NDB: STAIRWAY TO SUCCESS

Human resource management is a subject that is as deep and unfathomable as a bottomless well that never dries up even in the hardiest of all droughts. From this well spring up priceless and rather unexpected treasures that are to be hugged dearly to the bosom and cherished for life. Dealing with humans, their varying myriad of emotions, feelings and inherent natural qualities is indeed enough to make one a learned philosopher or a maestro of constantly vacillating human nature. Sunday Times stumbled upon quite a few gems during their visit to the National Development Bank to gain some insight in to the inner workings of this bountiful spring of knowledge from a well respected connoisseur of the field, Ms Ishani Senaweera Navaratne Bandara who leads the workforce of NDB as its Vice President Human Resources. It must be mentioned that NDB Human Resources is fully ISO certified which proves to the world the height and the weight of the Human Resource techniques used within its lavish interiors.

"Call me Ishani" said a beaming Ms Navaratne Bandara as we entered her office. "I am Ishani to everybody here. We are on a first name basis at NDB and everyone refers to everyone else by their first names" she continued.

NDB is indeed one of the fastest recruiters in the country with about 500 recruitments being made each year. The reason for this is that NDB is a fast growing company which introduce new products every year as well as branch expansions occurring every so often at a rapid speed. However, the efficient HR system of NDB is constantly monitored on an HR dashboard which in turn helps in copious amounts to keep track of the constant recruitments, fluctuations and the growing needs of the company and its treasured customers.

NDB is known for its loyalty in giving the first priority of engagement to their existing staff. It is at the absence of the required skills within their own staff that NDB reaches out to the public in search of the required qualifications. Once recruited, these fortunate individuals will go through a local training session which will be conducted by NDB'S very own central training unit whereas NDB specific training will be provided as a part of their foreign training plan where the employees will be sent abroad for a period of need-specific dren bearing toothy grins displayed on a cabinet, Ms Ishani revealed that those photographs were from a kids' camp conducted last year. "This particular workshop is very dear to my heart" she said, sharing with us some of the memorable moments that she shared with these little cherubs as well as several incidents which struck a chord in her heart.

One can see from the amount of training facilities and benefits that an employee of NDB is offered that the bank is indeed quite determined when it comes to the growth of its employees. "Many people don't do banking exams" said Ms Ishani speaking to us about the importance of such educational qualifications in getting ahead in one's career. "We believe in our employees" she said, revealing to us that NDB, for the first time in Sri Lanka has partnered with the Institute of Bankers in order to provide their employees with certification programmes that are equivalent to the certificate and diploma in banking of the IOB Sri Lanka. Thus, the employees can study internally while the total cost of the programme would be sponsored by the bank alone.

Also, one does not get turned away from NDB merely upon the lack of knowledge in the English language. "If the candidates have fulfilled all the other requirements of the position that they have applied for and they only lack the desired standard of English, we still give them a chance" said Ms Ishani, also stating that in this case, they will be subjected to an in house English learning programme where they will be provided with the training and knowledge they require to work in English. Furthermore, NDB is the first of its kind in Sri Lanka which also offers Italian and Tamil language programmes for its employees and these courses are open for anybody who wishes to enrich their knowledge and indulge in a bit of global wisdom.

While joining NDB is a boon for many, according to its Vice President Human Resources, the current education system has failed to produce the kind of skills and talent that the industry calls for today. She revealed that out of the 179 candidates who went through the branch management recruitment process, not even single candidate was identified as a suitable candidate for the job role. It was further revealed that even though the candidates meet the minimum application requirements on the CV, they are not capable of demonstrating those skills on a practical level. "Our education system is very theoretical. It is not practical at all. And we carry this habit to our workplaces as well where we are limited to our desks and we do not bother expanding our knowledge" Ms Ishani said. She also stated that NDB is trying to make a difference regarding this issue. "Everybody from managers to clerical assistants need to move desks in my office" she said stating the importance of expanding one's knowledge in gaining experience in various job roles.

NDB is a formidable believer in the fact that one must truly take the lead if one expects to make a change in the world. Therefore, as a result of their concern, NDB has introduced a practical component to be built in to the curriculum of the University of Colombo which requires the undergraduates to research in to a practical problem experienced by an institution which involves active interaction between the company and the students. This unique programme enables the undergraduates to explore the practical side of their rather theoretical subjects, thereby providing them with the working knowledge and experience which will be indispensable once they enter the job market. NDB has also initiated an entrepreneurship programme for the undergraduates at the University of Moratuwa where research is done and training is provided to the aspiring undergraduates of the future. NDB also makes it a point to participate in various university recruitment drives and workshops in order to raise awareness of what is expected of the young job seekers once they are released from the safe haven of their academic fields on to the real world.

In addition to the CSR projects conducted in the North East with the aim of educating as well as providing opportunities for low income students to get in to the banking industry, NDB also boasts of a library enhancement programme which is conducted in collaboration with the Asia Foundation. As a practice, each NDB branch offers a large number of books to schools in the area as a means of starting up or enhancing their respective libraries. "We believe in giving back" said Ms Ishani also mentioning that NDB makes it a point to encourage such noble deeds to the best of their ability constantly.

NDB is a place where one can reach great heights within a short period of time. The best example for this according to Ms Ishani is the CEO of NDB himself who had first joined NDB as a management trainee. Ms Ishani herself has joined NDB as a management trainee and today, within a comparatively short period of 17 years, she holds the position of Vice President Human Resources of NDB, looking in to the needs and wants of more than 1300 employees spread over 62 branches island wide. However, this very unassuming character refuses to take any credit for the many achievements that the HR department of NDB has succeeded to attain and humbly turns down our request to speak a little bit about her journey up this ladder of success saying that she is quite uncomfortable speaking about herself. "One single person did not achieve all this alone. I have a brilliant team and they deserve all the credit for what has been achieved so far" the ever so humble Vice President said, emphasizing upon how efficient, talented and dedicated her team is to this institution.

"There are so many opportunities before you. Please grab them" said Ms Ishani as advice to the ambitious youngsters of today who dream of a glistening new future. "Be the architect of your future, not a prisoner of your past" she says quoting Robin Sharma who has always been one of the greatest inspirations that had fueled her passion for life. She thoroughly believes that one should take responsibility of one's immediate future and that one should have a unique plan for oneself and that one should constantly strive towards achieving it no matter what. "Learn from your past, live in the moment, hope and plan for the future" she says, also stating that one must never let that inner motivational battery that one contains inside them inside die away as it is important to not get discouraged no matter what obstacles that one encounters in their path. NDB is definitely an employer who is well capable of offering all the training, exposure and experience that one needs to get ahead in one's career if they are indeed ready to take the reins of his or her own life and ride like the wind in to the dawn of success.