, it was a privilege to welcome them to the Saville Assessment family of International Partners in 2018. Since then we have built on a fantastic relationship, enabling the delivery of custom assessment solutions globally, backed with high-validity and rigour. They share our commitment to following best-practice and upholding industry standards and it has been a pleasure watching the partnership grow and to see them expanding our network of trained-users. I have loved working alongside Propel and every single Propeller has been a joy to work with."
"It has been an absolute pleasure to see the team grow across the globe and to continue providing value to its clients."
"The team's that I have worked with on various projects have always been collaborative, competent, client focused and a pleasure to work with."
"I feel privileged and fortunate to have been able to take part in the exciting Propel journey over the last 10 years. Working with the Propel team across a number of continents on a range of assessment and development projects has been rewarding and inspiring. What's impressive about Propel is the rigorous application of best practices in the field of talent management and leadership development, the strong client focus, the innovation in terms of design, delivery, content and process, and - of course - the quality of the people.
"Professional assistance and timely delivery of outstanding results ALWAYS."
"Propel has helped our management team work better as a team, bond with each other but more importantly grow individually."
"The team understood since day one our company needs and always managed to deliver as expected."
"Propel has helped us tremendously throughout our journey to transform our organization into one which identifies and measures talent with objectivity while providing clear development for our employees. They demonstrated flexibility, customer intimacy and creativity to adapt to our diverse needs across the global, while delivering both face to face and virtual interventions."
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