As the longest established Singapore bank with a history spanning over nine decades, OCBC is the second largest financial services group in Southeast Asia by assets. In July 2023, OCBC announced its brand unification across its core markets to capitalise on the sizable ASEAN-Greater China opportunity by its One Group strengths and capabilities, while nurturing talents with a variety of opportunities, looking forward to achieving greater heights together.

OCBC Hong Kong has garnered the "Employer of Choice Award¡¨ for four years and the ¡§Asia Pacific Outstanding Employer Award¡¨ for the second time, along with the ¡§Corporate Training Award¡¨ and the ¡§Employer Brand Management Award¡¨ this year. ¡§We¡¦re honoured to have received the accolades, which is a testament to our achievements in HR management, employer branding, employee care and development. It¡¦s also a recognition for OCBC as an employer of choice in the Asia Pacific region. Thank you to our incredible HR team for their dedication. We¡¦ll continue to strive for excellence and enable people and communities to realise their aspirations,¡¨ says Cindy Leung, the Managing Director of Human Resources at OCBC Hong Kong.

A ¡§People-first¡¨ Strategy to Support Employees¡¦ Career Aspirations
Cindy holds that OCBC¡¦s success lies in its ¡§People-first¡¨ strategy. With an emphasis on ¡§Opportunity Starts Here!¡¨, the bank supports its employees with a variety of opportunities to fulfil their career growth, so as to achieve the Bank¡¦s Purpose: ¡§To enable people and communities to realise their aspirations¡¨.

As the longest established Singapore bank, OCBC¡¦s worldwide network across 19 countries and regions opens doors to a world of opportunities for talent development. Employees are encouraged to seize job opportunities internally to explore different roles across departments for a clear career direction. Last year, an AI-enabled platform ¡§OCBC Mobi¡¨ was introduced to empower employees to take charge of their career growth, exploring opportunities within the Group through short-term assignments and secondments, etc. to develop personalised career pathways.

¡§Talent mobility isn¡¦t merely about new opportunities or career development, it¡¦s about embracing diversity and cultural difference. By making internal moves, employees can learn about different perspectives from others and enrich their on-the-job experience, which is conducive to both personal and corporate growth,¡¨ says Cindy.

Empower Employees to Speak Freely With a Speak-Up Culture
Effective communication is essential to engaging and retaining talent. Being an employer of choice, OCBC values employee opinions and fosters open communication and innovation by cultivating a speak-up culture where employee opinions are taken seriously. The Bank conducts Employee Satisfaction Survey annually to collect employee feedback on career development, work environment and facilities, etc., making sure employees feel heard and respected.

¡§In recent years, OCBC has invested substantially in office refurbishment and workplace transformation. Our new office at AIRSIDE, Kai Tak and one-stop service counter for IT was launched last year. We¡¦re committed to creating a workspace that promotes employee wellness, sustainability and innovation. Meanwhile, the application of technology facilitates cross-departmental and cross-regional communication and collaboration, uniting us as One Group.¡¨
Last year, ¡§Staff Appreciation Week¡¨ was held to recognise and appreciate the contribution and relentless effort of employees. During the week, CEO of OCBC Hong Kong and the management team personally visited offices in different locations and presented tokens of gratitude to employees, while employees can leave thank you messages on the appreciation board to motivate one another, bringing positive energy into the workplace. The interaction has forged a stronger bond between the management and employees, and further enhanced employee engagement and a sense of belonging.

¡§Grow Your Way¡¨ Framework Satisfies Development Needs

At OCBC, a long-term strategy is adopted for learning and development. Employees at different levels across departments are encouraged to pursue career aspirations and are presented with diverse training opportunities. To enable employees to keep up with social trends and OCBC¡¦s transformation, and to adapt to the future workplace, the Bank introduces the ¡§Grow Your Way¡¨ framework that provides learning programmes in the form of online class, seminar, and classroom programme. Technical courses on Banking & Finance, New Risks & Governance, etc. are included, while topics such as Tech & Data, Sustainability and Leadership in the Future World are covered, upskilling and reskilling with the necessary skillset and mindset to stay relevant for the future.

In addition, the popular ¡§Brown Bag Learning Sessions¡¨ are held on a regular basis. ¡§We invite guests from various fields such as sports and media personalities to share their expertise, wisdom and experiences. We hope their sharing can inspire our colleagues in work and in life,¡¨ Cindy says.

At OCBC, employee wellness is paramount. Employees are encouraged to develop a healthy lifestyle through a wide range of activities. Last year, the Bank jointly organised ¡§Walking Challenge¡¨ with a non-profit organisation to promote green living by converting employees¡¦ steps into trees to be planted. In the meantime, the annual ¡§MyWellness Fiesta¡¨ offers a chance for employees to unwind through a series of wellness activities, for example soothing massage session, yoga class, etc. Health seminars are held to provide healthcare information, on-site eye exam and blood pressure check for employees. With the arrival of the flu season, the Bank arranged healthcare professionals to the offices and provided free vaccinations, which was well received by employees.

Build an Employer Brand to Attract Like-Minded Talent

While building a positive employer brand has been a major trend over the years, it is a key element in attracting and retaining talent. Since its brand unification in 2023, OCBC has secured a clear brand positioning as a regional bank from Singapore, as told by Michael Tung, Head of Talent Acquisition Advisory at OCBC Hong Kong. ¡§Our brand management efforts include a series of corresponding measures internally and externally. Internally, we consolidate our employees¡¦ understanding of the Group¡¦s Purpose, Values and Ambition through various channels. Result of our Employee Satisfaction survey last year shows that employees in general agreed that the management can clearly communicate the Bank¡¦s direction and vision, which reflected the remarkable effect of our measures,¡¨ he says.

OCBC launched ¡§Employer Branding Showcase¡¨ last year to promote our new employer brand and its Employee Value Proposition (EVP) internally and externally. The campaign aims to offer an insight into how the Bank supports its employees in career development and personal growth in terms of Collaboration, Wellbeing, Learning, and Innovation, etc., looking to attract talents who share OCBC¡¦s values.

Michael notes that OCBC is committed to recruiting more young talents through ¡§OCBC Graduate Talent Programme¡¨ and ¡§Summer Internship Programme¡¨, including first year and second year students. It is expected that the number of graduate talents will continue to grow this year. ¡§We¡¦ll continue to strengthen our ties with universities in Hong Kong and Macau, and increase our brand exposure through regular job fairs and collaboration with recruitment platforms to further attract like-minded talents. At OCBC, we strive to achieving our core value of ¡¥Lasting Value¡¦, and realising our commitment to ¡¥For now, and beyond¡¦.¡¨ He remarks.