Social dimension

The Bank has established a continuous dialogue with internal and external stakeholders in order to find out their needs and expectations, seeking to respond to them with the most innovative solutions and the use of the best technologies available.

The institution's social commitment is established in seven lines of action with a large number of programmes in which the participation of the main internal and external stakeholders is sought to carry them out.

Accessibility and financial inclusion

This is behind the ‘A bank for all’ project, that develops the Bank's inclusive strategy, with its firm commitment to making all its relationship channels with its stakeholders accessible. Bankinter particularly takes into consideration disabled and elderly people by aiming to offer them a quality service adapted to their needs.

This includes physical, digital and cognitive accessibility. 

To ensure continuous improvement in management of its physical accessibility, Bankinter has implemented a Universal Access Management System (UAM), certified by AENOR under standard UNE 170001 and it has been implemented in the Bank's headquarters (Paseo de la Castellana, 29, Madrid) and in seven branches located in various different organisations. 

In 2017, the scope of this certification was extended to include the new landmark Bankinter building in Alcobendas, Madrid. In addition, the accessibility criteria included in the works manual have been applied in both the remodelled and new branch offices in Spain and Portugal.

Given the high percentage of banking transactions that Bankinter customers execute on remote channels, equipping these remote channels with the utmost accessibility has been considered a priority.

In terms of digital accessibility, the objective set is that both the contents and the services offered through the Bankinter websites are accessible for all its customers, in line with the recommendations of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) through its WACG 2.0 guidelines. 

Among the accessible services provided by the Bank are the Braille coordinates card for phone transactions, monthly statements in audio and large print formats, an accessible video player, and the advisory service by video-calls in sign language.

With respect to cognitive accessibility, the bank has made a Clear Finance Dictionary available to customers. Developed by Bankinter in collaboration with the Instituto de Empresa, it has tried to explain the meanings of the most commonly used banking terms to make them easier for everyone to understand.

The new Commercial Protocol used by Bank employees includes service guidelines for differently abled people for each phase of commercial activity.

Advanced employee management

This line covers the voluntary adoption of internal social responsibility policies, that go beyond mere compliance with the law, seeking to attend to employees' needs as a strategic stakeholder group.

In addition to complying with regulations on risk prevention and occupational health, the Bank has a health and safety at work management system certified under OHSAS 18001 in work centres in Portugal.

Bankinter has also launched a series of initiatives to strengthen the wellbeing of its employees, in terms of their professional and personal life, such as Health Week, which includes ergonomics and nutrition courses, advice for optimising physical exercise, and the Summer School, where training and recreational courses aimed at promoting health and wellbeing are given.

In 2017, the Bank was once again awarded the family-responsible company (FRC) seal.

The bank's advanced people management was highlighted in 2017, in surveys conducted by Top Employer, and Merco Talento.

Corporate volunteering

In 2017 Bankinter has introduced the new corporate volunteering portal, Mueve.te
with the assistance of the Fundación Hazlo Posible (Make it Possible Foundation), with the aim of obtaining the engagement and involvement of the workforce, and of undertaking activities which have a major social impact; strengthening the Bank's organisational culture and developing new skills among volunteers. 

In 2017, the proportion of the workforce involved in volunteer days remained at 14%. Participation was recorded of over 1,000 employees and their family members in a total of 84 technical, environmental and social activities, reaching a total of 1,617 direct beneficiaries.

Bankinter also wants to ensure financial integration through technical volunteering activities providing financial education programmes aimed at various different groups, with learning disabilities and/or sensory impairment, secondary school students, young entrepreneurs and people in risk of social exclusion. Such initiatives also helps to develop specific employee skills, such as having the ability to adapt so that they can communicate with anyone, regardless of their abilities and knowledge.

The following activities stood out in 2017:

Participation in the third edition of the 'Your Finances, Your Future' project, promoted by the Spanish Banking Association (AEB) with the collaboration of the Junior Achievement Foundation, its mission is to develop the skills and knowledge of secondary school students on managing personal finances. 

Bankinter customised financial education programme. During 2017 this programme was delivered to groups from the Estudiantes/Grupo Amás, Integra, Prodis, Ajuda de Mãe, Associação Novo Futuro foundations and Centro Educativo Caxias. 

Financial education programme in sign language, together with CNSE (Spanish National Confederation of Deaf People). with the aim of providing accessible education and knowledge to deaf people through sign language, helping them to maintain their independence in relation to the use of banking terminology and transactions. 

Mentoring programme. targeted at students with learning disabilities in the CAMPUS Project of the Carmen Pardo-Valcarce Foundation, in order to develop their skills and facilitate their social and occupational integration. 

Mentoring project ‘I've got potential’, with the Portuguese Cadin Foundation, to help the integration into the workforce of young people with Asperger syndrome.

Company programme with the Junior Achievement Portugal Foundation, considered an example of good practice by the European Commission. This initiative aims to encourage the entrepreneurial spirit in secondary schools students. 

