UnionBank of the Philippines won the Best Employee Engagement award for 2015 at The Asian Banker’s International Excellence in Retail Financial Services 2015 Awards ceremony held at the Capella Singapore.
The distinction was given on account of the bank’s comprehensive training facilities and programs such as the UnionBank University to keep staff engaged. As of December 16, 2014, UnionBank University listed a total of 4,422 participants who each clocked in 27.5 hours of training.
“We are committed to support, develop and retain talent as well as cultivate the next generation of leaders. All our employee programs are designed to ensure that everyone is doing their best in their current role while also preparing them to take the next step and eventually become leaders,” said Justo A. Ortiz, UnionBank CEO and Chairman of the Board.
The bank’s focus on employee development hinges on building expertise and ensuring a robust leadership pipeline. This focus has led to talent and leadership development while reducing training costs by up to 99.5%.
Since 2010, UnionBank has been setting aside 1% of its net income for community projects which involve the bank’s employees. Training designed for all levels is done through its e-learning portal and UnionBank University which now offers 58 courses through its nine academies led by senior bank management who serve as deans. Leadership programs that train executives to be effective team coaches have also been implemented.
These training plans are dispatched through UnionBank University, the Executive Development Program and the Human Capital Framework.
UnionBank University reaches all branches and locations nationwide and offers a curriculum weaved with the bank’s mindset of developing a “winning culture of experts”.
To train leaders, the Executive Development Program is anchored on 19 leadership and management competencies. Meanwhile, future employees have the Human Capital Framework to help them integrate and land the right jobs within the bank.
“Our human capital is one of best assets. UnionBank has reached its current status because of our employees. We believe as we heavily invest in their development, we are also investing in better services for our clients,” Ortiz said.