A global bank where people can build long and successful careers – The Straits Times
At the Bank of America, a steadfast focus on being a great place to work has never been more important and sets the firm apart. It is key to securing and developing the best talent and driving responsible growth.
The bank recruits diverse employees, develops and deploys technology to enable them in their work, supports them via wellness programmes and employee networks, and encourages them to volunteer for causes close to their heart.
Mr Martin Siah, Singapore country head at Bank of America, said that its ranking of 15th out of 200 in the Singapore’s Best Employers 2021 list and third in the Banking and Financial Services category are down to its people-centric approach.
Strength through diversity, inclusion and support
To produce strong teams, the bank works with schools to share more about its internship opportunities, and has a return to work programme for people who have been away from the workforce for extended periods of time.
To create opportunities for people with disabilities to join the organisation, it also partners with SG Enable and participates in career fairs to cast its net wide, and conducts resume and career workshops for them.
Mr Siah explained: “When we have employees with different life experiences, their diverse thoughts and perspectives lead to higher performing teams.”
The bank also invests in professional development programmes and initiatives to maximise employees’ potential and help them craft long and successful careers. In particular, Bank of America is focused on developing leading edge technology to support employees as they learn the latest skills required to innovate.
Employees can tap on various initiatives such as a learning and development portal that enables them to map out their career paths, and resources such as reading materials and targeted training courses to equip themselves with the relevant skills to achieve their career aspirations.
Mr Benjamin Lim, vice president in the Chief Technology Organisation at Bank of America, said that the bank values skills, and encourages employees to pursue positions that they are interested in, even if they do not have the relevant job experience.
He completed two internships with the company as a university student before joining full-time in 2014 after graduation. “Even as an intern, I was given serious and fulfilling work. In the past seven years, management has also been very supportive in letting me choose my direction,” said the 32-year-old.
“I’ve had three different roles, as a capacity analyst, cloud engineer and now data centre engineer. I might not have gotten these positions in other banks that require job experience, but Bank of America backed my lateral moves.”
Helping the local community thrive
The bank also has employee networks to promote generational diversity, and support people with disabilities, women, parents and caregivers, and the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.
The networks are active in organising events that include panel discussions, introduction to disability management workshops run by SG Enable, and seminars on parenting in the digital age and talking to children about stress management.
Mr Siah said that these networks and programmes raise awareness about issues faced by different groups of employees, and foster a culture of inclusivity: “We want everyone to feel comfortable in our company.”
Ms Yvonne Han, 46, senior vice president in Fulfilment Service Operations, experienced this inclusivity first-hand. One month after she joined the bank in 2011, she discovered she was pregnant with her second child.
“I was very anxious, but my male manager reassured me that the team was behind me, and gave me time to rest and recover when my pregnancy became difficult,” she said.
“After I came back from my maternity leave, he also didn’t make any assumptions about me as the mother of an infant, and asked if I wanted to lead a big upcoming project. I did, and it went very well.”
Bank of America also supports the community through partnerships with local charities involved in education, workforce development, mental health, hunger and housing issues, such as New Hope Community Services, Beyond Social Services, Brahm Centre and the Food Bank Singapore.
As part of its commitment to building a culture of giving and volunteering, the bank also has a Matching Gifts programme that matches employees’ donations to eligible non-profits, up to USD5,000 (S$6,712) per employee per year.
Mr Siah said: “Everything we do is focused on sustainability and how we can deliver for all our stakeholders, including our employees and the communities where we work.
“Through our volunteering and philanthropy programmes, we’re helping our employees to support the causes that they are passionate about, as we work together to build sustainable and thriving communities.”
