Corporate culture is not just a set of rules and traditions; it is the DNA of the Company. Oksana Lyndina, Advisor to the Chairman of the Supervisory Board and Director of Kapital Academy, discusses how corporate culture is formed at Kapitalbank, the HR brand, and the achievement of the international “Top Employer” certification.
— What is corporate culture, and what goals does it address within the bank?
— Corporate culture at Kapitalbank involves investing in the training and development of our employees, creating conditions for professional growth and engagement. Our main objective is not only to hire highly qualified specialists but also to create a creative environment that fosters the development of their skills, supports initiative, and encourages creativity. Many candidates highlight the open corporate culture at Kapitalbank, where everyone has the opportunity to realize themselves and always be heard. The foundation of our corporate culture is partnership, built on trust, mutual respect, and, of course, honesty. One of the four core values of Kapitalbank is courage, and as such, we welcome candidates who are ready to create innovative products, are open to change, proactive, and independent.
— What has been done to shape corporate culture and the HR brand over the past year?
— We have implemented several key programs that have allowed us to significantly improve corporate culture and strengthen internal relationships within the Bank. Every year, Kapitalbank employees participate in various running marathons as part of the Kapitalbank RUN program. We started with a team of 40 people, and now our corporate running team has over 320 members, and according to the organizers, it is the largest corporate team in Uzbekistan. Additionally, annual football tournaments, the Kapitalbank CUP, and quarterly e-sports championships, Kapitalbank Cyber games, are held for employees. All these events provide excellent opportunities for informal communication and the development of team skills.
Furthermore, the mentoring and rotation system plays an important role in the professional development of our employees. Last year, the “Top-500” talent pool program was introduced at the Bank, in which the first 273 individuals received training, and 8% of them have already been promoted. Talent pool participants not only underwent training at Kapital Academy in a specially designed program, but each of them has a mentor. Regular meetings with the mentor help them learn from the practical experiences of senior colleagues, receive answers to questions about personal growth, solving complex work cases, and gain motivation for further advancement. Additionally, the Bank has implemented a system of horizontal rotation, where any employee can transfer to another division if a vacancy exists, following the simple rules of horizontal rotation approved by the Bank.
— Banks are currently competing for talented specialists. How does Kapitalbank attract talent?
— I believe that Kapitalbank’s HR brand is very strong because we create an environment for continuous development. One of Kapitalbank’s core values is leadership, with the slogan “Inspiring Development.” This value emphasizes the importance of continuous learning, development, and knowledge sharing. In addition to programs for training front-office staff (branch employees, Contact Center, and soft collection), the Bank operates a five-month modular program for training talent pool members, as well as monthly open training sessions that any employee of the Bank can sign up for. Last year, we also launched a leadership program, which is attended by the Bank’s Board of Directors, department directors, and branch managers. The numbers speak for themselves: in 2024, employees attended various training sessions and business games 3,084 times at Kapital Academy, and more than 10,000 times, employees completed various online courses in the Kapital People distance learning system.
We have also implemented 3 programs aimed at working with young people:
“Generation” is a professional orientation program for schoolchildren that we developed in collaboration with the New Tone English Gymnasium. In this program, students undergo a five-day internship in various Bank departments, performing real tasks. There is no analog of this program.
Grant Program for Talented Students — Every year, Kapitalbank covers all or part of the tuition fees for the top 10 students.
“Be a Banker” is a three-month internship program for students, university graduates, and young professionals. Last year, 100 people participated in the program, and 85% of them continue working at Kapitalbank, having been promoted to specialist positions. This is an excellent indicator of the effectiveness of our program, as it allows us not only to select the most talented specialists but also to integrate them into our corporate environment. For many of them, the entry into the labor market with Kapitalbank is their first official employment, as all interns are officially hired, and they receive a salary during the internship.
It is also worth noting that 67% of Kapitalbank’s employees are between the ages of 18 and 35. The Bank’s staffing policy is focused on attracting talented youth and fostering their development within the organization. Moreover, for the second consecutive year, Kapitalbank is creating more than 500 new jobs annually.
— What plans and tasks are currently ahead of you?
— In February 2025, we became the first bank in Uzbekistan to receive the internationally recognized “Top Employer” certification, and we will undergo this certification annually to confirm that our HR processes comply with the highest international standards.
In March, as part of the marathon for implementing new corporate values, we also launched our own startup accelerator, where employees who successfully present their projects will receive not only bonuses but also investments to implement these projects. It is very important for us that employees within the Bank have the opportunity to work on breakthrough solutions.
In April, together with iSpring, we launched the first gift e-shop in Uzbekistan. By participating in training, completing online courses, and showing proactivity in various Bank activities, employees earn points, which they can later exchange for corporate merchandise.
Also, at the end of April, the top 56 employees of Kapitalbank, in line with our leadership value, will travel to Abu Dhabi (last year, we sent the best employees to Dubai). The leaders are selected by their own department colleagues, 50% of whom are specialists recognized by their peers as inspiring leaders. At Kapitalbank, leadership is not about position but about being an example to others and motivating colleagues. This year, we plan to expand the “Be a Banker” internship program, develop new formats for training and team events, and continue talent pool training in the second half of the year. As of today, 78% of management positions from department head and above in the Bank have their own talent pool. The career lift is operating smoothly, and our goal for 2025 is to increase this percentage to 90%.
In the summer, we will hold our traditional leadership program training, which annually involves 60 leaders. We also plan to continue our active collaboration with universities to attract more talented students and help them build careers in the banking industry. We have an ambitious goal — to become the number one bank for talented youth in Uzbekistan, and all our training and development programs are focused on this.
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The formation of corporate culture at Kapitalbank is a systematic process that includes training, active employee engagement, and support for their growth. The implemented programs and initiatives have already yielded results: over 500 new employees in 2024, of which 85% are interns who continued their careers at the bank. Furthermore, 67% of the Bank’s employees are aged 18 to 36, confirming the company’s focus on attracting and developing young professionals. All these achievements confirm the success of the chosen strategy and the promising efforts to become the number one bank for talented youth in Uzbekistan.
