Role of Human Resource Department

What does the Human Resources (HR) division do?

The banking industry is highly competitive. The key to a bank’s success is having the best people. In fact, people are the main commodity. Banks don’t manufacture anything; they offer a service. Human Resources is core to the success of the bank. It’s the HR team that hires, motivates, and develops the people that offer that service.

HR is responsible for people issues across the whole company. This includes things like:

• making sure the business is employing the best people, helping develop those people - and importantly ensuring they don’t leave!
• working with other divisions such as Legal and Compliance to help set company rules - and in some cases communicating those rules to staff
• ensuring employees are treated fairly, that they know what their rights are, and that there are measures in place when something goes wrong 

One of my best achievements at the bank was that I was a founding member of our ‘employee engagement club’, which meant direct involvement in organizing fun events for employees.

Also, in my first year at the bank I organized a successful women’s event here in Tokyo, a chance for women at the bank to network and listen to speeches and presentations. More than 100 women attended. We collaborated with a local organization called the Association of Women in Finance and all of the senior members of the bank, including the CEO, turned up to show their support.

Kanako, HR Advisor, Tokyo