GAIL STANLEY
HEAD OF ORGANISATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS,
HUMAN RESOURCES, NOOR BANK
HOW DO YOU EVALUATE ORGANISATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS AND WHAT TOOLS DO YOU USE TO ENSURE GOALS ARE ACCOMPLISHED?
Organisational Effectiveness (OE) traditionally looks at the ability of an organisation to meet its objectives most efficiently and requires a holistic approach. The OE function plays an integrated role across all areas of business, including but not limited to: change and transformation, organisational restructuring, leadership development, design of scorecards, implementation of new technology, and the formulation of HR strategy. The OE function at Noor Bank was created with this remit.
At Noor, we have introduced multiple initiatives over recent years that have enabled us to assess the bank’s growth and progress from an OE perspective. One of these initiatives was the implementation of a dynamic, real-time employee engagement tool that allowed us to measure the pulse of the bank through quarterly surveys. This provided colleagues with a medium through which they could share their views and ultimately proved to be a huge success. Colleagues not only appreciated that they were being heard, but more importantly, that their views were being translated into concrete actions. The Balanced Scorecard was one other such initiative that was introduced by the OE function and allowed for the holistic review of the bank’s progress towards its strategic goals.
YOU HAVE BEEN IN THE ROLE OF HR PROFESSIONAL IN VARIOUS INSTITUTES. WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR GREATEST CHALLENGE SO FAR?
Having been part of various divestment projects throughout my career, developing people strategies that are aligned to a divestment strategy and designed to maintain shareholders value can be an intricate and complex challenge.
The roll-out of a divestment strategy will more often than not involve multiple HR considerations including the preservation of sell-side shareholder and brand value through the retention of human capital. Retention of key talent and critical roles throughout the completion of a business divestment can present a significant challenge. Likewise, engaging and motivating employees at risk of redundancy also presents a challenge. The development of financial incentives within a very tight constraint of scope, time and cost is key. I have also found efficient employee engagement programmes to be particularly effective in such a scenario. I consider myself fortunate to have played a part in solving such complex business challenges during my career.
NOOR BANK WON THE BEST ISLAMIC BANK FOR TRANSFORMATION & STRATEGY AT GIFA 2019. WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR ROLE IN MAKING THIS POSSIBLE?
The future of banking along with the needs of customers is rapidly changing. At Noor, we recognise that a different level of focus, thinking and execution is required to adapt to this change. The OE function adopted a holistic approach towards achieving the bank’s strategic objectives, by having a clear top-down approach, starting with the definition of the bank’s Vision, Mission, Purpose and Values.
Thereafter, a modern performance management philosophy was adopted that evaluated not only the ‘what’ (e.g. KPIs etc.) but also the ‘how’ (e.g. behaviours etc.) of the effectiveness of employees as well as that of the bank. The introduction of a Balanced Scorecard further re-enforced this process, not only helping to measure strategic progress but also forming an integral part of the performance management approach. All of these initiatives ultimately led to enhanced employee engagement in addition to superior customer satisfaction.
Understanding and enhancing the culture at Noor has also been a top priority and significant strides have been made since 2018. Therefore, building a strong culture is a big part of the transformation journey for Noor and key in driving forward the bank’s future strategy.
WHAT ARE THE VALUES AND ETHICS THAT DRIVE YOU?
I have always believed that strong values and high ethical standards are the foundations of a successful HR professional. As a senior HR leader, I strive to lead by example, consistently demonstrate the highest level of excellence and conduct myself with the utmost integrity.
It’s not always easy to do the right thing and there will be instances when you are tempted to cross the ethical line. It’s during such times that an individual’s values shine through and I pride myself on standing firm and acting with integrity when faced with an ethical conundrum.
Collaboration is another value that has helped me progress, learn and grow as an individual through the course of my career. I have had the privilege of working with some fantastic teams and leaders and developed some great relationships over the years, and this has allowed me to evolve and develop as a professional.
WHAT MESSAGE WOULD YOU LIKE TO GIVE PROFESSIONALS AND STUDENTS OF HR, AND EMPLOYEES?
HR has evolved by leaps and bounds in the past two decades. Disruptive technologies have forced today’s HR functions to shift their focus away from traditional personnel management and administrative tasks. Modern HR departments spend their time and efforts on enhancing shareholder value through employee engagement and creating a strong organisational culture.
The nature of work has evolved from being process-oriented to people-oriented. There is increased competition when recruiting top talent and HR must understand the needs, wants and motivations of a diverse and multi-generational workforce. The constantly changing business environments require HR professionals to effectively contribute to an organisation’s strategy and the execution thereof. The future of HR is dependent on creating better people experiences.
