UOB steps up investment in people with new jobs, leadership development and flexible career pathways

Bank to create job opportunities for 1,000 young talent, develop 5,500 leaders and enhance pathway for seasoned professionals seeking flexibility at work

Singapore, 8 October 2026 – As AI reshapes the workplace, UOB believes that investing in people and human judgement will matter more than ever. Guided by this belief, the Bank is creating job opportunities for 1,000 young talent to build meaningful careers in banking, equipping 5,500 managers with the capabilities needed to lead more effectively in an AI-enabled workplace, and enhancing its Gig+U programme to enable experienced professionals to contribute their expertise in customer-facing and sales advisory roles, through flexible work arrangements. The programmes were announced today at the Bank's annual employee festival, Better U.

Mr Dean Tong, Head of Group Human Resources, UOB, said, "The future of work is not simply about adopting new technologies. It must come together with helping our people develop the capabilities that technology cannot replicate, such as judgement, empathy, resilience, leadership and the ability to build trust. We believe that creating opportunities for talent at every stage of life and career will be critical to strengthening our talent pipeline, enabling our people to grow with the Bank, and building a resilient workforce to thrive in an AI-enabled world."

Creating opportunities for young talent
As concerns grow about the impact of AI on entry-level jobs for young adults, UOB continues to invest in and develop young talent. The Bank expects to recruit 1,000 young graduates in a year for roles in Personal Financial Services and Anti-Money Laundering and roles in early-career programmes such as the Future Bankers Programme, Management Associate and internship programmes.

The Future Bankers Programme is a 24-month structured development programme for fresh graduates to to build capability and broaden exposure in banking. Programme participants are provided with training before they get to develop customer facing skills and wealth advisory capabilities. By investing in young talent, UOB is building a strong pipeline of future talent equipped to meet the changing needs of customers and the financial services industry.

Equipping leaders for an AI-enabled workplace
As AI transforms the workplace, UOB believes that human-centred leadership will be an increasingly important differentiator. Leaders play a vital role in building trust, developing people and helping teams navigate change. As such, UOB has launched its Better Leader Programme to equip managers with the skills and mindset to lead effectively and build high-performing teams in an AI-enabled workplace.

Accredited by the Institute of Banking and Finance (IBF), the programme develops leaders across three areas: Leading Self, Leading Teams and Managing Stakeholders, through experiential learning, workplace application and reflection. 5,500 UOB managers across the region are expected to benefit from the programme by end-2027.

Using an AI-enabled coaching and role-play platform which is customised to the Bank’s leadership competencies and programme content, managers will be able to practise workplace conversations involving career feedback, performance management, delegation, stakeholder engagement and career development. They will receive personalised qualitative feedback with indicative scores based on UOB's leadership competency framework, immediately after completion of their assessments.

By pairing human-centred leadership development with AI-enabled learning, UOB is enabling leaders to continuously strengthen their capabilities through a more personalised and accessible development experience.

Creating pathways for professionals seeking flexibility
UOB is enhancing its Gig+U programme, launched in 2021, to include customer-facing and sales advisory roles. The programme enables experienced UOB employees such as those approaching or beyond retirement age, mothers returning to the workforce, and those seeking flexible work options, to contribute their expertise through part-time, flexible or fixed-term opportunities. UOB will be rolling out the enhanced programme to UOB employees and external hires by the first quarter of 2027.

The Bank expects to form a curated Gig+U talent pool of 200 participants who will receive a monthly retainer, insurance coverage and access to assignments based on business needs, with compensation provided for work undertaken. Participants will complete relevant training and maintain the necessary certifications or licences, so that they can be matched to suitable opportunities as they arise.

Gig+U reflects UOB's commitment to creating opportunities at every stage of life and career. The programme allows experienced professionals to continue contributing in a flexible way, while giving the Bank access to a trusted pool of professionals with deep institutional knowledge, strong customer understanding and close alignment with UOB's values and culture.