Article: Inside DBS Bank: How to nurture leadership and career growth

Leadership Development

Inside DBS Bank: How to nurture leadership and career growth

DBS Bank blends AI and empathy to shape a resilient workforce and future-ready leaders.
Inside DBS Bank: How to nurture leadership and career growth
 

From leadership programmes to internal mobility and upskilling, DBS invests deeply in talent.

 

DBS Bank, a major financial institution in Asia, prioritises leadership development and career growth.

For years, the bank has focused on continuous learning, practical experience, and a people-first approach in its human resources.

The strategy, bolstered by AI-powered HR technologies like the iGrow platform, has fostered a highly engaged workforce and earned DBS consistent recognition as a “best Employer” in Singapore.

A human-centric approach to talent

DBS Bank’s philosophy is rooted in its commitment to human capital. The bank aims to build a supportive environment, focusing on attracting, developing, and retaining top talent. Its commitment extends to creating a flexible and family-friendly workplace.

Eugenia Liew, a content strategist at DBS, shared how managerial support and flexible work arrangements allowed her to pursue a career while also being a dedicated mother.

“I never once felt short-changed for opportunities. I feel like the bank gives everyone equal opportunities. I'm able to go home and watch my kids while also progressing my career,” she said in an interview.

DBS uses a holistic approach to growth and development: Education, experience, and exposure.

Education involves over 10,000 digital learning modules, while experience is gained through practical applications like cross-functional projects and job rotations.

Exposure, meanwhile, involves formal mentoring and social learning. The DBS Bank Internship Programme 2025 and Graduate Programme in Singapore offer mentorship to young talent.

Building a strong leadership pipeline

DBS is dedicated to developing future leaders at all levels. The DBS Management Associate Programme (MAP) in Singapore is a 12-month programme for high-potential young graduates, focusing on building deep domain knowledge, offering new experiences, and honing leadership and soft skills. Management Associates who excel are fast-tracked for career progression.

For more experienced employees, the High-Potential (HiPo) Programme identifies and nurtures future leaders. DBS operates on a philosophy that “everybody leads” and uses a “two in a box” leadership model.

Experiential development is crucial, with individuals leading strategic projects or undertaking rotation stints. Mentorship is also a key part of this process.

Driving career growth through mobility and upskilling

DBS promotes career progression through internal mobility, continuous upskilling, and personalised AI-driven tools. The bank strongly supports internal mobility, job rotations, and cross-functional projects.

The internal mobility program has clear guidelines: employees up to the level of assistant vice president, who have worked two years in their current role, can seek a new position with two months’ notice.

For more senior employees, the requirements are three years in their current role and three months’ notice. This commitment is evident in the bank’s internal fill rates.

In 2023, 30% of job openings were filled internally.

DBS is investing heavily in upskilling and reskilling its workforce, with its Learning Management System offering over 10,000 modules.

The bank has identified about 13,000 staff in Singapore for upskilling or reskilling, with over 10,000 of them already training in AI and data-related skills.

Navigating AI transformation

DBS is using AI to shape the future of banking in Singapore, managing workforce transformation while upskilling employees.

The bank plans to reduce the need to renew about 4,000 temporary and contract staff across 19 markets over the next three years as AI takes over manual tasks. This is described as “natural attrition”. Simultaneously, this shift is projected to create nearly 1,000 new AI-related jobs.

The bank uses AI for internal job mobility and to boost productivity. The CSO Assistant, an in-house generative AI tool, launched in 2024, transcribes live calls, provides access to the bank’s knowledge base, sorts messages, and drafts responses. It has reduced call handling time and efficiently managed offline messages.

Another internal AI tool, DBS-GPT, helps employees with content creation and is used by over 25,000 staff.

Building tomorrow’s workforce: Lessons from DBS

DBS Bank’s strategy for cultivating leadership and career growth offers valuable insights for other organisations aiming to build a resilient and engaged workforce.

Organisations can learn from the bank’s holistic development philosophy, which involves a comprehensive approach to growth and combines structured learning with real-world application and broad exposure.

It’s about ensuring employees gain knowledge, apply it in practical settings, and expand their perspectives through diverse interactions.

Another key takeaway is fostering a culture of internal growth. This means committing to developing talent from within and making substantial investments in upskilling and reskilling, particularly in critical digital and AI competencies.

The strategic integration of AI as a career catalyst also offers a powerful lesson. By leveraging advanced technological tools, organisations can personalise career paths for their employees and significantly boost overall productivity.

Ultimately, prioritising people is paramount even in the age of AI. Building a strong organisational culture centres on clear and consistent communication, a genuine focus on employee wellbeing, and a robust system of recognition.

These elements collectively foster high levels of engagement and loyalty and contribute to a thriving and productive environment.

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Topics: Leadership Development, Talent Management, Learning & Development, #Career

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