Valuing Our People - Corporate Sustainability | Ulster Bank

Determined to lead (DTL) is a leadership programme that was introduced in 2015 across the NatWest Group. It teaches the skills and techniques that enable people leaders to lead, manage and coach their teams so they make positive behaviour change and improve their performance. The programme is supported by Performance Excellence Consultants who coach our leaders and embed the programme. This bank-wide investment means that all people leaders have a common leadership language which allows for consistency in how we serve our customers and work together.

Service Excellence is our customer service programme which further embeds an ethos of great service throughout the bank. It sets out the consistent behaviours of great customer service that we need to build customer trust and advocacy. The programme comprises four levels of training, ranging from ‘Awareness’ through to ’Expert’ level, depending on the role requirement. The key message is that great service is expected of everyone whether we serve customers or colleagues – as everything we do ultimately impacts on our customers.

We’re proud to be building an inclusive bank so all of our colleagues can bring the best of themselves to work. Creating a working environment where all our colleagues can develop to their full potential is important to us, irrespective of their age, disability, ethnic or national origin, gender, gender identity, marital or civil partnership status, political opinion, race, religion or sexual orientation.

Our 2030 aim is to have a fully balanced workforce at all levels of the bank. At the end of 2019 female representation at our Executive level was 40% and 35% at senior management level.

We continue to strive for a better experience for our LGBT colleagues and customers. One of our initiatives we are proud to offer our colleagues is the Rainbow Network Group, which was established in 2005 to promote diversity across all the banks in the Natwest Group. This is a 1,600+ strong global network of colleagues working to support the LGBT community both inside and outside the bank.

Taking care of our health and wellbeing is essential for us to be at our best for our customers, colleagues, family and friends. We continue to increase engagement and awareness of the support available to colleagues to improve health and wellbeing.

Ulster bank has been awarded IBEC’s workplace wellness accreditation which reflects our investment in our colleagues health and wellbeing. Ulster Bank was one of the first banks in Ireland to achieve this award since it launched in 2017.

At Ulster Bank we empower our staff to innovate with a digital-first mind-set to create future solutions for our customers.

Our intrapreneurship programme, StartUp, aims to tap into the creative spirit of our people to solve customer problems like a start up company would. Through our unique partnership with Dogpatch Labs, a technology start-up hub based in the heart of Dublin, staff are transported from their day-to-day roles and immersed in a start-up ecosystem that empowers them to think differently and solve problems in a customer-centric and agile way.