RDB Bank’s role in empowering communities through Strategic HR
View(s):1. How does HR contribute to RDB’s overarching business objectives and national development goals?
Human Resources plays a pivotal role in advancing the vision of the Regional Development Bank (RDB)- fully state-owned, licensed specialised bank in Sri Lanka, to become “The Trusted Development Financing Partner to the Nation.” Aligned with the bank’s mission to provide accessible financial services, HR ensures that the workforce is strategically positioned to uplift the living standards of rural communities and promote inclusive development. By aligning its workforce strategy with these goals, HR ensures that RDB’s employees are equipped to meet the needs of the bank’s diverse customer base, including underserved communities and entrepreneurs in rural Sri Lanka.
In line with RDB’s mission, HR’s talent acquisition strategies are centered on bringing in employees who are capable of supporting key sectors such as MSMEs, agriculture, fisheries, and small-scale industries. HR invests in continuous skill development programmes to enhance the capabilities of employees in line with emerging trends in fintech and digital banking, ensuring that RDB remains responsive to the evolving needs of rural entrepreneurs.
HR contributes to RDB’s vision by ensuring that the workforce is skilled and prepared to deliver on the bank’s core services, which aim to empower rural entrepreneurs. Through recruitment, training, and development, employee engagement and retention HR focuses on ensuring employees are proficient in delivering specialised products and services, which supports entrepreneurs with tailored financial services. Bank products are aligned with RDB’s mission to provide inclusive financial services that aid economic growth and development in rural areas.
Through these strategic initiatives, HR ensures that RDB’s workforce is well-positioned to support the bank’s overarching goal of empowering entrepreneurs and promoting national development through financial inclusion.
2. What role does HR play in supporting RDB’s efforts to empower underserved communities, including women entrepreneurs?
Empowering underserved communities, especially women entrepreneurs, is at the core of RDB’s purpose. Accordingly, HR plays a pivotal role in driving RDB’s commitment to empowering these communities by strategically aligning HR practices with the bank’s inclusive development goals, HR ensures that the workforce is not only skilled but also deeply aligned with RDB’s social impact initiatives. The recruitment process prioritises diversity and inclusivity, ensuring the bank attracts talent capable of understanding and addressing the unique challenges faced by rural entrepreneurs, particularly women.
In addition to hiring, HR actively invests in specialised training programmes, such as financial literacy and Bank credit schemes and Refinance schemes, to equip employees with the knowledge necessary to offer tailored support to underserved communities. The Bank also facilitates initiatives like the “Best Women Entrepreneur” programme and skill development workshops directly supporting the empowerment of women entrepreneurs. These initiatives align with RDB’s flagship products, such as the “Liya Saviya” women’s savings account, which provides women with the financial tools and resources they need to thrive in business.
Through continuous professional development, HR ensures that employees are equipped to provide services that not only meet the banking needs of underserved communities but also foster sustainable economic participation. By nurturing a workforce that understands and champions the goals of financial inclusion, HR plays a crucial role in strengthening RDB’s mission of uplifting rural economies and empowering women entrepreneurs.
3. How does RDB’s HR department drive innovation and digital transformation in the bank’s operations?
In today’s fast-paced world, innovation and digital transformation are essential to staying ahead. HR plays a transformative role in this regard by ensuring the workforce is prepared for the rapidly evolving landscape of digital banking. By implementing a centralised Human Resource Information System (HRIS), HR has streamlined essential functions like employee benefits and talent development, recruitment resulting in increased operational efficiency and improved service delivery. This automation ensures that HR operations are both scalable and agile, enabling the bank to focus on its core mission of empowering rural entrepreneurs.
In line with RDB’s strategic focus on fintech and digital banking, HR actively invests in upskilling initiatives that empower employees to connect emerging technologies. Employees are provided with access to digital learning platforms which are crucial to meeting the needs of modern rural businesses.
HR’s role in driving innovation is pivotal in equipping the workforce to not only adapt to technological advancements but also to lead RDB’s efforts in providing cutting-edge solutions for rural entrepreneurs and underserved communities.
4. How does HR ensure employee engagement and well-being in a geographically dispersed workforce?
Given RDB’s vast network of branches across Sri Lanka, maintaining strong employee engagement is essential for supporting to an unified culture. RDB’s 272 branch locations, spread across every nook and corner of Sri Lanka, are strategically established to ensure accessible and localized financial services, particularly targeting underserved communities and entrepreneurs in rural areas. In a geographically dispersed workforce, HR at RDB ensures high levels of engagement and well-being by leveraging technology to create a cohesive and inclusive organisational culture. HR uses virtual tools and platforms to maintain consistent communication with employees, including regular town halls, webinars, and virtual training programmes. These initiatives help employees feel connected to the larger vision of RDB, nurturing a sense of unity and shared purpose in delivering financial services to rural entrepreneurs.
