twimbit’s EX benchmarks for banks

DBS Bank – An Overview

About

Vision

Being purpose-driven is core to how we run our business

Employee experience objectives

• Employee safety during the pandemic
• Striking a balance with “WFH”

Drivers of culture

• Open and frequent communication
• Empathetic leadership

Top EX initiatives

• “TOGETHER” Movement
  

This movement is the bank’s comprehensive approach to employee wellbeing during the pandemic. This movement aims to ensure that employees remain connected and engaged while simultaneously encouraging mutual care and open communication.
The main three propositions of the movement:

I. Adopt new behaviours and ways of working
DBS launched a communication programme under the TOGETHER movement. It guides employees to have a smoother transition to new work arrangements. To illustrate, the programme has some practical elements, such as ways to organise work corners in homes and recommendations on creating productive work routines to suit an individual’s needs.

As a HR Specialist, you can:
Implement best practices to engage employees remotely, including ways to build trust and promote empathy in a “virtual office”

II. Build social connections despite new work arrangements
Virtual offices mean no more face-to-face conversations or coffee breaks in the pantry, which could adversely affect team bonding. Hence, team leaders should introduce methods to help employees build trust and remain connected. For example, daily check-ins.

DBS began by encouraging its employees to remain connected socially via the bank’s videoconferencing platform. These informal sessions are to help team members find common topics to bond about.

As a HR Specialist, you can:
Develop new team habits such as weekly catch-up sessions and celebrations of positive milestones

III. Care for their personal wellbeing, and that of their colleagues
DBS began by distributing care packages to prioritise personal health and nurture mutual care and concern within the organisation. The bank held healthcare and wellbeing webinars regularly to ensure that employees could pave their way through the pandemic. Mental health was also put in the spotlight with confidential counselling (also available previously) readily available and mental wellbeing programmes.

On top of that, DBS ramped up its community work. Employees helped distribute complimentary care packages to healthcare workers working tirelessly at the pandemic’s front line. The bank also continues to empower its employees to donate meals for the elderly, migrants and lesser fortunate households via the “DBS Stronger Together Fund”, worth USD 7.85 million.

As a HR Specialist, you can:
o Ensure leaders keep a check on their team members from time-to-time and help employees seek help from the right places
o Actively encourage employees to be a part of voluntary efforts that resonate with them on a quarterly basis

• Digital tools to drive employee engagement
  

DBS Bank applies digital tools to drive transparent communication within the workforce. Empathetic leadership combined with digital features is a powerful approach, and this is visible with “Ask Piyush”.

“Ask Piyush” is an initiative to enhance the employee experience level within the four walls of DBS Bank. Employees can share questions, comments and even suggestions anonymously via an intranet portal. The CEO himself addresses the queries, demonstrating his care for the welfare and growth of his employees.

This specific type of employee communication is one-of-a-kind; employees are connecting directly with the CEO of the bank. Giving the employees a voice and allowing them to express themselves empowers them to contribute to decision-making and offer valuable input.

DBS believes that even the smallest, most minute ideas, contributions or even complaints that are heard and acted upon serve a purpose. The act itself encourages employees to look for more ways to contribute to the bank. And who better to listen to these ideas than the CEO himself?

As a HR Specialist, you can:
Initiate roundtable sessions, open chats and create a technological platform that allows employees to converse with managers, giving them an opportunity to be heard

Other employee engagement initiatives

How you can match up to DBS Bank

• Make your employees’ wellbeing a priority
• Enable empathetic leadership within your business through digital tools
• Encourage mutual care among your employees

To read the full report, click here