#futureofwork2024 | Andreea Voinea (BCR): Nurturing Talent and Embracing Change

At the recent Working Romania HR Conference, Andreea Voinea, HR Executive Director at BCR, shared invaluable insights into the evolving landscape of employer branding, learning opportunities in the banking sector, and the essential skills for professional growth. With a focus on adaptability, personalization, and digitalization, Voinea outlined a roadmap for success in the dynamic world of finance.

In response to inquiries about the essence of effective employer branding, Voinea emphasized the pivotal role of continuous growth and relevance. She believes that definition of good employer branding is helping employees grow and keeping them relevant in terms of your professional qualifications. In today’s fast-paced environment, where adaptability and agility are paramount, Voinea highlighted the symbiotic relationship between employer and employee, stressing the importance of fostering a culture of learning and development.

“I think we live in unprecedented times in many ways and the last few years have taught us to reinvent ourselves and adapt very quickly to change. I believe that this period of acceleration will continue in the coming years. That’s why our role as employers is to make our people feel valued, help them grow, develop new skills, and to be fit for the times we live in. It’s a win-win game for both the employee and the employer.” Said Andreea Voinea.

Regarding the plethora of growth opportunities within the banking sector, Voinea expressed optimism, citing a shift towards democratized learning. “It’s up to you how fast you want to grow and how much you want to learn,” she remarked. Voinea shed light on BCR’s progressive approach to learning, emphasizing flexibility and personalization. This paradigm shift, accelerated by the pandemic, underscores the bank’s commitment to empowering its workforce and embracing digital transformation.

“We at BCR, starting in 2019, have embarked on a paradigm shift whereby we learn anytime, anywhere, on any device. Our role as an employer is to create a learning ecosystem where people get what they need. Learning is no longer about the employer telling the employee what to learn, but about the direction the employee wants to go. As long as my strategic need meets your desire to grow in a certain direction, both sides will win. This strategy has benefited us greatly, it has been accelerated by the pandemic and we have had to move a lot online and help our people make time for learning. It’s been a big mindset shift, but that’s what the future will bring. This reinvention is very relevant to all industries, not just banking.” Stated Voinea.

When asked about the top 3 skills necessary for advancement within BCR, Voinea emphasized adaptability, learning agility, and a penchant for technology and data: “Adaptability, learning agility, and openness to technology and data, no matter where you are in the bank.” Voinea also underscored the bank’s holistic approach to digital upskilling, involving all employees as ambassadors of digitalization. Furthermore, she highlighted the significance of leveraging data to personalize HR interventions, emphasizing the transition from a traditional work/life balance to a more nuanced concept of work/life fit.

“We are developing digital skills in all areas of the bank, we have 3400 of our colleagues promoting digitalisation. They are not all in IT, there we have around 600-700 employees, as banks are already very big IT companies, but all the other colleagues are also ambassadors of digitalisation, no matter where they are in the bank. We want everyone to participate in this business model transformation effort. At the moment we are investing a lot in the data area. What we see happening in banking and retail, understanding the customer, is also happening in HR. The next strategy cycle will be about our ability to use the data we have about our people to personalize our interventions. We are talking about a transition from work/life balance to work/life fit. In the post-pandemic period, we have all redefined our relationship with work, it is very important to personalize what we do in HR. We need to understand who are the people sitting in front of us. And when we talk about personalisation there are a few areas where we need to intervene for example in benefits or in the way we work.” BCR’s HR Executive Director concluded.

Voinea’s interventions underscored the imperative for organizations to prioritize talent development, embrace technological advancements, and personalize employee experiences. By fostering a culture of learning, adaptability, and digital fluency, companies can navigate the complexities of the modern business landscape and emerge as industry leaders. Andreea Voinea’s vision serves as a guiding beacon for HR professionals seeking to navigate the evolving dynamics of talent management and organizational development.