Stakeholders

In June 2017, our organization joined the Partnership for the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) between the Ministry of Entrepreneurship and Technology and the representatives of the business community. The Partnership is intended to generate synergies of actions undertaken in Poland in order to implement the recommendations of Agenda 2030 and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals which form part of it.

We are a partner to the ”Together for the Environment” initiative supporting the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and established by UNEP/GRID. The partnership is a response to the need identified in Poland to build a supportive climate and ensure best possible conditions for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular the ones which refer to the environment. Its goal is to pursue the path of sustainable development through joint collaboration of many parties from different sectors and industries united by the principle of responsibility for the natural environment. The members of the partnership, including businesses, business associations, business chambers, scientific institutions, public administration bodies, NGOs and individuals, exchange ideas, share experience and good practice and engage in collaboration to implement the SDGs.

For many years we have been a strategic partner of the Responsible Business Forum which is an originator and partner of projects of fundamental importance for CSR in Poland and an active promoter of sustainable development. Companies joining the Forum become members of a movement advocating a responsible approach to doing business.

Santander Bank Polska has signed the Diversity Charter – an international initiative implemented under the auspices of the European Commission in 19 members states of the European Union and in Poland coordinated by the Responsible Business Forum.

As a signatory of the Diversity Charter, we have confirmed our intention and commitment to:

• create a corporate culture based on diversity,
• develop policies and other instruments effectively supporting equal treatment and diversity management in the workplace,
• promote benefits resulting from diversity among stakeholders,
• report on activities and their outcomes.

Organizations being the Charter signatories make a number of commitments, such as no discrimination, promotion of diversity programs and engagement of their employees and business partners.

In 2018, Santander Bank Polska was a partner to the 5th National Diversity Day in Poland during which more than 120 people took an active part in a number of discussion panels and workshops focusing on the subject of creating discrimination-free workplaces.

For more information about Santander Bank Polska’s engagement in various initiatives and organizations.

Bank of the Year

Our organization won the title of ”Bank of the Year in Poland” conferred on Santander Bank Polska by The Banker magazine in one of the most prestigious competitions in the sector. The bank received this award in recognition of its activities, supported by a strong increase in profits and the innovative nature of its products and services. The Awards Judging Panel recognized the bank’s significant progress in strategic development and its position as the leader in the private banking segment thanks to the acquisition of the demerged business of Deutsche Bank Polska, highlighting the fact that the bank has managed to retain its unique character  while continuing to pursue the innovative ‘Bank As You Want It” business model in which customers can align the parameters of their bank accounts with their own needs and lifestyles.

”Bank of the Year” is a prestigious accolade awarded on the annual basis to the best banking sector institutions by the journalists from The Banker magazine published for more than 90 years by Financial Times Ltd. UK . The evaluation criteria include profitability, growth and efficiency, pursued strategy, leadership model and innovativeness of products and services.

Ranking of Responsible Businesses

In the 12^th edition of the Ranking of Responsible Businesses, Santander Bank Polska made it to the Top 10 and ended up on the sixth place. The Ranking of Responsible Businesses lists the biggest companies in Poland which are rated in terms of the quality of CSR management. Altogether, 70  organizations took part in the assessment. In the category ”Industry CSR Leader 2018: Banking, Finance and Insurance” the bank ranked third.

Strategic support to corporate social responsibility – an award from the Responsible Business Forum

On 12 April, 2018, at the 7th Corporate Social Responsibility Fair, Santander Bank Polska was one of the five companies awarded for supporting the idea of corporate social responsibility. We also received an award on the 10th anniversary of becoming a strategic partner to the Responsible Business Forum.

During the CSR Fair, the report entitled ”Responsible Business in Poland. Good Practices” was presented. The report published by the Responsible Business Forum is the most comprehensive review of all CSR activities carried out during the year. A record-high number of CSR practices are described in the report, of which as many as 27 reported by Santander Bank Polska.

The CSR Fair is the biggest corporate social responsibility event in Poland and is organized every two years by the Responsible Business Forum. The  purpose of the event is to present the activities and practices of socially responsible businesses and the related services.

RESPECT Index

Our bank has been listed for the sixth time in the prestigious ranking of socially responsible companies known as the RESPECT Index which is published by the Warsaw Stock Exchange. The main goal of the RESPECT Index is to promote the highest standards of responsible governance among Polish businesses listed on the WSE main market. All business organizations  included in the index have to conduct their operations in strict conformance with the best practices and standards in the area of corporate governance, public disclosures and investor relationships and demonstrate strong commitment to environmental and social causes and respect for employee rights. The composition of the RESPECT Index is  updated annually based on a survey of Polish WSE listed companies.

Ethical company

In 2018, the bank was one of the 15 winners of the prestigious ”Ethical Company” title awarded by Puls Biznesu. For the last 4 years, Puls Biznesu has recognized in this way companies engaged in the promotion of a corporate culture based on ethical standards and values applied in the most comprehensive and systemic way and demonstrating the greatest activity in the area. The  participants’ overall result is a sum of scores received in such categories as responsibility in the ethical management program, top management supervision over the program, the system for reporting misconduct and the method used to verify the reports, training and communication, corporate governance, reputation, leadership and management of the conduct risk. In 2018, more than 200 companies from all over Poland sent their submissions and the judging panel awarded 15 participants, including our bank.

