Over the last years, the whole banking industry has been undergoing the process of overall digitalization. This had an enormous impact on Banca Intesa Belgrade’s (BIB) business model but, more importantly, it reflected on our culture, attitudes, and behaviors.
For BIB the journey started several years ago with the implementation of modern and automatized process architecture and a new dynamic IT core system. The project made it even clearer that true change and organizational resilience are rooted in the very heart of the expertise and leadership of our people.
The pandemic exponentially accelerated the digitalization-related trends and we witnessed dynamic development and fast adaptations to customer needs, offering innovative products and providing quick decisions to not only keep up with the pace but rather to lead the transformation from within.
For this reason, we have further intensified our investments in learning to enhance different skill sets by upskilling or to help our people take a new direction completely by reskilling.
Distinctly, we are focusing on data literacy – the ability to read, write and communicate data in context, including an understanding of data sources and constructs, analytical methods, and techniques applied. With this internal data literacy program, we are concentrating on developing a data-related skillset, following a complete learning path from the very basic modules to the modules on machine learning and AI.
This initiative has a modular and agile approach that will allow us to customize and calibrate the necessary depth of data literacy in accordance with the roles while ensuring a common baseline and common language for all the functions of the Bank.
Recognizing the internal competence, we are greatly leaning on the BIB faculty – the expertise of our employees, by creating tailor-made – knowledge sharing and peer supporting networks within the Bank. Currently, we are running several internal developmental programs following our strategic plans and the transformation momentum we are going through.
From Small Business and Agribusiness to areas related to the Risk culture, we are aiming at different aspects of our business intending to understand both the global context as well as the BIB peculiarities. Our employees also benefit from BIBlioteka – an internal online space where the knowledge is shared by the colleagues themselves and concerning concrete topics from the respective fields.
Furthermore, when it comes to the other upskilling initiatives at BIB, it is mostly related to the core competencies and it is provided by delivering training. The content of the training is constantly evolving in line with the evolution of the industry itself and such training help employees to acquire new skills, ultimately enabling them to grow in their current positions and bring added value to the business.
The example of re-skilling on the other hand is the project for our salesforce where the business transformation requires reshaping of the competencies of our front line – namely, after migrating to digital channels, our employees are provided with the opportunity to develop sophisticated sales techniques and upgrade towards financial advisory – all for the sake of strengthening our customer service excellence.
These days, we are recognizing the need for further and massive re-skilling ignited by the arising economic concept of ESG. This framework, adopted and largely promoted by our parent Company, ought to bring us closer to truly socially responsible business practices by perceiving sustainability as the main value creator in the business. Thus, we must expand knowledge on the widest range of environmental/climate, socio-economic and governmental aspects of our clients and our organization businesses for all employees.
Needless to say, the new reality demands different human and leadership skills to allow innovation to thrive within the organization. In fact, innovation is becoming a new modus operandi at BIB and, together with our Parent Company, we are initiating the new developmental program dedicated to nurturing and inspiring innovation mindset among our teams.
We will start with understanding where we are now and we will do it with the help of the dedicated survey, mapping innovation potential and digital literacy across the BIB. This first logical step will be then followed by individual and group developmental plans and will not only concentrate on the technical skills, but rather on the human skills essential for building the culture of innovation – such as social and emotional intelligence, judgment and decision making, cognitive flexibility, adaptability and leading people.
Following this positive path, we stay inspired and committed to supporting our employees to be active contributors to the transformation, to live the changes positively, to capitalize on their solid core knowledge while growing professionally and personally.
Author:
Ivana Todorović, Head of HRO, Banca Intesa
