Investing In Our People
At Baiduri Bank Group, we aim to have a robust and high-quality pipeline of talented professionals and seek to build a competitive advantage through our people.
It is our vision that the Bank is led by driven, resilient and capable employees – ready to take on any challenge and adapt to dynamic working conditions. The strategy is to nurture, support and invest in their growth and development as they navigate their career paths with the Bank.
Reflecting on the Bank’s overall vision to be the leading and preferred partner that empowers individuals and businesses to achieve financial success, Deputy Head of Group Human Resources at Baiduri Bank Group Chiam Chin Huei said, “To achieve this vision, the Bank is taking a more systematic approach by focusing on our people – identifying, developing and nurturing talents to be potential leaders in an ever-changing environment.”
The Group has accelerated our investment in human resources and talent management. One of the most notable milestones is the establishment of the Organisational Development and Learning (ODL) Unit. Team Lead for Organisational Development at Group Human Resources, Azeem Kamarulzaman, shared that the introduction of the dedicated unit is a strategic initiative to improve the culture, skills and capabilities of employees across the organisation.
The ODL Unit plays a key role in identifying the core competencies needed to support our strategy of building a high-performance workplace culture.
“By taking a holistic approach to talent management, we can ensure that all our people initiatives are aligned and have a clear focus. The key to thriving in this environment is also to have the right mindset and culture,” said Azeem.
Nurturing Future-Ready Skills
We understand the importance of strong leadership in driving our company forward, and the ODL team is focusing its talent management efforts on building future-ready, resilient leaders and establishing an ecosystem which is conducive to upskilling and reskilling our workforce. This includes developing effective leadership skills for teams to be successful.
“With each of our employees championing our core values of trustworthiness, inclusivity, empathy, and enterprising, we practise the behaviours associated with each value, further driving the business forward,” said Azeem.
“By integrating our culture into learning mechanics and reflection exercises, we aim to create a culture that promotes productivity and success,” he continued.
The foundations of our digital transformation journey includes building in-house digital capabilities. We have established the Fintech Unit and the DevOps Unit within our IT division to support all digital transformation projects. These teams are empowered to lead and collaborate with teams in the automation of existing workflows.
To date, our dedicated Fintech Unit has successfully deployed artificial intelligence, machine learning, Robotic Process Automation (RPA) and new microservices. Over 30 employees from different business lines and key support functions across Baiduri Bank Group underwent the RPA Citizen Developers certification. They will act as RPA champions to help further such skill development within the Group.
Overall, the total training hours has increased by 30% between 2021 and 2022 – demonstrating a strong desire from our employees to learn and upskill. This includes our leadership courses, Employee Wellness Initiatives, online courses and Change Management and Transformational workshops.
Building Resilient Leaders
Baiduri Bank Group understands the significance of leaders in shaping and promoting organisational culture, as well as the importance of continuously developing the capabilities of our professionals to take on key positions and responsibilities.
Our Emerging Leaders Programme identifies selected employees and aims to equip them with the necessary skills to fast-track their development and prepare them for leadership roles.
The engagement level and effective performance of team leaders are evaluated through an engagement survey conducted annually. This survey helps us to continuously monitor areas of improvement in engagement level, allowing us to provide targeted support.
“In competitive and challenging business environments, engaged employees are more productive and can deliver better success in customer outcomes,” said Chiam Chin Huei.
Securing a Strong Talent Pipeline to Support Wawasan Brunei 2035
To secure a high-quality talent pipeline for years to come, we introduced the Graduate Apprenticeship Programme (GAP), currently in its third cycle – a 6-month holistic learning and development programme aimed at enriching the knowledge, skills and experience of recent graduates to improve their employability locally.
GAP is a testament to Baiduri Bank Group’s commitment to the first goal of Wawasan Brunei 2035, reflecting the nation’s aspiration to be globally recognised for an educated, highly skilled and accomplished workforce. The programme is open to graduates of all backgrounds and academic qualifications, in line with our focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
“GAP provides graduates with a broad exposure to real-world working environment, while helping them build transferable soft skills that they can apply in any working environment. Through completing this programme, recent graduates will gain valuable work experience and skill sets to help them secure their future careers in the financial services industry, or other industries,” said Veronica Chong, Head of Group Human Resources and Administration at Baiduri Bank Group.
Co-creating for Holistic Success
At Baiduri Bank Group, our mission is centred on empowering individuals and businesses in the community to achieve holistic success, personally and professionally. We recognise the importance of collaboration in driving growth and believe that success is driven through co-creation with all stakeholders.
Veronica remarked, “Ultimately, the people are the center of our organization and together, we hope to build a workforce that permeates our culture and values in an environment that is open, inclusive and ambitious.”
As we continue to innovate and evolve, Baiduri Bank Group remains committed to building a dynamic organisation that empowers individuals and businesses in the community and look forward to co-creating a brighter future together.
