Technology creates a myriad of opportunities

About three quarters of Australian CEOs are worried about skills shortages in the wake of increasing digitisation of their industries, according to consultancy PwC.

The implication is clear: companies that want to attract the best workers must prioritise learning and curiosity while consistently working to create opportunities for staff.

These challenges are especially true when trying to attract the best technology workforce. It’s an incredibly competitive market place for these workers. Banks must compete with big tech, fintechs and all manner of start-up businesses for the best talent.

As a result, at ANZ we put a lot of time into creating an attractive and nurturing environment for our staff.

Getting the tech right is essential

Even before the advent of mainframes, ATMs and internet banking, there was a strong symbiotic relationship between technology and banking. And, as time has gone on, that relationship has become even more important. So much so that people at times have asked whether ANZ is a bank or a technology company. 

We are, of course, a bank. But the role of technology is more vital than ever and the line between banks and technology companies is becoming fainter.

Think about what a bank is charged with doing in this digital environment: working to protect our customers and our company against the increasing cyber threat; moving vast amounts our software and data to the cloud; and working to automate more banking processes to give customers a simpler, faster and more valuable experience.

As a result ANZ, along with our peers, is investing many millions of dollars each year in new technology. We have great ambitions. But ultimately, it’s down to the people who do the work to determine the extent to which we will deliver on that promise. 

Creating opportunities – culture is what we do 

According to culture expert Ben Horowitz: “What you do is who you are.”

With that in mind we are always seeking to ‘create opportunities’ in the technology division – it’s one of our core values. I’m now in my third year at ANZ and it’s clear to me how hard we work to fuel the curiosity of our people and encourage them to master their craft.

Opportunities include:

• A commitment  to learning
  We host a Learning Expo in September to encourage everyone to ‘stay in school’ and always learn. We also invite technologists to share work as part of our five-day UnConference.
  
  
• An appeal to competitive nature
  Through competitions like Secure Code Warrior and AWS DeepRacer (Australia and India). These create time and space for people to learn, expand and test their skills. Gamification that promotes the writing of secure code or introduces teams to Machine Learning is a rewarding and fun way to learn.

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• Run programs to attract talent and encourage growth
  In addition to our industry leading grad program we also offer programs for those looking to restart their career (through ANZ Return to Work) or are part of under-represented work cohorts (our ANZ Spectrum Program promotes neuro diversity).

The ‘why’ is important

Sure, a bank needs to invest in its technology. But it’s also incumbent on us to invest in our people. We believe a culture that prioritises creating opportunities is positive and attractive.

Success for ANZ depends on our continued ability to attract talented individuals. More than that, we need to continue to create opportunities, work with them and encourage them to develop, mature and broaden their skills and grow their career.

Adrian Jansz is General Manager (Domain Lead) for Cloud, Data and Analytics at ANZ