Union Bank of the Philippines (UnionBank) is making true to its promise of not leaving any of its employees behind especially at this most difficult time.
During the pilot episode of the bank’s e-TalkTales — a digital replacement of its get-togethers with media — UnionBank Chief Human Resource Officer Michelle Rubio said the constant retooling and upskilling of its manpower even prior to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been a major factor in maintaining its workforce.
“Prior to COVID-19, we already had transformed the ways we are working. And because technology is driving rapid change, our people need to keep up with that change. We made a decision to digitally transform a lot of our processes and our ways of working. We adopted the agile operating model; we collaborate a lot. We don’t box people to be an expert in one domain,” according to Rubio.
The bank, which has been voted multiple times as among the best companies to work for not just in the Philippines but internationally, takes pride in putting both customers and employees at the center of their operations. UnionBank puts as much premium to its employees similar to how it does with its customers, believing that if the organization has a positive impact on the lives of the employees, they also do their part to make things positive for the customers. A true testament on one of the bank’s values: “magis” — more, better, greater.
The HR executive also emphasized how UnionBank — a champion of digital banking — advocates for teching up the Philippines not just via technology per se but more importantly by “people tech.” UnionBank’s human resources team has been steadfast in providing different avenues for its team members to learn and develop new skill sets that are relevant in the new digital normal. This includes cross-department training, open conferences, and workshops, among others. In fact, they even have a university inside the bank — UnionBank University — teaching functional skills overlaid with digital course skills, with chapter skills on top. The university currently offers (internal) courses in customer experience, data science, risk management, and digital development in operations.
“Design thinking is a methodology that is adopted in our agile operating models. We design experiences for our employees, who are at the center of the plate. We create digital solutions to make the experiences more seamless and convenient. This way of working may be a bit revolutionary for a bank, but that’s how we do things,” Rubio added.
The next episode of UnionBank’s e-TalkTales is scheduled this July.