Learning and development – an important part of your career at Nordea

“Developing in your career and personal life will enable you to stay competent and ready for the opportunities offered during your time with Nordea,” explains Charles Watkin, Head of Learning & Development.

“At Nordea, we believe that everything is learning, and we want our people to feel that they contribute, learn, grow and enjoy every day,” he adds.

Modern learning recognises that significant learning and development happen outside of formal training, and are best achieved through a combination of training and practice. At Nordea, we use a proven learning framework called the 70-20-10 model. 

Mixed learning

The 70-20-10 framework supports continuous learning. 70% of learning happens through work experience and on-the-job practice; 20% through our relationships, where we receive feedback, coaching and mentoring; and 10% through more formal learning, such as webinar trainings, digital courses and class room trainings designed for different career paths.  

“In this framework, learning is formal and informal. It’s a mix of experiences, interventions and interactions. The model enables us to learn throughout our career, stay relevant and learn new skills equipped to meet the future,” explains Charles Watkin.

At Nordea, we have designed and built a number of award-winning trainings. We recently received two gold Bandon-Hall Group Excellence Awards for best advance in managing a remote workforce and best use of games or simulations in learning.    

Flipping traditional roles

A mentor is someone who takes a strategic approach to a mentee’s personal and professional development through coaching and role modelling. Mentorship is a highly effective and valuable way to boost individual growth and build new professional relationships across the organisation.

Mentorships at Nordea are twofold. With traditional mentorship, senior employees guide less-experienced employees; with reverse mentorship, senior employees learn from the younger generations.  

“Reverse mentoring is often about junior employees mentoring seniors, but can also be employees from under-represented groups mentoring leaders,” says Charles Watkin.  

He explains that mentoring can be done in different ways, such as traditional 1-to-1 mentoring, group mentoring or peer-to-peer mentoring.

“There are several business benefits to flipping the traditional roles, such as cross-generational inclusion, increased understanding of the diversity in the company and an improved sense of contribution towards the company’s development. These are all benefits that can lead to better understanding of customers’ needs and talent attraction,” Charles Watkin concludes.