‘The UOB Way’ helps employees pursue sustainable careers

“The organisation always had a strong culture, but there was no easy way to describe it to a new employee,” says Dean Tong, head of group human resources, recalling some of the initial discussions about The UOB Way.

“So, we spoke to many people, including those who have been with us for decades and recent joiners, to capture the essence and then codify the key components. There are a lot of things one can unpack, but it comes down to what you want to achieve and expectations about how we are treated and how we should treat others.”

As the different aspects were fleshed out, some had an external focus, others were more to guide internal norms and interactions. There was also a very deliberate effort to introduce and explain everything, with a “world tour” of workshops and presentations to engage staff and managers, refresh the culture and get everyone on the same page.

“We believe that if you know the wider meaning of your work, that helps to bring out the best in the individual and increases the level of engagement,” Tong says. “We also use case studies to show how to apply values in practice, especially when situations and decisions are not so straightforward. But this is only part of the journey.

“To build the culture, managers must be equipped with the right set of tools, so we have leadership and enablement training to make sure they can execute what we want and do it in a constructive way.”

For Sam Cheong, managing director and group head of UOB’s foreign direct investment advisory unit, under the bank’s group international management division, there is every reason to view these developments in a very positive light.

He has just celebrated 30 years with UOB and can see how a strong culture supports the bank’s push for expansion in Southeast Asian markets and its dealings with overseas clients who are relatively new to the region.

“Our platform forms partnerships with government investment agencies, trade and business associations, and professional service providers looking at market entry,” Cheong says.

“We aim to support them in ways that go beyond banking. As our CEO consistently mentions, this is best done by ensuring people are our greatest asset and helping everyone realise their full potential. To me, that is a very powerful message and sets a very clear tone.”

Cheong likes the fact that the bank’s values align with his own and that words translate into action. Over the years, he has also noticed how well staff respond to effective guidance about behaviour and goals, leading to greater commitment, purpose and collective spirit.

This is particularly important in an industry where growth cannot always be taken for granted and reliability counts for so much.

“In forming our network, building trust has been key,” Cheong, whose own career has included successful stints based in UOB’s offices in Jakarta and Shanghai, says. “The bank’s people philosophy makes sure we empathise with the challenges that colleagues, clients and stakeholders may be facing, and that we can put across certain new ideas to help everyone work together.”

Nitichai Jearkjirm, head of performance management for the 15-strong finance team in UOB Thailand’s Bangkok office, started working for the bank in 2011 as a management associate and is convinced he made the right choice. Having completed his master’s degree in the United States, there were other job options available, but none seemed to offer the same scope and possibilities.

“Like now, the bank was looking for graduates with potential,” he says. “The two-year programme provided a lot of opportunities, with rotations to different functions within the bank, such as finance and capital management. You also learn what sustains the organisation and that employees are stakeholders too.”

In Jearkjirm’s case, the focus on care and the principle that each person’s career is a journey which entails different directions, speeds and experiences, has taken on extra resonance since he became a father.

“We have a high-performance workplace, but also generous maternity and paternity leave with full pay, and flexible hours to help young parents,” he says.

“As a further benefit, these days we even have massage, fitness and nursing rooms in our head office building and we can work from home two days a week, which is good for balancing efficiency and personal responsibilities.”

Eliza Wang, board secretary and head of the legal and secretariat department at UOB China’s Shanghai office, says such additions and adjustments show the bank’s readiness to move with the times. More importantly, it is also about upholding, exemplifying and transmitting the right values at all times.

“A concept that we strongly advocate is ‘doing right by you’,” she says. “Our guiding principle is to do the right thing, whether it’s helping the company grow or giving back to society and our community.

“While these actions may seem tied to financial considerations, I believe that by doing the right thing, a company can ultimately make contributions beyond its economic activities.

“This is what makes UOB unique. We don’t emphasise why we need to achieve certain goals. Instead, we tell each employee that we need to do the right thing.

“Our four core values are to be honourable, be enterprising, be united, and be committed. These four points are universal principles for being a good person, not just for working here, but for anywhere. Having this value system allows us to excel in all that we do.”