BR Interview | Andreea Voinea, BCR: We approach the future with three key concepts: community, innovation, co-creation

In a rapidly evolving job market, standing out as a top employer requires more than just offering competitive salaries and benefits. It demands a deep commitment to fostering a dynamic, inclusive, and innovative workplace culture. Business Review sits down with Andreea Voinea, HR Executive Director at BCR, to uncover how the bank distinguishes itself as an employer of choice in 2024 and beyond. Voinea shares insights into BCR’s community-driven ethos, innovative programs, and the strategic initiatives that not only attract new talent but also cultivate loyalty and engagement among existing employees.

How does your company stand out as an employer to watch in 2024 and on the long run?

We are a community bank, now and for the long run. In short, this is the main reason people love to work with us.

We have a community spirit as part of our culture of innovation, collaboration and diversity: we learn from each other, we get inspired by each other, we support and celebrate each other. We co-design our strategy: in 2023 we have engaged our colleagues in a national program of co-creating our strategy together with our clients. We also co-design our learning programs, such as our leadership development program, Step into the Future, with on-going input from our colleagues. If there is something you want in BCR, you say it and then make it happen, together with your work community – this is our simple philosophy for a relevant employee experience in our bank.

There are lots of active communities in BCR. Three of them are particularly effervescent and have a consistent impact. In the Digital Experts League, we have 3000 colleagues dedicated to innovation in technology. The Magic Advisors community has more than 100 colleagues focused on enhancing team engagement and well-being. Externally, Școala de Bani has reached 1.000.000 people in seven years: the largest and most enduring public financial education initiative in Romania. This program is powered by the community of 1000 BCR Money Teachers – our employees who volunteer to teach financial education in schools, high-schools, universities and companies.

Our company’s commitment to fostering vibrant internal communities, together with our impactful external initiatives like Școala de bani and our distinctive organizational culture, positions us as an employer of choice not only in 2024 but also for the long run.

How does your company manage to maintain its status of a remarkable employer for the new generations of employees but also for your existing employees?

Our focus is fostering a sense of fulfillment and of belonging that goes beyond the classical workplace dynamics.

One of the key ways we achieve this is through our consistent community involvement. Many of our colleagues, both new hires and long-standing team members, have joined our teams after participating in our CSR programs such as Școala de Bani or Școala de Cariere. These initiatives not only provide valuable skills and experiences but also inspire a true sense of contribution and of purpose among participants, aligning perfectly with our company’s values.

We are also keen to offer world-class learning and development programs, such as the newly launched Step into the Future, our leadership journey, where Duncan Wardle ( number 4 in the international top of best speakers on creativity and innovation) had a stellar workshop on innovation for 450 colleagues.

We encourage a DIY spirit in terms of workplace: our current hybrid mode is co-created with our colleagues, our learning and development programs are also co-created.

We foster an environment where all colleagues feel empowered to voice their ideas, contribute to decision-making processes, and collaborate effectively. This open culture attracts top talent and also creates a sense of trust and of loyalty among our existing employees, driving engagement and retention.

We approach the future with three key concepts: community, innovation, co-creation. We believe that future is not something that will happen to us, like a given. Future is a context we start creating right now, in our community.