"It is important to bring out the employees' perspective"
From being a member of the student council and spokesperson for colleagues in the military to becoming a union representative (TR) in 1st line Financial Crime Risk. For Nicolai Alexander Möller, it is the desire to help others in their working life. Read about what, according to Nicolai, you will gain if you choose to become a TR at Danske Bank.
In elementary school, Nicolai Alexander Möller was a member of the student council. In the military, he was the spokesperson for his colleagues. Therefore, it was natural for Nicolai Alexander Möller to step up when there was an open position as a union representative (in Danish abbreviated to TR) in 1st line Financial Crime Risk.
"My primary motivation for becoming a TR is the desire to help others. It's important that the employees' perspective is brought forward, and that the employees feel heard," says Nicolai about the TR role.
He sees one of his primary tasks as gathering employees' viewpoints and conducting regular temperature checks on the staff, then communicating these to management.
"Messages can often become diluted when they go through various layers. Here, the union representative plays a crucial role in conveying how the employees are feeling – both in terms of general well-being and also if there are specific actions or initiatives underway that could affect the employees' well-being or work pressure," he says.
What you Gain as a union representative
Nicolai has been a union representative for nearly two years. When asked what one gains from being a union representative, he promptly answers:
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You gain influence over decisions.
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You gain access to knowledge about what is happening in the bank – both in your own department and broadly within the corporation.
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You learn about employee rights, and you are well-prepared for the TR role through TR training.
"As a TR, you gain access to education and knowledge that you would not otherwise have access to. You also enter decision-making spaces and meet leaders you wouldn't without the TR hat," he says.
Nicolai has a master's degree in business economics and psychology. Specifically, the skills from psychology can be very useful in the TR role.
"Having a background in psychology has definitely helped me in the TR role. But if you don't have these skills when you become a TR, you quickly acquire them once you are in the role. The learning curve is steep, and you are well-supported with education and mentoring through the Finance Union," he says.
Learn more about the TR role and how to run for it
Watch a video with Anders and Louise, who are also union representatives at Danske Bank, debunk myths about the TR role, and read Q&A.