Advocate for the Standard of Ethics

Santander Bank Polska was awarded by the Global Compact Network Poland with the title of the Advocate for the Standard of Ethics for the promotion of responsible management standards and its contribution to the ”Standard of Ethics in Poland” programme as one of eight winning organizations and the only representative of the banking sector.

The goal of the “Ethics Standard” program is to implement the UN Guiding Principles for business and human rights in Poland and to make sure they are applied in daily practice of companies and institutions. The Coalition of Advocates for the Standard of Ethics established as part of the Program consists of more than 100 businesses and institutions actively engaged in the implementation and dissemination of ethical values. Our bank, together with the Partner Institutions and the Coalition of Advocates for the Standard of Ethics have jointly worked out the Minimum Standard of the Ethics Program i.e. a set of values and tools considered as fundamental for the development of an ethics program in an organisation of every size.

Brand of the Year

The bank was recognized for smooth rebranding supported with efficient communication activities considered to be a great example for other companies planning similar changes in the future. In the judging panel’s opinion, the bank made a great job informing the target audience about the upcoming changes and successfully managing the transition of more than 6.5 million customers through the rebranding process. In the rebranding strategy communication, the judges particularly appreciated the emphasis on emotional aspects of the messages and the focus on the global brand image.

The ”Brand/Marketer of the Year” report is a deliverable from the annual customer satisfaction survey carried out by the ”Media&Marketing Polska” magazine in partnership with Kantar market research company. The survey focuses on global brands present on the Polish market. The report identifies the winners of the following categories: Brand of the Year, Best Advertising Agency, Event Agency and Media House and CMO of the Year. The survey participants were more than 1,200 marketers – top and medium level managers.

European Excellence Awards

The ”How’s Your Driving” campaign won the main award in the European Excellence Awards recognizing outstanding achievements in the area of communication and public relations. The broad range of the program, from internal communication to public relations, produces the most comprehensive review of major communication projects in Europe. Other award winners included IKEA Italy, Ford, Kaspersky Lab Italy, Opel, Google Russia and UNICEF.

Golden Bank

Santander Bank Polska received the ”Golden Bank” award in a multi-channel service quality survey. The bank was evaluated according to six criteria: contact with the helpline, contact via communicators, visit at a branch, opening an account online and the ergonomics of the online and mobile banking platforms. The judging panel of the competition considered the Account As I Want It and the bank’s cash loan as the best products in their respective categories on the market.

In the ”Golden Banker” competition which has been organized for 10 years, the nominated banks are evaluated using the mystery shopping technique, both with regard to the branches and remote channels of contact and Internet users select the best bank in such categories as social media, advertising and CSR.

The ”Golden Banker” competition is operated by Obserwatorium.biz and Kantar Polska at the request of Bankier.pl website and Puls Biznesu.

Top Employer Europe 2018

The certificates of Top Employer Institute are awarded to employers following the best HR management practices and respecting the highest standards when developing a value offer to employees. Prior to the award of the certificate, the bank’s good practices in the area of HR management were evaluated, including the talent management strategy, employment planning, onboarding, training and development, performance management, upgrading leadership skills, career management, succession planning, additional benefits and corporate culture.

The independent survey of the Top Employers Institute is carried out in more than 100 countries of the world. Based on the results, a ranking is prepared of top global employers who offer excellent work conditions, take care to develop talents at all levels of their organizations and continuously improve the HR practices.

Reliable Employer

In the Reliable Employer 2017 competition which recognizes companies and organizations creating exceptional workplaces, following the best employment and people development practices and engaging in interesting social and marketing projects and campaigns, our bank topped the “Banking” category and won a distinction in the general ranking. The competition is organized to identify and award the best employers in Poland for whom the quality of HR management is a priority and who have outstanding HR policies. The criteria considered by the judging panel included employee training, incentive systems, benefits, social conditions and the corporate social responsibility.

 Most Attractive Employer

In the eighth edition of Antal’s survey, the bank won the title of the Most Attractive Employer. This prestigious distinction  is reserved for organizations which develop their talents, offer the best work conditions and keep improving their recruitment processes. The survey participants do not receive a list of employers to choose from and can mention any business organization present on the Polish market. This means that the winners belong to the Top of Mind category in the opinion of experts and managers and have been selected spontaneously without any guidance.

Best Benefits Strategy 2018

In 2018, Santander Bank Polska was for the second time awarded in the ”Best Benefits Strategy” – a national competition for the most interesting and effective strategy of additional benefits and incentives offered to employees. The judges appreciated the wide range of employee benefits offered in addition to basic salary and the diversity of the bank’s remuneration policy i.e. a wide choice of benefits in the key areas, such as entertainment, hobby and passion, personal development and health.

Once again, Santander mobile won a place on the podium in the Application of the Year 2018 ranking organized by the Funio discussion forum of blind and visually impaired iPhone users.

The bank’s efforts to combat social exclusion of persons with disabilities and to ensure equal access to services  were awarded in June 2018 with an accolade awarded in the competition ”Wielkopolska Region Open to Persons with Disabilities”.

Mobile Trends Award 2018

The Santander mobile platform received a special award in Mobile Trends Awards 2018 thanks to the highest number of  votes of Internet users. The Mobile Trends Awards competition recognizes companies using mobile technologies in their projects. The awards which have been granted for eight years are often referred to as the Oscars of the Mobile Industry in Poland.