HR also recognises the importance of employee well-being and offer wellness programmes that focus on both physical and mental health. Programmes like annual health check-ups, comprehensive medical coverages, and insurance schemes are designed to support employees in maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Furthermore, HR ensures that recognition programmes, such as performance awards and leadership development opportunities, are tailored to encourage growth and align individual achievements with RDB’s broader goals of economic development.
By maintaining an inclusive culture and offering robust engagement and well-being initiatives, HR at RDB ensures that employees remain motivated and committed to the bank’s mission, regardless of their geographical location.
5. How does HR at RDB contribute to the bank’s sustainability and green banking initiatives?
Sustainability is a core pillar of RDB’s mission, and HR plays an instrumental role in embedding green practices within the workforce. HR contributes to the bank’s sustainability and green banking initiatives by encouraging a workforce that is knowledgeable about eco-friendly practices and sustainable financial solutions, directly supporting the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as such RDB’s financial services, particularly loans for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), empower rural entrepreneurs, helping to lift communities out of poverty, gender equality, promotes sustainable business growth and self-employment opportunities in rural areas through decent work and economic growth.
Being responsible for Consumption and Production, contributes to promoting sustainable production and waste management, HR supports RDB’s green banking initiatives by ensuring that the workforce is knowledgeable as such E-Friend loan product, which encourages businesses to adopt environmentally friendly practices and waste management solutions. HR also collaborates on training programmes that educate employees about the environmental impact of the bank’s financial products and services, ensuring that employees are equipped to advocate for sustainability within their client interactions.
By adopting a workforce that is both environmentally conscious and highly skilled in delivering sustainable financial solutions, HR contributes directly to RDB’s overarching green banking goals, which align with the broader vision of promoting sustainable socio-economic development in rural Sri Lanka.
6. What steps does HR take to build a future-ready workforce at RDB
HR at RDB is dedicated to preparing employees for the future by implementing succession planning and targeted training in areas such as SME financing, risk management, and digital banking. This ensures that employees remain equipped to support RDB’s growing services for rural entrepreneurs.
HR also prioritises continuous learning and development through partnerships with academic institutions and professional bodies, which ensures a steady pipeline of talent for future leadership roles. Specialised training in emerging fields like fintech, data analytics, and digital transformation further prepares employees to meet the demands of the evolving banking landscape.
The holistic HR approach ensures that employees not only excel in technical banking skills but are also attuned to the distinctive needs of minors and entrepreneurs, empowering them to provide innovative solutions and remain agile in the face of future challenges. HR seamlessly integrates skills development with RDB’s specialised offerings, such as the RDB Kekulu, a savings account designed for children under 14, which encourages saving through higher returns, gifts, and academic prizes, and the RDB 14 Plus account, tailored for those aged 14 and above, offering interest with a 30% bonus, ATM access, guardian notifications, and loan facilities.
Furthermore, refinance schemes like SMILE III – RF and SMELoC which focus on MSMEs, along with PAMP RF and SEPI Loan promoting self-employment, SAAP 4P targeting small-scale agribusinesses, Kapruka Ayojana supporting coconut cultivation and animal husbandry, and Kapruka Jaya Isura promoting coconut products and area specific refinance loan schemes as such Moragahakanda and Mahaweli Saviya are intricately woven into the HR framework.
7. How does HR measure and enhance the effectiveness of its programs in supporting RDB’s mission?
HR at RDB understands the importance of continuously evaluating its programmes to ensure they align with the bank’s broader goals. A data-driven approach is taken to measure and enhance the effectiveness of its programmes, ensuring that they align with the bank’s mission of empowering rural entrepreneurs and promoting financial inclusion. Through advanced metrics and analytics, HR tracks Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) such as employee productivity, retention rates, and customer satisfaction, all of which provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of HR initiatives.
HR also ensures that employees are proficient and measures the impact of training and development programmes by assessing employees’ proficiency in delivering RDB’s specialised services, such as bank credit facilities, refinance schemes and Dorin Dora doorstep banking service, which are crucial in supporting underserved communities.
By closely monitoring these metrics and continuously adapting HR strategies, RDB ensures that its workforce is always prepared to meet the bank’s goals of financial inclusion, rural economic development, and support for women entrepreneurs. This ongoing evaluation ensures that HR’s contributions remain directly aligned with RDB’s overarching mission and vision.
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