Q: How crucial is investing in training and development?
A: Strategic investment in employee training and development helps attract and retain the best talent in an organisation. It builds a strong work culture that fosters innovation, change and success.

Employees become skilled and knowledgeable so they can face challenges, and generate new ideas and solutions to drive them towards achieving goals rather than shying away from problems. It also enables growth and upward mobility for employees.

When employees become more professional, the organisation’s overall performance, innovation and output automatically increase.

At National Development Bank (NDB), we believe in this and as such, continue to invest in our people. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, we continued to invest in learning and development, through digital interventions and virtual learning, as part of the NDB learning academy offering.

NDB’s recognition as the ‘Best Bank in Sri Lanka’ and ‘Bank of the Year Sri Lanka 2020’ by the prestigious publications Global Finance (USA) and The Banker (UK) respectively – two coveted titles – bears ample testimony to this high-performance culture.

Q: Are corporates evolving to meet the needs of gen Z?
A: Gen Z will soon surpass the millennials and account for about a third of the population, and begin entering the workforce in similar proportions. However, there is enough research to suggest they may not be completely different from the previous generations who entered the workforce.

Nevertheless, they’re considered to be more entrepreneurial-minded, raised in a world flooded with information and smart technology. Gen Z will value creativity and diversity, and easily embrace differences.

Employers should consider redesigning jobs to attract and engage gen Z – and ensure that jobs continue to generate a pipeline of future talent.

Job security and financial stability, interpersonal and independent learning, professional development opportunities for career advancement, and continuous feedback and one-on-one communication are some areas for employers to concentrate on and develop new strategies.

Our challenge in essence will be gaining the most value from gen Z’s ‘technocentric’ nature at the same speed at which they receive information, communicate with each other and multitask.

Q: Could you outline the main components of a ‘great workplace’?
A: There are five main components of a great workplace. The first is credibility where employees view the management as being believable and trustworthy. Secondly, the extent to which employees feel respected by management.

The third is the extent to which they feel that management practices are fair through equity and impartiality in their workplace. And fourth is employees’ sense of pride in their jobs and the organisation.

And the fifth is camaraderie through intimacy, hospitality and a sense of community within the workplace

If these five components are considered to be high by employees, such organisations become great workplaces.

Having assessed these components through a survey conducted among our employees, NDB takes pride in being recognised as the only local bank to be certified as a ‘great workplace.’

Q: Is addressing employees’ mental wellbeing an important consideration for organisations?
A: Employees’ mental wellbeing is an important human resources (HR) challenge for organisations – especially because the pandemic has increased risks related to psychological health and safety in the workplace.

It’s no secret that a happy and mentally well-balanced employee will drive the business to success by being more productive.

We at NDB foster wellness by creating a culture that values healthy behaviours – for example, sensible working hours through flexible work structures, roster and shift work to support a work-life balance, respectful communications, promoting healthy physical activities and so on.

In addition, we encourage open discussion about practices or issues causing stress in the workplace through various mechanisms and direct communication channels. During the pandemic, we have introduced a mobile HR app for employees to raise any issues conveniently to receive help quickly.

Where required, we offer external mental health and counselling services for the better psychological wellbeing of our employees.

Q: Which ‘new normal’ workplace practices will continue in the post-pandemic era?
A: Most organisations will be looking to accelerate digital transformation and enable business through digital means, for the convenience of customers and employees. The pace at which transformations have taken place during the pandemic is likely to continue post-pandemic too.

Employees would not only be expected to be digital savvy but also more innovative. Work cultures may comprise a hybrid work environment where working from home (WFH) or remote working may be options for certain roles.

Employers will likely play a more active role in employees’ financial, physical and mental wellbeing.

Q: How has participating in the Great Place to Work Sri Lanka survey empowered NDB’s employees?
A: It has helped us understand our employees better in a scientific and structured manner. And the feedback from our staff has given us actionable insights to build an even better workplace culture.

 

INTERVIEWEE DETAILS
Lasantha Dasanayaka
Vice President – Group Human Resources
COMPANY DETAILS
Telephone:2448448
Email:contact@ndbbank.com
Website:www.ndbbank.com