Inspiring colleagues to work more and smarter with data

“My first assignment at Rabobank was via my work at a consultancy bureau. In that project, we proved that combining geodata with financial data enables you to provide better support to agricultural entrepreneurs. My background in geoinformatics came in really handy. Then I worked on other projects at several Rabobank departments as a data & analytics consultant. That helped me get to know the bank really well, and I saw that there are a lot of opportunities for people with my background.”

The premiere digital bank

“So when I was asked to set up the data & analytics literacy program for Rabobank as a whole, I didn’t have to think about it for long. As a team, we work together with departments to make Rabobank the premiere digital bank for customers. By making data-driven decisions at every level, the bank aims to offer customers smart solutions and services in the area of self-service. Rabobank strives to be customers’ favorite digital bank.”

Standard data ecosystem

“Our team works on a standardized ecosystem for data and analytics. That should eventually result in a single, large platform where you can request data, set up data projects and collaborate easier with multiple teams within the bank. That way, we can come to a single, uniform work method for data and analytics projects. The method will use ‘building blocks’: projects can use building blocks developed by a different team, so project teams won’t have to reinvent the wheel every time. The ecosystem will also demand a certain level of knowledge in the field of data and analytics. That level will differ for each position: you won’t always need to be a data and analytics specialist to use data in your day-to-day work.”

From word to deed

“As Lead Data Analytics Literacy, my goal is to promote data literacy within the bank and to teach employees to work with data in a way and at a level that is suitable for their position. The fun and interesting thing about my work is that I don’t just contribute to the strategy and the plan for data literacy, but that I actually implement it too. Our tangible goal is to inspire employees by showing them the benefits of using more data more intelligently in their work. We’ve defined several levels of knowledge: from entry level to data experts.”

Boot camps and data games

“To get to the target level, the employee will complete a personal learning track that can consist of various teaching formats. On the one hand, we’re looking at teaching formats that best suit a specific subject, and on the other we aim to connect to the target group. So we’ll offer e-learning modules, but also events like boot camps, data games, training weeks and real-world assignments. Over the course of the program, we constantly learn from the feedback of the employees who go through it. Because we also use data to improve the lesson materials or teaching formats.”

Future full of challenges

“I love the work, and the culture at the bank and the team really appeal to me. Everyone is driven to create value together in order to make an impact for customers, for employees and for the bank. We work hard, but there’s still plenty of room for relaxation, like the regular team excursions or after-work drinks. The field of data analytics is constantly in flux, and digital technology is becoming ever-more important in the banking sector. So there’s still plenty for me to learn, and plenty of challenges in store. I’m certain that there’s a beautiful future for me at Rabobank.”