Rural Bank is proudly part of Bendigo and Adelaide Bank. They embrace a diverse team who understands how to meet the needs of a diverse customer base, the partners they work with and the communities in which they operate.
A diverse team, supported by an inclusive environment, is the foundation for a diversity of thought and innovation, which they believe will drive future success.
As an employee, they want you to feel included and welcomed when you come to work, and be treated with respect, feel valued and know how you contribute to their success.
The importance they place on collaboration and inclusion is not limited to people and work practices but extends to all their stakeholders, including partners, customers and communities.
Embracing diversity and inclusion is important to the success of the bank, its people, partners, customers and communities.
You can read more about its diversity and inclusion objectives in the Diversity Policy, and find an update on progress towards achieving them in the Corporate Governance Statement.
Rural Bank has a proud history of progress in this area. With over 40% of all managers being women, including their Managing Director, they have seen first-hand the benefits diversity has had on their business.
Rural Bank continues to prioritise the achievement of gender equality in management, with a focus on growing women at all levels of leadership, as well as a broader approach to inclusion and diversity.
Rural Bank celebrates the culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds in its Indigenous workforce. It seeks to improve banking experiences and employment outcomes for employees of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent.
The Jawun initiative continues to be the cornerstone investment in building awareness of the bank's Indigenous community amongst its staff. 20 of their staff have now undertaken a six-week secondment since the introduction of the program. This has contributed to powerful personal development for the secondees and enabled practical contributions to Indigenous led change.
The bank commits to building an accessibility-confident organisation. It equips its people with the tools, resources and support they need to do their best work.
In May, delegates from 10 key areas of the organisation represented the bank at the Australian Network on Disability (AND) annual conference. The bank continues to partner with AND, building strong momentum in creating an access and inclusion plan with a goal of building an accessibility-confident workplace.
Rural Bank aims to create a safe, inclusive and empowering environment for its LGBTQI employees.
The BEN Pride Network, Kaleidoscope, was formed in 2017 and continues to gain new members. The group aims to create a safe, inclusive and empowering environment for LGBTQI+ employees, customers and communities.
The bank continues increasing its representation of people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds in the workforce. It provides a culturally safe and inclusive workplace.
Cultural diversity initiatives have occurred at the local level, such as celebrating Harmony Day. Rural Bank will be investing in broader organisational initiatives in the future.