ABA sees its young, talented staff as the most precious asset. Head of Human Resources Ly Vithiea explains how the bank develops its employees to best drive business operations.

How does ABA contribute in developing human capital for the Kingdom’s financial sector?

Standing firm as one of the leading commercial banks in Cambodia, we are proactively involved in developing our human resources and non-ABA members through various programmes.

Last year alone, we successfully conducted 1,500 training classes via physical and virtual platforms for ABA employees on technical skills, soft skills, and compliance courses to nurture necessary skill sets for the banking industry.

In addition, our career talk programme aims to benefit both ABA and non-ABA bankers and students to learn more about the banking profession and obtain practical knowledge as shared by the members of the board of directors and senior management.

On top of this, since 2019, ABA has offered opportunities for 1,266 young people to obtain experience and exposure to a real banking life through trainee and internship programmes tailored for fresh graduates, undergraduates, and students with high-school diplomas.

How do you attract the best talent to your organisation?

Understanding that deploying the right people at the right place brings out the best in them, our approach to attract the best talent is to reach out to suitable candidates through multiple channels, networks, and referrals in line with the skills demand from business lines.

Our human resources team operates on a wide range of talent acquisition strategies, including headhunting, employer branding and developing a robust candidate pipeline.

With a harmonious transparency culture and modern working environment, we adhere to our performance-based principles to reward our employees and become the employer of choice for the sought-after talent in the market and outstanding fresh graduates who wish to exercise their competence in the development of ABA Bank.

What are the key criteria in recruiting banking staff? What do you look for when hiring employees?

Talent acquisition is an integral part of setting up a high-performing team, and we thoroughly screen and select candidates based on several key criteria.

First, candidates shall demonstrate their ambition and competence.

Second, they shall exhibit continuous learning and integrity, and dynamic and assertive attributes aligned with ABA culture.

Last but not least, their technical skills and working style shall match the hiring manager’s expectations.

What is ABA’s strategy to manage staff retention? Does it offer attractive remuneration and a rewarding work environment?

ABA Bank perceives employees as the most precious asset and driver of business operations; therefore, we strive to provide rewarding employee experiences at every stage of the employee life cycle.

First, we ensure that the right people are selected and placed into the right job. Second, new employees are onboarded and introduced to the bank, enabling them to socialise and integrate with ABA core values.

Upon successful onboarding, employees receive various training and support programmes to achieve their career aspirations aligned with our business goals.

Lastly, our senior management and direct managers are dedicated to implementing an effective Performance Management and Reward System to acknowledge and compensate high achievers and prioritise internal career advancement through job transfers, temporary appointments and promotions.

In 2020, for example, the bank promoted and motivated 1,845 among its 6,145 employees.

How do you train and orient your employees to cope with constant innovation as it can be unsettling for some people?

Being mentally prepared is the first step to getting ready with innovation following the bank’s vision to be the country’s number one supplier of technologically advanced banking services.

Our employees are equipped with an adaptability mindset since day one through a well-structured general induction programme.

On top of this, we have specialised in-house product owners, partners and trainers, who proactively develop customised training and ensure delivery of required processes and skills.

In addition, all direct managers and HR personnel play a significant role in continuous coaching and consultation with their team members about innovations to ensure smooth and successful ongoing transitions.

How does ABA nurture its staff to work in a cross-culture environment and to achieve your business goals?

A cross-culture environment is the “ABA-style”, and we always perceive diversity as a valuable component of creating a high-performing team.

Our board of directors is mainly presented by experts in finance and corporate governance from France and Canada.

The senior management team is also diverse, consisting of people from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Nepal, Germany and Canada. And, of course, our Cambodian professionals play a vital role in shaping our bank.

This fusion makes ABA unique and special in terms of corporate culture, core values, and execution capabilities.