Annual Report 2010 - ProCredit Bank

The ProCredit Group: Responsible Neighbourhood Banks for Small Businesses and Ordinary People 35
supported by the introduction of a new groupwide
recruitment policy and a demanding training
programme for all staff. This is complemented by
a six month stipend or intern programme provided
by ProCredit banks for new entrants into the banking
sector which symbolises our commitment to
skill development in all our countries of operation.
A responsible approach to neighbourhood banking
requires a decentralised decision-making
process and a high level of judgment and adaptability
from all staff members, especially our
branch managers. Our corporate values embed
principles such as open communication, transparency
and professionalism into our day-today
business. Key to our success is therefore
the recruitment and training of dedicated staff.
We maintain a corporate culture that promotes
the professional development of our employees
while fostering a deep sense of personal and social
responsibility. This entails not only intensive
training in technical and management skills, but
also frequent staff exchanges between our member
institutions. In this way, we take full advantage
of the opportunities for staff development
that are created by the existence of a truly international
group.
A central plank in our approach to training is the
ProCredit Academy in Germany, which provides a
part-time “ProCredit Banker” training programme
over a period of three years for high-potential
staff from each of the ProCredit institutions. The
curriculum includes intensive technical training
and also exposes participants to subjects such
as anthropology, history, philosophy and ethics
in an open and multicultural learning environment.
Our goal in covering such varied topics is
to give our future managers the opportunity to
develop their knowledge and views of the world.
At the same time, we aim to improve their communication
and staff management skills. The group
also operates three Regional Academies in Latin
America, Africa and Eastern Europe to support
the professional development of middle managers
at the local level.
The group’s strategy for 2011 focuses on two key
interrelated themes “high quality customer relations”
and “efficiency”. We will further expand
our business as the “house bank” of choice for
small and very small enterprises, offering tailored
loans and other banking services. At the
same time we will continue to improve the speed
and convenience of our services for all clients.
Strong investment in our staff will also remain a
key priority since it is their skills which enable
us to build strong, broad-based relationships
with our clients, which are a particularly important
factor of success in volatile macroeconomic
conditions. As a group of responsible banks for
ordinary people with prudent policies and welltrained
staff to ensure our steady performance,
we look forward to consolidating our position as a
“house bank” for small businesses, their employees,
and the ordinary people who live and work in
the neighbourhoods around our branches.