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© Arthur Michalek
Raiffeisen Bank International | Sustainability Report 2018
Management Overview Foreword
of sustainability
Responsible
banker
Fair partner –
Human Resources
Fair partner –
Inhouse ecology
Engaged
citizen
GRI index and
Assurance report
The new world of
work
Technologies
Digitization is a technological shift that is driving changes in all areas
of life. Taking advantage of this technological shift to the greatest
possible extent as a company while enabling employees to accept
the extensive changes to their working world requires the creation of
a corresponding framework. After all, changes in how we
communicate and interact will have a significant impact on how we
will work together in the future. In order to shape this framework, the
technological foundations were first put in place. This was followed
by addressing the question of how we will live and work together in
the future.
Seamless cooperation from anywhere
and everywhere thanks to state-of-
the-art technologies
We believe values like cooperation, individual responsibility and the
exchange of information will be key factors in future success. Since
2016, we have had a department specifically dedicated to driving
ahead virtual cooperation, geographical flexibility and innovation
within the company. Since the implementation of Office 365 and a
state-of-the-art IT infrastructure, RBI’s employees can cooperate and
share documents and information from anywhere and everywhere.
This network encompasses not only all of the subsidiaries throughout
Austria, but also ten network banks in Eastern Europe at present.
Virtual meetings have replaced many air and land journeys, while
location-independent access to data means employees can work
while traveling or at home. This makes it easier for them to achieve
a healthy work-life balance. In this transformation toward the new
world of work, employees are supported in the form of the consulting,
training, communication and events provided by the Group
Collaboration Team and a particularly dedicated network of
ambassadors (power users in each department that act as multipliers).
Collaboration Areas
The new, technically connected world of work satisfies many of the
requirements for facilitating digital exchange. However, it will never
fully replace direct and personal communication. This form of
communication and collaboration requires a physical space. Highly
employee-oriented solutions have been developed in this area on
the basis of the MindXChange project, which arose directly from
RBI AG’s employee survey in 2017. In order to resolve some of the
problems identified in the survey, workstreams were established and
Roswitha M. Reisinger,
Editor, BUSINESSART
The path is made by walking it
”Digitization will fundamentally change
every industry and every profession.
Although we are starting to recognize
many of the outlines, the full picture of the
new economy – and the impact it will
have on companies and employees –
remains indistinct.
The path is made by walking it – this
proverb has never been as fitting as it is
today. We need to focus on getting the next
steps right. The ethical framework for
getting it right could be provided by the
SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals):
High-quality education and decent work
for all are aims that offer motivation and
hope. This is precisely what counts when it
comes to shaping the working environment,
too. In order to be successful, companies
must invest extensively in training and
developing their employees. This begins
with training on digital expertise and
strengthening the entrepreneurial mindset
and extends to options for testing out
innovative concepts. Managers have a
particular responsibility in this respect: They
need to offer security and stability for their
employees while also permitting chaos and
creativity, all while safely steering the
company ship through turbulent waters.”
QUOTE