Erwin Chong , Group Head of Corporate Real Estate at DBS , tells Business Chief how Southeast Asia ’ s largest bank is reimagining its workplace culture
PEOPLE | WORKPLACE SPECIAL
How DBS Bank is reimagining workplace culture
Erwin Chong , Group Head of Corporate Real Estate at DBS , tells Business Chief how Southeast Asia ’ s largest bank is reimagining its workplace culture
WRITTEN BY : KATE BIRCH
There are many reasons why DBS Bank has been recognised as the ‘ World ’ s Best Bank ’ for the last five years . But among them , the Singaporeheadquartered bank has demonstrated the ability to not just survive a crisis but use it as a chance to innovate .
“ We decided early on to use the crisis as a platform to further reposition ourselves fundamentally as a bank of the future ,” CEO Piyush Gupta says of the innovations that the Bank has rolled out during the last few years . These have included acquiring stakes in banks in India and China to cement the bank ’ s position in Asia ; launching landmark digital initiatives , including a blockchainbased ecosystem for fundraising and a global marketplace for carbon credits ; and embarking on a journey to reimagine its workplace culture .
Changing workplace culture is no mean feat when you are Southeast Asia ’ s biggest bank by assets , and among the largest in Asia , with more than 250 branches across 18 markets on the continent , and a 17,000-strong workforce .
Since January 2021 , DBS has adopted a permanent hybrid workforce model , with all employees given the flexibility to work remotely up to 40 % of the time . The bank further found that with employee life cycles being increasingly dynamic , work arrangements needed to become more flexible to support different needs , and subsequently became among the first Singapore companies to roll out a formal job-sharing scheme . This enables two employees to share the responsibilities of one full-time role , while retaining all existing medical benefits in full and covered under the bank ’ s insurance plans .
“ DBS recognised early in the pandemic that the way we live , and work was changing dramatically for the long-term ,” Erwin Chong , Group Head of Corporate Real Estate
68 September 2022