First Bank is the first financial institution to receive the Best Places to Work award this year. Genk Paardekuper, CEO of First Bank, spoke in an interview about First Bank’s culture, the benefits it offers to employees, reasons why a candidate would choose to work here, promotion opportunities and performance appraisals, as well as First Bank’s focus for the future. “We are committed to helping our people become better at what they love to do. For this, we have several action plans: an annual program of performance determination, where goals are discussed with the manager, including personal development,” says Henk Paardekuper.

How can you describe the culture of the First Bank?

At First Bank, we are defined by a culture of change that always drives us to achieve results. This means that we are a team of pragmatic, result-oriented people who believe that teamwork is the key to success.

What are the top three reasons why a candidate would choose to work at First Bank?

We are a unique bank in the Romanian banking sector, a truly outstanding company that puts its people first, and we also have Best Places to Work certificates (we are the first bank in Romania to receive the certificate in 2023). People on our team love working at First Bank for three main reasons: the autonomy and authority to make decisions, the support of colleagues and management, and the visible impact of their work.

What benefits does First Bank offer to employees?

Above all, we reward effort as well as proactive actions through competitive packages. This is naturally complemented by our dynamic culture with constant opportunities for improvement and development, as well as a flexible hybrid work schedule.

Which divisions do you think have the greatest need for manpower?

We currently have vacancies in both our head office, our network of 40 branches and our customer service department. So, if anyone reading us thinks they’d be a good fit for the First Bank team, we want to meet you!

Let’s also talk a little about promotion opportunities. How often are performance reviews and how far can you progress in your career?

We are committed to helping our people become better at what they love to do. We have several action plans for this: an annual performance review program where goals are discussed with the manager, including personal development. To this is added the check-in in the middle of the year. The final evaluation at the end of the year determines the award, which always reflects the results. We offer plenty of opportunities to rotate within the bank so people can gain exposure to other departments and continue to develop their skills.

What does the First Bank focus on for the future?

We will continue to do what we do best, which is to focus on our clients in Romania, exceeding their goals and daily financial needs, and we will bring added value to shareholders, customers, employees and society.

What did being named a Best Place to Work for in 2023 mean to you as CEO?

For me, this is a great sign of gratitude. This is the clearest sign that our strategy to be different from others is paying off and people appreciate it. From the founding of First Bank to today, we have invested heavily in attracting, retaining and developing our talented people. We work on development programmes, encourage and support professional and personal development, are extremely active in employee engagement initiatives and offer management and leadership modules. So I am incredibly proud to have been awarded the Best Places to Work certificate this year, as it recognizes the culture and behavior that we have systematically worked to improve. We aim to continue to be an employer of choice for employees in the banking sector. And if this interview has made anyone curious about how we work at First Bank, I have a message for them: come and join our great team!

Article supported by First Bank