Bank promotes family engagement, financial literacy and career awareness through ‘Bring Your Child to Work’ initiative
Children of Polaris Bank employees were given a unique opportunity to experience the workplace through a special initiative designed to combine fun, learning and career awareness, while fostering stronger connections between staff, their families and the organisation.
The programme, tagged “Bring Your Child to Work,” welcomed children aged six and above to participate in interactive activities, tour the bank’s facilities and gain insights into the world of banking. The initiative also introduced the youngsters to the importance of saving, responsible financial habits and the different roles within a professional environment.
Selected through an internal trivia draw conducted among staff, the children had the opportunity to visit their parents’ workplace, meet their colleagues and gain a clearer understanding of what their parents do professionally.
A key feature of the programme was a guided tour of the bank’s premises. The children visited the banking hall and various departments, providing them with firsthand exposure to a professional environment and an understanding of how different teams work together to keep a financial institution running.
Welcoming the participants, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Polaris Bank, Kayode Lawal, urged the children to approach the experience with curiosity while making time to enjoy themselves.
“At Polaris Bank, we believe that work is more than meetings and desks. It is about solving problems, helping people, making life easier, learning, and making a meaningful contribution. So, while you are here today, be curious, ask questions, learn, and most importantly, have fun,” Lawal said.
Lawal, who was represented at the event by the Head of Human Resources, Okanwaju Oyekunle, said the programme was intended to give the children a better appreciation of their parents’ professional lives while broadening their understanding of possible career opportunities.
He encouraged the children not to limit their ambitions, noting that the world of work offered numerous possibilities across different professions.
According to him, some of the participants could grow up to become bankers, entrepreneurs, doctors, engineers, technology professionals or leaders of major organisations.
Children learn the basics of banking
The children also participated in an interactive session led by the bank’s Executive Director, Corporate and Investment Banking, Abimbola Ozomah.
Ozomah introduced the participants to basic banking concepts in a simple and engaging manner. His session covered how banks operate, the importance of saving and the need to develop responsible financial habits from an early age.
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| L-R; Cynthia Sanyaolu Head, Talent Management, Polaris Bank; Bukola Oluyadi, Group Head, Customer Experience & Value Management, Polaris Bank; Olanrewaju Oyekunle, Ag. Chief Talent & Culture Officer, Polaris Bank; Rasheed Bolarinwa, Head, Brand Management & Corporate Communications, Polaris Bank; Abimbola Ozomah, Executive Director, Corporate & Investment Banking, Polaris Bank; Njideka Nwabueze, Head, Retail Banking, Polaris bank & Olamide Adeyeye, Leaning & Development Officer, Polaris Bank at the “Bring Your Child to Work” event in Lagos recently |
Beyond the formal learning sessions, the programme featured activities aimed at encouraging creativity, teamwork, interaction and curiosity. Participants were encouraged to make new friends and engage with one another as they shared their experiences throughout the day.
For the parents, the initiative provided an opportunity to give their children a glimpse into an important part of their daily lives. It also offered a practical way of introducing young people to values such as responsibility, collaboration, service and continuous learning.
The programme further encouraged the children to explore different career possibilities and develop an interest in understanding how organisations and workplaces function.
Building a people-focused workplace
Polaris Bank said the initiative reflects its broader commitment to employee wellbeing and engagement, particularly by recognising the relationship between employees’ professional responsibilities and their family lives.
By allowing staff to share their workplace experiences with their children, the bank said it was creating opportunities for families to connect with an important aspect of employees’ everyday lives while fostering a stronger sense of belonging within the organisation.
The “Bring Your Child to Work” initiative therefore went beyond a routine workplace visit. For the children, it provided an opportunity to explore banking, interact with professionals, ask questions and learn about the values and responsibilities associated with the world of work.
It also gave them a different perspective of their parents, allowing them to see them not only as mothers and fathers but as professionals contributing to the growth and success of an organisation.
Through programmes of this nature, Polaris Bank continues to promote an inclusive workplace culture in which employees and their families are recognised as an important part of the wider organisational community.