Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
As a bank born and bred in diverse Asia, we embrace diversity, equity and inclusion to continue to attract the best people, build the best teams and produce the best work.
At DBS, we firmly believe that our continued success is made possible by our employees. We are committed to building the long-term careers of our people, helping them Live Fulfilled and enabling them to “Be the Best, Be the Change and Be the Difference” to create impactful outcomes for our customers and communities. Learn more about our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policy and the progress we are making in our 2022 Supplement on Gender Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
Our Diversity
Recognising the diversity of our global workforce, we are intentional about providing equitable opportunities and building an inclusive culture where all employees are treated with dignity and respected, cared for and valued.
Unconscious Bias Training
Beyond demographic diversity, we also embrace experiential and cognitive diversity when building our teams, and endeavour to equip employees with the skills to recognise, understand and manage hidden biases across different diversity dimensions through unconscious bias training.
Diverse Representation in Leadership
Women make up 40% of our senior management and drive our largest businesses and functions across the bank.
At Board level, we have a Board Diversity Policy that ensures the appropriate balance of perspectives, skills and experience on the Board.
PROMOTING EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
We are committed to providing equitable opportunities for our DBS employees to be their best at work and in life. We adopt a data-driven approach to measure our progress and design our policies and programmes.
Recruitment
We hire people based on skills, experience or ability to perform the job, regardless of age, race, gender, religion, marital status and family responsibilities, or disability. We uphold the Tripartite Alliance for Fair & Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) that are a set of eight standards covering various aspects of fair employment.
Pay Equity
The overall gender pay gap across our six core markets, adjusted for ranks and locations, is small at 1.4%. We are committed to regularly reviewing our compensation practices to ensure our pay is fair and equitable.
Women in Tech
To enhance the diversity of our workforce where there is under-representation, we have tailored outreach and hiring programmes. Hackathons like Women in Tech (WIT) and Hack2Hire help drive the representation of women technologists at DBS.
Gong Suk Yee, Technology & Operations
"When the ‘Women in Tech’ (WIT) registration opened, I saw it as an opportunity to challenge myself, put my technical skills to the test, and learn how AI/ML is applied in business context. I find hackathons to be intense, yet immensely rewarding, as there is a huge sense of satisfaction when I complete a challenge or solve a problem. Hackathons motivate me to want to learn more, especially on subjects I am not well-versed in."
Suk Yee is a former teacher turned Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) specialist who joined the bank following her participation in 2021’s WIT event.
Flexible Work Arrangements & Flexible Benefits
We recognise that the needs of our employees evolve depending on life stage and personal circumstances and are committed to support their health, wellbeing, family needs with flexible benefits. As a bank, we also offer exclusive banking privileges for staff to support their financial wellness.
Our flexible work arrangements empower employees to manage both professional and personal responsibilities at different life stages:
- Hybrid Working: Flexibility to Work-from-Home (WFH) for up to 40% time
- Up to 100% WFH for six months for employees with a newborn or a newly adopted child, or those who need to care for family members recovering from critical illness or injury
- Job Sharing Programme: where one full time role can be performed by two employees
Career Growth
We are committed to building long-term careers for our employees. This is done through our “Triple E” approach by providing the right Education, Exposure, and Experience opportunities.
We offer more than 10,000 learning courses to staff on our very own learning portal. From 2021, we have identified more than 8,400 employees to upskill and reskill, so that they can take on new roles.
To cater to diverse aspirations and growth paths, we launched iGrow, a personalised career companion for every DBS employee. iGrow uses Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence to help employees identify future career aspirations, and the skills required to reach these goals. It can also identify suitable roles employees can move into as part of the DBS’ internal mobility programmes.
Building an Inclusive Culture
We are committed to nurturing an inclusive culture in DBS where our people are empowered to drive change and make a positive difference to others. We shape culture by design, build communities, and support employees in creating a safe and inclusive workplace.
Social Learning Communities
In collaboration with Lean In, a global community dedicated to fostering workplace inclusion and advancing diverse leadership, we launched DBS Lean In Circles in 2021. These Circles are a safe space for colleagues to meet regularly to mentor, support one another, and have honest conversations on topics like Leadership, Work & Family, and Challenging Gender Bias. Today, we have over 350 employees participating in the Circles across our core markets.
Devi Chandra Menon, Consumer Banking Group
"When speaking to other female associates, I realised that many need help and support to reach their career aspirations and I felt that I could certainly make a difference in their lives. This is the part I would like to play as a Lean In Circle leader. I hope my circle will grow more confident to achieve their dreams and build a support system of trust where we can open up without any reservations."
Devi is one of our founding DBS Lean In Circle Leaders.
Awards & Recognition
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Gender Equality Index
2018-2023
Asia-Pacific Best Employer
2020-2022
Special Recognition Award for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
2021
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#1 on LinkedIn Top Companies in Singapore
2023
LinkedIn Talent Awards
Best Employer Brand in the category of “Above 10,000 employees on LinkedIn”
2023
LinkedIn Talent Awards
Diversity Champion
2023
Work-Life Excellence Award
2021
WorkWell Leaders Awards
Workplace Culture Award
2023