'Brazo Directo' programme with the Junior Achievement Portugal Foundation, initiative which allows young people to experience the real business world by taking them to a workplace for a day.

Innovation Challenge programme with the Junior Achievement Portugal Foundation. An initiative which asks students to solve a problem based on a real situation from the business world. 

Participation as the jury in the first Financial Innovation Camp organised by Junior Achievement Foundation and the AEB for third and fourth year secondary school students, who produce designs of apps that help with financial decision making.

Partnerships with the third (or voluntary) sector

The Bank establishes continuous dialogue with the communities in which it operates, whereby it identifies and attempts to respond to their needs, expectations and motivations. In order to establish valuable relationships with these communities, it enters into strategic alliances with local third-sector organisations. 

In order to efficiently manage its relationship with the third sector, the Bank has adopted the methodology developed by the London Benchmarking Group (LBG), which measures, manages, assesses and disseminates the contributions, achievements and impact of social action in the community and in the environment.

As a member of the United Nations Global Compact Network Spain, Bankinter assumes the commitment to incorporate its ten principles into the Bank's business activities.

In addition, as a promoting partner of the Lealtad Foundation, a non-profit institution whose objective is to provide accreditation for associations and foundations involved in social action, development cooperation and humanitarian action that comply with the nine transparency and good practice principles. 

The Bank is a sponsor of Forética, an association of companies that promotes corporate social responsibility and sustainability in Spain and Latin America. It is also a member of the executive committee of its governing board.

In 2017, the Bank was once again awarded the family-responsible company (FRC) certification.

The Bank also encourages dialogue with associations and foundations through the development of products and services for charitable purposes that it makes available to the third sector, such as the Bankinter Solidarity Card (the fees from which are given to social projects included in the Involvement and Solidarity programme).

The Bank has also been a pioneer in presenting Bizum Solidario, a service that facilitates micro-donations made using mobile phones without the need for an IBAN. To date the organisations that are part to this service are Cruz Roja Española, Cáritas, Acnur, Banco de Alimentos, Niños con Cáncer, Cooperación Internacional, Amigos de los Mayores and Aspanion Valencia.

Given that they are a significant stakeholder, Bankinter strengthened its support for entrepreneurs, as the engine for revitalising the economy and a long-term source of job creation and wealth. In addition to the Entrepreneurs programme developed by the Foundation, the bank supported the following initiatives:

Collaboration programme with SECOT (Spanish Seniors for Technical Cooperation) on a platform for both retired and active executives to enable them to convey their knowledge on a voluntary and altruistic basis to innovative entrepreneurs and micro-enterprises through training programmes.

Collaboration agreement with the Integra Foundation to provide workshopsspan class="naranja" on financial education and social and occupational inclusion.

Involvement in the organisation twelfth edition of the Mashumano Youth Awards, recognising those entrepreneurs who provide innovative, sustainable and socially responsible solutions. The Bank sponsored this year's event in the category, ‘Best solution for helping to integrate differently abled people’, taking part in the processes of selection, training and financing of the winner. 

Financing of support workshops for young entrepreneurs with environmental impact initiatives, organised by the start-up Greenweekend, with five events held in 2017, as meeting points for green entrepreneurship.

Sponsorship of the young entrepreneur projects of the Junior Achievement Foundation in Portugal.

The following are some of the other solidarity initiatives carried out in 2017:

Holding of the sixth edition of the Involvement and Solidarity programme. A 360º initiative through which ten social projects are being financed, at a total amount of 55,000 euros. It involves various of the Bank's stakeholder groups: customers, who use the Bankinter Solidarity Visa; employees, who submitted 200 social projects; society, which participates in and disseminates the project in the social networks; and the Bank's executives, who act as sponsor or ‘godfather’ to the projects. 

Financing of the COCEMFE employee portal which in 2017 enabled the integration
of women with disabilities into the workforce.

Organisation of the Bankinter Portugal Social Awards to recognise initiatives with a high social impact.

The fourth edition of the Innovation, Sustainability and Network Awards organised with Expansión and Viesgo, and with the technical advice of the IE Business School. Recognising the most outstanding projects by large and medium-sized companies and institutions that contain aspects of social and environmental responsibility.

Rollout of the Christmas campaigns: 'A Smile for Christmas' toy collection among employees, organised by Cooperación Internacional, a NGO providing for over 900 children in centres and associations for poor families throughout Spain. Campaign to provide leisure activities and visits for the elderly at the Terra dos Sonhos Foundation in Portugal. Campaign of food collections with food banks in Portugal.

Second edition of the Bankinter Madrid-Lisbon Solidarity Challenge. A virtual race in which the employees, families and friends run for a charitable cause, accumulating a total of 7,903 km. As a result of this initiative, a donation was made for a social mentoring project to the Junior Achievement Foundation.

Bankinter Innovation Foundation

The Bank is sponsor of the Bankinter Innovation Foundation, an organisation that promotes innovation and entrepreneurship as the driving forces in creating sustainable wealth in Spain and Portugal.