How Autonomy Leads to Profitability at Handelsbanken

The Happy Manifesto

A culture of trust, empowerment and respect towards employees leads to a successful and sustainable business model, higher levels of customer satisfaction, and a happy workplace. That ethos has been key to Handelsbanken’s operation for over 40 years, and has led them to top ratings in UK customer satisfaction for 15 years.

It also makes financial sense. The banking group has been the most profitable within its peer group for nearly 50 years.

Bernard Charles is Chief HR Officer at the UK division of Handelsbanken, a decentralised banking environment that prioritises individual and corporate banking customer relationships. The group’s unique approach to banking includes a lack of individual sales targets and a bonus structure that is equally distributed among all employees, regardless of their position in the company.

Bernard’s tips for a happy workplace

1. Cultivate a culture of trust within your organisation. Believe in your employees' capabilities and trust them to make the right decisions.
2. Provide your employees with the right conditions to make decisions in their areas of expertise. This not only creates engagement but also fosters a sense of ownership and shared purpose.
3. Respect each employee as an individual in their own right. This includes creating an environment where everyone feels like they can bring their whole selves to work and where everyone has the opportunity to be included and heard.

Links

• Connect with Bernard via LinkedIn