DBS Hong Kong creates spaces that transcend conventional work and banking environments
The bank’s Corporate Real Estate Strategy and Administration outlines plans that encourage staff and customers to ‘Live more, Bank less’
The trend towards hybrid work models and co-working spaces is changing how global professionals work. And how some organisations manage the demand for dynamic co-working solutions is by creating workspaces catering to a diverse workforce’s evolving needs.
Tapping into this initiative, DBS Bank Hong Kong is instigating meaningful change from within. Driven by its passion for people, DBS Hong Kong Corporate Real Estate Strategy and Administration – custodian of the bank’s real estate assets – began renovations of the eight office floors it occupies at One Island East in Quarry Bay in 2020.
“Almost half our lifetime is spent at work. We spend more time in the office than we do at home and more time with our colleagues than with our family members,” says Connie Liu, head of DBS Hong Kong Corporate Real Estate Strategy and Administration. “The logical corollary is that if people are happy at their workplace, it’s a win for the employer and also a win at home.”
Indeed, a healthy work-life balance is one of the most important factors influencing our happiness. So in addition to enhancing the customer’s experience, the bank strives to enhance that of its employees as well.
The Corporate Real Estate Strategy and Administration team comprises professionals from diverse backgrounds and disciplines working in “four shops”, Liu says, including transaction and project management, facility maintenance and corporate services. “The aim is to build a flexible and innovative culture that meets evolving needs,” she says.
Similarly, DBS’ brand promise, “Live more, Bank less”, encourages staff and customers to live more fully. Open spaces, flexible furniture arrangements, wellness corners, social hubs and the DBS Learning Centre are just a few of the elements incorporated in the “JoySpace” – a term coined by Erwin Chong, group head of Corporate Real Estate Strategy and Administration – that promotes collaboration and well-being at DBS Bank Hong Kong.
“The first stage of our office transformation began on the top floor when the Covid-19 pandemic was in its early stages,” Liu explains. “Because employee safety was a priority, we experimented with touchless technology. In 2022, stage two began with a focus on sustainability as part of DBS’ wider drive to implement companywide good practices as we work towards net-zero carbon emissions.”
