UAE, MY SUCCESS STORY. CHAPTER 16. PART 2. HILL & KNOWLTON – THE BEST PR AGENCY OF 2003

My boss was not the most unpleasant person in the office. There was someone far worse. In our team, we had a clear-cut psychopath. It was at that time I realised that in the UAE, before issuing a work permit, authorities check physical health for professional suitability, the presence of HIV, venereal diseases, and tuberculosis, but no one, not even at a basic level, assesses an employee’s mental state for any psychological disorders. What’s more, it’s only relatively recently that taxi and public transport drivers started being tested for epilepsy and other severe neurological conditions that could endanger passengers and drivers themselves. How thorough these checks are, I do not know, but for many years, not even this was done.

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The psychopath who worked in our team was someone who, from birth or early childhood, seemed devoid of emotions, conscience, compassion, or empathy. This person genuinely could not comprehend the meaning of universally accepted moral norms followed by most of the planet's population. From childhood, they mimicked human reactions, building a database of behaviours and interactions. This individual manipulated other, playing on their emotions and weaknesses, easily earning trust, exuding charm, and being the most charismatic and narcissistic person in the room. They were arrogant, egocentric, supremely confident, and loved to control others, living by their own rules while dismissing differing opinions. They skilfully framed all of this as charisma and leadership qualities for the benefit of management. Emotionally impoverished, this person could neither empathise nor support, nor rejoice in others’ success. They would never comfort a colleague during a setback. Without a shred of guilt or remorse, they used emotions solely as tools for manipulation, not genuine connection. Being around them always left you feeling guilty or insignificant.

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This was the kind of person who worked in our team, yet management endlessly praised her, declaring her the most successful hire of their careers.

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The entire team despised her for the feelings and emotions she evoked. Half of the team refused to speak with her, while the other half avoided crossing paths altogether. Eventually, communication with her happened solely through me; no one else could or wanted to engage with her directly, apart from the leadership. For me, this was a sort of challenge. One of the talents of HR is the ability to build relationships with the most challenging individuals, those with whom no one else can establish contact. It doesn’t mean you have to enjoy fostering such relationships, but you learn to do it, especially if that person is valuable to the company and favoured by management.

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As you can see, even in a highly educated, cultured, and intellectual team, the work environment can be far from entirely healthy. The health of a workplace environment is determined by leadership. Management sets the standards of morality and business ethics, defining what is acceptable and what is not.

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Once, a client of ours, HP, left four brand-new printers in the office as part of a promotional campaign. Two of the printers were stolen. The culprit was one of us—a well-educated, cultured person with access to the printers. To avoid airing our dirty laundry and embarrassing ourselves in front of the client, we had to find identical printers and replace them at the company’s expense. Even with the help of security cameras, the thief was never identified.

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Preeti, the receptionist, with all her wit and resourcefulness, once lost 3,000 dirhams belonging to the company—an amount equivalent to her monthly salary. Her duties included handling cash and basic accounting. Her employer, with characteristic cynicism, deducted this sum from her salary instead of acknowledging the fault and compensating her for the emotional distress caused. After all, it is impossible to simultaneously answer phone calls, welcome guests, serve 30–35 people, meet their needs and requests, and count money. It’s simply unfeasible to work with people and manage even the simplest accounts at the same time—these are two conflicting roles destined for disaster. Losing money was only a matter of time.

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Preeti remained deeply distressed for a long time, not because her salary had been docked, but because she felt guilty, careless, and inattentive. In truth, however, it wasn’t her fault.

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Eventually, our manager decided to orchestrate an illegal scheme, in which I refused to participate and reported to senior management. Rather than investigating the matter, senior management redirected it back to the manager with instructions: "What’s going on there? Sort it out at your level!" The manager, supported by her inner circle, demanded that I write a resignation letter. I was paid three months' compensation to remain silent and bury the matter.

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At the time, I was a young mother raising a child alone. I had no energy for revolutions or exposing fraud, so I wrote my resignation and left quietly. However, I did not partake in their schemes. PRO, Preeti, and many others were disheartened because I had been their only shield against the deranged manager and a workplace psychopath, while senior management remained indifferent to the office manager’s tyranny. After my departure, the PRO terminated his contract with the company and never returned.

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The lessons I took away from my time at Hill & Knowlton taught me two things:

1. Never go against your manager or incite revolutions.
2. Choose your employer carefully to avoid becoming entangled in someone else’s fraudulent scam.