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Anne Leong, Head of People, talks about the three pillars of GXS Bank's strategy to build a positive and engaged team.
Being a relatively young organisation, GXS Bank has been able to design its people’s experiences from scratch. Employee engagement, in particular, has been an important priority for the management team since day one.
Centred around its pillars, the organisation's strategy to build a positive and engaged team has earned the team a bronze win for 'Best Onboarding Experience' at the Employee Experience Awards 2024, Singapore.
Anne Leong, Head of People (pictured above), shares more on how GXS Bank invests in its employees not for short-term gains, but for deeper employee engagement in the long run.
Q How would you describe the pillars of your employee experience strategy, and what are the principles you have taken into account to develop this?
Being able to shape the GXS employee experience from the very beginning has been a game-changer for us. At three, GXS is a very young organisation and the company’s youthfulness provided us with a great opportunity to throw out legacy “rule books” and design our people’s experiences from scratch.
Right from the start, we knew there was a lot to be done. We started operations shortly after the height of the COVID-19 situation, and our initial focus was on hiring people who lived and breathed our mission and thereafter, keeping our teams engaged and motivated.
Our strategy on building a positive and engaged team are anchored on these three pillars:
A supportive work environment – Creating a physical and digital work environment that supports collaboration and boosts productivity. We were fortunate to have secured a spacious new office that allowed us to innovate and design collaborative stations, individual work desks, and communal recreational spaces. Our pantries are also stocked with healthy snacks, and we continually seek employees’ feedback on how we can make our office a place they are proud to call their second home. We also continue to offer flexible work arrangements to take into account different needs.
Active employee engagement– Employee engagement has been an important priority for the management team since day one. As part of efforts to actively seek feedback from the ground, we speak with staff on both formal and informal basis and hold regular engagement surveys.
Last year, we’ve invested tremendous resources into employee engagement; aside from having monthly social programmes and town halls, we’ve organised inaugural events that mattered to our employees outside work - Little Bosses Day (bringing your kids to work), Pawrents Day (getting like-minded pet lovers together) and Love All Serve All Day (where we go out and engage the community at soup kitchens and beach cleanup activities).
These events have proven to be real winners based on feedback we’ve gotten, and our people have indicated that they appreciate the opportunity to meet staff from other teams and get to know one another in less formal settings.
Employee wellbeing – Having a nice work office and employee engagement activities is just the tip of the iceberg. Prioritising the physical, mental and emotional wellbeing of our employees continues to be a key focus for the people team. Yearly, we host a Wellness Week, curating a series of health screening, wellness programmes and support vendors.
We also focus on our employee’s physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. The bank has a contracted counsellor that employees are able to reach out to for personal or professional needs.
Q In a world propelled by rapid change, what measures do you have in place to maintain a people-centric, human approach to your EX as it evolves?
GXS continues to exist in a whirling cycle of change and uncertainty, but this has not deterred us from pursuing our goal to provide an excellent employee experience to all our staff. The GXS leadership team is committed to :
Leadership communication - Each month, the leadership team addresses the senior managers of the organisation, providing business and financial updates and culminating into a fireside chat with the CEO and his team. This forum allows us to address key ground issues and employee sentiments at its core.
Rewards & recognition – Aside from the annual cycles of promotions, compensation reviews, the bank has committed to establishing a bank-wide recognition programme to reward individual accomplishments and team efforts to boost morale, show appreciation and create a positive work environment that increases engagement and motivation. Celebrating wins at our bi-monthly town halls are pivotal to acknowledging our successes and good work.
Investment in learning & development – Another key commitment from the bank is to provide training opportunities for employees to develop professionally and help them stay engaged and be more productive.
Q What initiatives do you undertake such that the delivery of employee experience is a collective responsibility of all stakeholders in the organisation?
Communicate! Communicate! Communicate!
Communication is the key to ensuring the organisation stays focused and committed to its shared vision and values that emphasise the importance of employee engagement and experience, encouraging cross-functional collaboration, and aligning our performance management on a collective goal.
Q Do you have words of wisdom to share with others in the industry on the best ways to keep your employee experience consistent and beautiful?
Stay true to what you believe in. Be authentic. Leaders need to stay genuine in their efforts to build trust and credibility.
Empower your teams. Provide the autonomy for managers to make decisions, own problems and solutions and believe they are making the right decision for the organisation.
Lead by example. By embodying the desired values and building the right culture, managers pave the way to creating a participative, positive and supportive workplace.
Q Finally, what is the positive impact of employee experience that you’ve seen on the business as well as the workforce?
We believe in investing in our employees not because of short-term gains but because in the long-run, happy employees will be motivated and driven. They will also, in turn, be invested in the organisation’s success and help boost our branding. This flywheel effect will in turn attract the right talents for the organisation and cultivate a positive organisational culture.
The positive impact on a well-curated employee experience can be profound and beneficial for employees and candidates. Investing in the employee experience is a long-term plan; satisfied employees continue to be motivated, and driven for business success, a booster for employer branding to attract the right talents for the organisation and cultivate a positive organisation culture and workplace.
Read more interviews on why organisations have won trophies for their HR practices - head over to our Winning Secrets section!
Lead image / Provided
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