Development impact
Development impact
How investing in our employees contributes to our firm’s success
Key development programs
Key development programs
All of our employee development programs are specially designed to enhance and refine our employees’ skills and to equip them with the tools they need to meet our clients’ ever-evolving needs.
Take, for example, our UBS Leadership & Skills Development umbrella program. It’s an immersive initiative aimed at developing client advisors and leaders within our organization - with our Leadership Excellence Accelerator Diploma (LEAD) and professional certification as key pillars.
Targeting senior leaders in our Global Wealth Management division, LEAD focuses on building high levels of competency in leading people, client interaction, change, growth and leading for enablement. Program benefits include providing opportunities for participants to solve current business challenges, fostering knowledge exchange, peer learning and collaboration, supporting systematic skills development to drive business growth, and enabling effective leadership. Launched in 2020, this program is constantly reviewed and improved every year for maximum impact and to address current market challenges and opportunities.
Our client advisors and other key client-facing staff go through our externally recognized certification program. Originally created within UBS to combine the development of highly specialized functional know-how with practical application, this program is now available to the banking industry. Further, since 2015, UBS has maintained the leading position in updating learning objectives, and we’ve adapted the program’s body of knowledge to put greater emphasis on sustainable investing, digital client management and interaction.
We nominate client advisors to achieve their initial certification within two years of starting their role, and recertification is required every three years. Benefits include:
- a curriculum of practical and client-focused training that exceeds the external accreditation set by ISO 17024
- client advisors meet the UBS Quality Standards for knowledge and competence and are equipped to deliver the high-quality client experience standards set for their segment
In supporting externally recognized certification for all relevant role holders, UBS sets clear expectations for the quality of delivery on our client promise. Client-facing staff with relationship responsibility in turn benefit from above-average success with clients.
Business benefits and awards
Business benefits and awards
- LEAD participants were promoted 1.5x more since program inception, compared to the control group.
- LEAD participants decided to leave the firm 5.5x less from program start compared to the control group.
- Certified advisors have generated 10.6x more in net new money than non-certified advisors.
- Gold Award for Best Hybrid Learning Program, and the Learning and Development Award for 2022-2023 by Brandon Hall Group (LEAD initiative)
- Silver Award for Leadership Development of Frontline Leaders (LEAD initiative)
- Bronze Award for Best Certification Program 2022-2023 (LEAD initiative)
The UBS Talent & Mobility umbrella program
This umbrella program supports the development of our people and increases internal mobility. Within it, initiatives such as LEAP and Grow your Career contribute to a culture of cross-divisional and international mobility for early-career talent, mid-career professionals and senior leaders.
LEAP (Learn, Evolve, Acquire, Provide)1 is a dedicated nine-month, structured talent development initiative for early-career talent who demonstrate outstanding performance, potential and a readiness for career progression. It focuses on building self-awareness, influencing skills, innovation, collaborative working and networking skills. Similarly, through our Grow your Career internal mobility initiative, all employees can explore career paths, search for jobs and short-term rotation opportunities and connect with mentors on our self-service Career Navigator platform. Both of these initiatives include a mix of in-person and virtual elements and are offered across the UBS organization. Together, they contribute to a culture of respect and collaboration and help ensure that we have strong talent pipelines.
Benefits and impact
Benefits and impact
- Foster a culture of cross-divisional and internal mobility, leveraging diverse internal talent from across the organization for open roles
- Promote teamwork, knowledge sharing, cross-functional/departmental collaboration and inclusion
- Provide awareness and opportunities to foster career development via our 3Es (education, exposure and experience)
- 2023 internal hiring rates: 38.8% of all hires, 40.5% of all female hires, 30.9% of UK ethnic minority hires and 31.4% of US ethnic minority hires2
- 2023 internal mobility rate for Director level and above: 52.2% (i.e., out of every 100 open roles at Director level and above, 52.2% were filled by internal candidates)
- 2023 employee surveys showed an 83% score for collaboration.
- LEAP participants were promoted 2.6x more since the beginning of the program compared to the control group.
- LEAP participants decided to leave the company 5x less after the program compared to the control group.
In summary, Leadership & Skills Development and Talent & Mobility umbrella programs contribute to:
Item | Item | Indicator | Indicator | 2023 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Item | L1 - Learning | Indicator | UBS Group learning activities in million | 2023 | >2.3 |
% of eligible population participating in certification | 98% | ||||
% of eligible population selected to participate in LEAP1 | 5% | ||||
Item | L2 - Mobility | Indicator | Internal mobility of all hires | 2023 | 38.8% |
Internal mobility of director+ open roles | 52.2% | ||||
Item | L3 - Behaviour | Indicator | Collaboration score | 2023 | 83% |
Less attrition LEAD vs control group | 5.5x | ||||
Less attrition LEAP vs control group | 5x | ||||
Item | L4 - Output | Indicator | LEAD program awards2 | 2023 | 3 |
Higher promotion LEAD vs control group | 1.5x | ||||
Higher promotion LEAP vs control group | 2.6x | ||||
Item | L5 - Results | Indicator | Investment in training in USD million3 | 2023 | 92.7 |
Increase in Net New Money (NNM) certified vs non-certified advisors | 10.6x |
