The key to any company’s success lies in its capacity to use human talent
In a knowledgebased economy, what differentiates organizations is their vision of the future and their capacity to create it by using the human factor. Thus the key in determining the success of any company is its capacity to use human talent. For this, it first has to be attracted, then developed and motivated. BBVA has an excellent image as an employer at a global level, as can be seen in the more than 235,000 CVs received in 2009 through the Group’s various career websites. As part of the strategy designed to strengthen this image among potential customers and collaborators, and specifically among the young, BBVA has throughout this year boosted its employer branding on the Internet, in line with the uses and customs of the younger generation, with a unique and consistent positioning on the web.
BBVA has reinforced its presence in social networks
BBVA has reinforced its presence in social networks and has started up a virtual employment site on www.feriaempleo.bbva.com, which covers all the Group’s companies and complements the information available on the Bank’s own employment page and in the different social networks.
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It is worth pointing out that both this and other activities implemented by the Group are being studied in the main business schools around the world, which include practical cases in their education programs that provide proof and confirmation of BBVA’s good practice as a successful company. In 2009, six new case studies have been prepared by a number of different schools. They range from team management practice in the Bank to their way it understands innovation as leverage for generating value with the aim of making the life of people simpler.
Development, a special capacity at BBVA
The development of human capital is a basic capacity in the 21st century, perhaps even more so in businesses and sectors such as finance, where employee knowledge, skills and capacities are the main tools for creating business value. This year all the units in the Group have carried out the two-year Competencies Assessment Process (skills and knowledge) to identify the areas in which each person can improve and compare their development with previous years. Employees also define an Individual Development Plan together with their superiors as a way of working actively on the knowledge and skills needed to be able to carry out their work as well as possible.
This plan also aims to gradually give employees the skills needed for career moves to greater responsibility positions. This is why the process lasts two years. It is a sufficiently extensive time horizon to allow a response to the individual needs identified during its operation. The commitment of the professionals in the Group in managing and developing its teams is clear in the more than 92,700 people that have taken part in the process of competencies assessment. More than 83,000 individual development plans have been prepared, giving rise to more than 360,000 development actions, such as courses, practical cases, reading books and articles and viewing films.
BBVA, a leader in training
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BBVA is notable as one of the leading companies in terms of the number of hours of training per employee, with an average of 40 hours per year. In 2009 nearly 4.5 million hours of training were given in the Group, an increase of 10% compared with 2008.
Much of this training (specifically, 35%) has been carried out through the e-campus, the Group’s online learning platform which has become an excellent tool for catering to the training needs of the areas and persons forming part of the BBVA team. More than 80% of the Group’s employees took this kind of training in 2009.
E-campus: more than just a technological e-learning platform, it is a new concept in training that is pioneering in its sector
Currently, the e-campus has a training catalogue with more than 600 courses, including new training techniques such as virtual communities and forums, videos, surveys and a digital library. All of this is done in a user-friendly and intuitive navigation environment. In addition, the e-campus has different training paths, with certificates and recognition provided by international institutions and universities, with expert tutors and a user service center. In short, it is a model with cutting-edge technology that is capable of covering the training needs of both the professionals and the Group itself, and prepared to tackle new challenges in the future. All the range of training actions made available for the professional growth of employees are complemented with other kinds of practices, such as coaching and mentoring, which have gradually begun to be applied in the Group.
Guaranteeing employability is essential, but it is only one of the many elements needed for a professional to be able develop to his or her full potential. New challenges must be posed for them, and the means by which they can progress professionally must be put within their reach. Therefore, in 2009, as part of this development-centered scheme, we have implemented several tools designed to inform our professionals of the internal selection processes open in each unit. This kind of initiative aims to encourage equal opportunities among all the Group’s employees as much as possible, while allowing them to refocus their career according to their own professional interests and progress in its development.
BBVA favors the effective application of the principle of equality of opportunities and non-discrimination between men and women to promote diversity and manage it as a competitive advantage. In this respect, the concept of equal opportunities and non-discrimination for reasons of gender is reflected in all Human Resources policies, particularly in terms of the professional career path, in line with the ethical principles of integrity, transparency, non-discrimination, professionalism and recognition of merit that form part of the Group’s Corporate Culture.
In 2009, BBVA joined the European Diversity Charter, a measure forming part of the anti-discrimination Directives of the European Union. Its aim is the promotion of management practices and inclusion of diversity in corporates and institutions. BBVA has also participated in the drafting of the Declaration of Intentions for the creation of the Spanish Charter and contributed in its foundation. In Argentina, it has obtained the Certification of a MEGA Gender Equality Company. Finally, the Group has become a member of the international network of Catalyst, which specializes in gender questions.
The professional development policies and practices of BBVA have also been recognized by the magazine Fortune, which for the second year in a row has ranked the Group as the best Spanish company in the development of leadership skills among its teams. The study, called Top Companies for Leaders uses the criteria of reputation, leadership culture, behavior and performance to evaluate the outstanding companies in the development of human capital.
BBVA’s commitment to its employees is enshrined in a number of initiatives included within the Passion for People program. This is an important benefit offered by the Group to its active as well as retired employees.
One of the best ways of discovering people’s level of commitment is through the Satisfaction Surveys. These also have other specific objectives, such as helping to define and apply strategies and policies for attracting, developing and retaining talent. The information obtained in the survey carried out throughout the Group in 2008 has led to the implementation of more than 120 action plans in 2009.
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