When assessing potential recruits, ANZ Bank places considerable emphasis on whether candidates have the same core values as the organisation. In essence, these come down to five key elements - integrity, collaboration, accountability, respect and excellence. Encapsulated in the acronym 'I CARE', they are shorthand for a corporate culture and approach to business that has helped the bank's Hong Kong team grow from barely 50 two years ago to a fast-expanding 800 today.
'Having an outperforming and collaborative culture with good core values has definitely helped us to be where we are today,' says Susan Yuen, CEO of ANZ Hong Kong. 'Those who have joined us will say this is a good environment to work in. Basically, we are all highly collaborative and will ensure there are opportunities for people to contribute towards the building of our platform and play a part in the growth of the franchise.'
Discussion of values starts during the interview process. Candidates are asked to give specific examples drawn from personal experience to illustrate their outlook and attitudes. This is by no means the only line of inquiry but, as far as the bank is concerned, it carries significant weight. 'We place great importance on finding high-calibre individuals who can demonstrate and share our values,' Yuen says. 'This helps us to differentiate ourselves, and is essential to our relationship-based approach in delivering customer service and dealing with target customers.
'We're finding that a lot of candidates are attracted to our growing presence in the region and [have] an increased awareness of ANZ's achievements. Of course, it is a very exciting journey because not every bank today is building at the pace we are. However, we have to keep getting better all the time as that is what our strategy of being a super-regional bank is about.'