This year marks the 32th anniversary of Sài Gòn Thương Tín Commercial Joint Stock Bank (Sacombank).

As of the end of 2023 its total assets are estimated at over VNĐ665 trillion (US$27.5 billion), making it one of the largest private banks in Việt Nam.

Behind this steady ascent lies a multigenerational workforce, a driving force marked by solid professionalism, dynamism, creativity, and enthusiasm.

So, what's the secret behind a long-standing joint-stock commercial bank’s ability to maintain a high-caliber team?

Developing internal strengths, creating a solid foundation

Sacombank lives by the philosophy that everything must be built from the roots. In its human resources investment, the bank places paramount importance on fundamental factors—providing employees with opportunities to expand their skill sets, offering attractive welfare policies, and ensuring gender equality.

Recognizing the pivotal role of training in elevating a company’s "brainpower" and gaining a competitive edge, Sacombank has undertaken a range of activities.

These include the establishment of a training centre aligned with the mission of "Building a Happy Learning Environment," advanced training programmes that seamlessly combine theory with interaction and practice and digitized textbooks accessible to employees anytime, anywhere.

Noteworthy is the LMS digital library, a standout digital transformation achievement, providing 24/7 online training content curated by specialist external lecturers and Sacombank's internal experts.

From day one employees are handed a clear promotion plan, empowering them with a roadmap divided into distinct groups of job positions, each outlining the requisite professional knowledge and skills.

This proactive approach enables employees to chart their course towards desired promotion positions.

Testing and evaluation programmes are periodically conducted, motivating employees to engage in self-study.

Impressively, 99% of managerial positions are filled from within. Sacombank's attractive welfare and compensation policies underscore its acknowledgment of the value its employees bring to the table.

Ensuring equality is another cornerstone of Sacombank's effective human resources management strategy. With over 8,500 women and 9,000 male employees spanning Generations X to Z, Sacombank fosters a multi-identity working environment that blends the creativity and dynamism of youth with the wisdom and experience of seasoned staff.

Constantly improving value, remaining steadfast amid changes

Sacombank understands that staying ahead requires embracing trends and positive change. It continually evolves and adopts technological advances to enhance operational efficiency.

Years of dedicated efforts towards comprehensive digital transformation have culminated in a landmark moment in HR digital transformation.

Collaborating with SAP and HR Path, Sacombank implemented SAP SuccessFactors, a cloud-based human resource management solution boasting over 120 million users in 74 countries.

SAP SuccessFactors seamlessly converts manual interactions into online experiences in a digital environment.

On this platform, Sacombank employees proactively plan for promotions, enhance their capabilities, update their skills profile, and manage personal information and data.

Gone are the days of submitting hard copies for leave applications; everything is now streamlined online. This automated process notifies management, updates the system, and allows for easy tracking, ensuring more accurate evaluations and reducing unnecessary procedures.

Beyond digitising management, Sacombank's digital transformation efforts extend to improving work efficiency.

The bank has established a digital working environment using VPN and VDI technology, enabling its 18,000 employees to collaborate seamlessly through Office 365 and Microsoft Teams from anywhere.

Sacombank disseminates information on new digital thinking, such as design thinking, data-driven decision-making, and customer-centric approaches, along with essential digital skills like data mining and information security.

A team of experts coaches employees on these new working methods.

For 32 years Sacombank has cultivated a culture of open exchange, fostering idea-sharing that has led to breakthroughs in products, services and processes.

In addition to its internal initiatives, Sacombank engages in impactful community activities, including the cross-country tournament “Running with Sacombank for Public Health,” the “Step for Community” running programme, the “Warm Spring” charity programme, the “Nurturing Dream” scholarship programme, and the “Sharing from the Heart” blood donation programme.

These endeavours not only contribute to spiritual well-being but also instill in employees a sense of purpose and value within the community.

According to a recent internal survey that polled 14,396 employees, the happiness rate among them was an impressive 84 percent.

By steadfastly adhering to its key values and the consistent motto of "Sustainable from the Ground Up," Sacombank has not only created an ideal workplace but has also been honoured as one of the “Best Companies to Work for in Asia” for three consecutive years (2021, 2022, 2023) by HR Asia, Asia's leading human resources magazine.

The 2023 HR Asia Award, focusing on "diversity, equity, and inclusion," reflects Sacombank's unwavering commitment to these principles in its HR development orientation.

Celebrating 32 Years with Gratitude

In its birthday month Sacombank has unveiled the "Golden Birthday – Thousands of Gratitude” programme to express appreciation for customers who have trusted and accompanied it through its 32-year journey.

Customers obtaining a new Sacombank personal credit card stand to receive a refund of VNĐ500,000 and other incentives, including refunds/discounts of up to 32 percent when using the card.

Corporate customers with credit/payment cards meeting certain conditions for transaction value have the chance to win a combination prize of an iPad Pro M2 & Magic Keyboard.

Besides, corporate credit cards meeting certain conditions for transaction value will get a refund of 1.5 percent of the value incurred during the notification period (maximum of VNĐ1 million/card), and a total of up to VNĐ5 million/customer.

Customers buying a Dai-ichi Life Vietnam life insurance product through Sacombank will receive a refund of up to VNĐ10 million and the opportunity to participate in a lucky spin programme with prizes that include cash of VNĐ600 million and trips to Australia/Japan.