Our Global Change Management Programme is reshaping our business for the future. This programme consists of five key work streams and is designed to better serve customer needs, coach and support agents more effectively, better develop and reward our employees and improve returns to our shareholders.
Strategy
Behavioural change and organisation design.
We recognise that for our Global Change Management Programme to succeed there is a need to recalibrate the set-up and management of the organisation. In particular, we aim to develop a stronger culture of empowerment and personal responsibility at all levels. We have established a programme to deliver these changes across the Group starting at senior manager level.
Customer
Delivering excellent products and customer service.
We pride ourselves on delivering outstanding customer service – and we are continually improving. We call 30,000 customers every month and ask them to score our performance across ten metrics. This objective and insightful information allows us to be highly responsive to customers' rising expectations.
We are also refining our product portfolio. Our flexible product gives customers greater choice and transparency: they choose whether to repay their loan through the banking system or through our home collection service. This model was initially developed in response to rate cap legislation in Poland but, as we believe it is a better product for our customers, we have rolled it out into our European markets and Mexico is set to follow in due course.
Performance
Improving measurement and targeting.
As the business changes so does the need to enhance the way we assess past performance and optimise future delivery. We have already introduced a formal branch performance management process; in 2011 we are piloting a balanced scorecard that should deliver sustainable growth through longer-term goal setting and a balanced reward framework. Alongside this we are making our data platforms even faster, more consistent and more accurate.
Technology
Bringing new technology to our field operations.
To enhance service delivery and reduce costs across the business we are running a pilot scheme using handheld devices for employees and agents in Hungary. If successful this will enable us to provide a faster, more effective service delivery to our customers, as well as providing substantial efficiency improvements. We anticipate that this pilot will run through 2011 before a decision is taken whether or not to roll out the technology across the Group.
People Roadmap
Creating sustainable foundations for our workforce.
Our people are vital to the success and future growth of our business. Our People Roadmap ensures the creation of sustainable foundations for the recruitment, training, management, development, reward, motivation and engagement of our workforce. This is incorporated within the Group HR strategy.
We believe that the interests of our business and employees are best served if we ensure that we have the right people, equipped with the right tools, knowledge, skills and experience to do the job that we ask of them, operating in an environment that recognises and rewards high performance and encourages retention.
To do this we will ensure that:
- we recruit the right people with a clear set of expectations at every level;
- their induction enables them to understand the requirements of their role and the way the business operates;
- our people are proactively performance managed against the expectations of their role and to a clear set of balanced objectives, and given appropriate support and development to continuously improve;
- potential is recognised consistently throughout the business, and that support and development is available, in accordance with the needs of the business, to all those with the aspiration and capability to progress regardless of level or function and irrespective of race, age and gender; and
- our total reward system supports the attraction, engagement and retention of capable people and drives the right business outcomes and behaviours.
We are committed to employment policies which follow best practice, based on equal opportunities for all our people, irrespective of race, age, gender, colour, disability or marital status. We give full and fair consideration to applications for employment from disabled persons, having regard to their particular aptitudes and abilities. Appropriate arrangements are made for the continued employment and training, career development and promotion of disabled persons employed by the Group. If employees become disabled we continue employment, either in the same or an alternative position, with appropriate retraining being given if necessary.
Employee involvement in the Group is encouraged. We systematically provide employees with information on matters of concern to them, alongside regular consultation, so that their views can be taken into account when making decisions that are likely to affect their interests. We aim to build engagement by achieving a common awareness on the part of all employees of the financial and economic factors affecting the business.