Building an
inclusive bank

By understanding the needs of our colleagues we attract even more great people to work here. We hire the best people for the position on offer. Regardless of gender, race, culture, creed or physical abilities. And we always will.

Scroll down to learn more about our approach to inclusion.

 

Disability smart

To build an inclusive bank, we're positively addressing the needs of disabled colleagues and candidates. Our goal is to be recognised externally as a disability smart organisation through our actions, internal initiatives and external partnerships.

Here are some of the ways how we're helping those with disability build a great career with us:

Disability Confident

We're rated as a leader in this UK government scheme for helping disabled people into employment

Website accessibility

Through accessible technology, everyone can use our websites

Proactive support

We consider the needs of those with a disability in every decision we make

Business Disability Forum

With a Gold rating, we're in the top 1% of UK organisations for disability performance

Andrea

Meet Andrea

Andrea from our NatWest branch in Cardiff is completely blind. With a few adjustments by our on-boarding team, and her help establishing what assistance she needed, she’s achieved her ambition of filling a customer-facing role.

Hear Andrea's story

Ethnically diverse

It’s important that the diversity of our team reflects the diversity of our customers. It helps us to have greater empathy with them and a deeper understanding of their needs. That’s why we’ve set ourselves the goal of identifying, developing and appointing at least 14% ethnic minority group leaders by 2025.

Here’s some of the ways we’re working to be ethnically diverse.

Race at Work Charter

We're founding signatories of the UK government's Race at Work Charter to tackle ethnic disparity in the workplace

Recognised for diversity

We've been recognised by Business in the Community and Investing in Ethnicity for our efforts to improve our diversity

Mentoring and development

We've built external partnerships to help with mentoring, future leader and senior leader development

Diverse shortlists and panel

We've put in place measures to encourage non-white and female representation at interview

Kam

Meet Kam

Kam has been with us for over 10 years, and is currently a Quality Assurance Manager. Her risk-focused role helps make sure we are listening and responding to customer concerns and complaints. Kam is an active member of the Sikh community.

Hear Kam's story

Inclusive culture

We're determined to create a sustainable, inclusive culture through an increasingly intersectional approach. We've a wide-ranging approach to achieving this goal, with a number of initiatives in place for families, carers, colleagues returning to work and those joining us after life in the military.

Here's some of the ways we're creating an inclusive culture:

Unconscious bias training

More than 80% of our colleagues have had training to understand unconscious bias and to guard against it

Flexible working

To improve work-life balance, we're increasingly offering flexible working arrangements wherever we can

Comeback Programme

Supporting people that have been out of the world of work for at least two years to take up a role with us

Recognised for inclusivity

We're Carer Positive accredited, a Top 10 employer for Working Families, and we're signed up to the Armed Forces Covenant

Hwee

Meet Hwee

Hwee is one of our Business Managers, and joined us via a returnship after 14 years away from the world of work. Prior to her career break she was a product manager for global transactions products for an American bank. With flexible working not an option at the time, when she wanted to start a family she had to put her career on hold.

Hear Hwee's story

Gender balanced

We recognise the value of a gender balanced team. It's vital to our success to make sure everyone has the encouragement, inspiration and opportunity to take their career with us as far as they want to. That's why we're working towards a target of having women in 50% of our top level leadership roles by 2030, with interim targets over the next 10 years.

Here's some of the ways we're addressing gender balance:

Positive action

We're focused on attracting, developing and retaining strong female talent

Women in Finance Charter

We're committed to the UK government's charter to support gender balance across financial services

STEM Scholarships

At four universities in the UK and India we're providing scholarships for females studying STEM subjects

Open and encouraging

We've been recognised by Bloomberg's Gender Equality Index and The Times as a Top 50 Employer for Women

Meet Chrissy

Chrissy is a Team Leader in Premier Banking, and is a passionate advocate of the work of the NatWest Group Gender Network. Joining us upon leaving university, she began in Branch roles before moving to a telephony based Mortgage Adviser position. It was around this time that she realised that she wanted to take the step onto the management ladder.

Hear Chrissy's story

LGBT Innovative

As an inclusive employer, our goal is to deliver a better LGBT colleague and customer experience by continuously challenging the status quo. With insight, education and support we are working towards being an LGBT employer of choice.

Here’s some of the ways we’re working to be LGBT innovative:

Improving processes

We've improved existing processes and developed new ways to make our LGBT colleagues feel welcome and valued

Inclusive policies in India

We've introduced inclusive workplace policies for the LGBTQ community in our India business

External partnerships

With partners such as Stonewall and INvolve, we're actively striving to deliver best practice in how we treat LGBT customers and colleagues

Recognised LGBT employer

We're proud to be one of Stonewalls Top Global Employers

Gerry

Meet Gerry

Gerry is a Safety, Health & Environment Advisor, and is one of our first colleagues to become a father with his husband, John. We supported Gerry with significant input from his line manager, and provided shared parental leave which allows people to care for a child during the first year following birth or adoption.

Hear Gerry's story