Within the possibilities permitted by legislation and regulations, the option of revising the
policy on expertise is being considered, as part of which the ability to demonstrate expertise
other than by passing a traditional test is being investigated specifically. This is in keeping with
the move within society to value competencies acquired elsewhere.
The local Rabobank in 2010
2010 saw a variety of developments in the market owing to disappointing growth in the
mortgage market combined with major efforts in the area of customer care. In the corporate
market some sectors are still experiencing great difficulties while other sectors seem to have
bottomed out. A more rigorous attitude to risk and the wish to increase or maintain market
shares provide employees with challenges in their work. Employees receive support in the
form of training and education, and attend workshops to acquire new skills and learn to deal
with the great pressure of work that all the changes entail. One such workshop, 'Banking in
turbulent times', was developed by the Occupational Health and Safety Service.
The major challenge for local Rabobanks is to provide a better service to clients at a
substantially lower cost. For example, many banks have set up retail and corporate counters,
making significant progress towards achieving the aim of providing clients with services
through the channel of their choice. Although there are a number of programmes to help
employees with this major move, it should also be recognised that there is a limit to the
amount of change that employees are able to handle.
The New World of Work
Rabobank has been developing a new style of working based on Rabo Unplugged since 2005.
Employees decide for themselves where, when and how they can achieve the best results.
The new style of working is based on six principles: personal responsibility, entrepreneurship,
fewer rules, teamwork, activity-related work, and flexible working arrangements. It gives
employees more scope to make their own decisions so that they can make better use of their
talents, the organisation can become more flexible, and services and working methods can
be better geared to the needs of clients. Following the new style of working for several years
has led to visible results in the form of a significant fall in paper consumption, an increase in
mobile working, and more particularly in reports of employees abandoning fixed patterns,
experiencing greater control over their work/life balance and approaching clients in a different
way. A new balance is being sought with regard to several matters, such as social contact
within departments, new forms of interaction that are appropriate when e-mails are sent and
replies are expected, and the temptation to keep on working now that employees are always
able to work wherever they are.
Interest in The New World of Work is growing within society. In November 2010, a'New World
of Work'week (an initiative of Stichting Natuur en Milieu, the Netherlands Society for Nature
and Environment) was organised in the Netherlands. Numerous organisations are exploring
possible new ways of working, and each year Rabobank Nederland gives some 200 tours of
its offices. De Lage Landen and Athlon Car Lease are introducing new working concepts, and
increasing numbers of local Rabobanks are switching to the new ways of working.
Diversity in the workplace
Rabobank Group wants to promote diversity in its workforce. Diversity encourages enterprise.
Several studies have shown that teams made up of people from varied backgrounds enhance
performance and boost creativity. In 2010, Rabobank continued to position itself assertively
as an attractive employer for all target groups by attending networking events and career
fairs, and by carrying out other activities aimed at encouraging new people from different
backgrounds to join us. Rabobank also supports multicultural networks, such as Tannet
(www.tannet.nl), and similar networks for students and professionals. Targets regarding the
diversity of participants have been set for the different entry programmes, such as the
programme for corporate management trainees. In 2010, Rabo Real Estate Group made
arrangements to cooperate with employment agencies in the deployment of young people
with disabilities who receive benefits under the Dutch Individual Insurance (Young Disabled
Persons) Act.
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Annual Report 2010 Rabobank Group
