Skills upgrade key to keeping workforce amid new normal, digitization —UnionBank

Union Bank of the Philippines said Wednesday that investments on workers’ skills upgrading is the key to keep the workforce intact amid the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, and changing jobs requirements due to technology.

In a virtual press briefing, UnionBank chief human resource officer Michelle Rubio said that “the constant retooling and upskilling of manpower even prior to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak has been a major factor in maintaining its workforce.”

“Even prior to the lockdown, we have been retooling our people. There has been redeployment because jobs are changing, but that does not mean we cannot teach people new skills in order for them to adapt to evolving times,” Rubio said.

UnionBank has about 3,500 employees in its workforce.

Rubio said that 70% have been working from home since the government imposed lockdown measures to contain COVID-19 spread.

She said that some of the bank’s workers have started to go back to offices, but in compliance with minimum health standards such as social distancing.

Apart from investing in workers’ skills upgrading such as conducting cross-department training, open conferences and workshops; the bank also puts a premium on technology.

“These investments have actually produced great results... that’s why we’re able to innovate and provide the services for our customers,” Rubio said.

“Even during lockdown, our teams were still able to create products," she said, noting the digital tools and training to its staff.

“UnionBank is very much into people transformation. Because technology is driving rapid change, our people need to keep up with that change. When we made a decision to transform digitally, a lot of our processes and ways of working were also altered,” she said. —LDF, GMA News