Winning Secrets: Humanising HR at Bank Indonesia through empathy, storytelling, and AI
Summary
At Bank Indonesia, Ias Ari Mahaputra Naibaho and the Policy and Culture Management Division tackled a persistent engagement issue they called the ‘LOL problem’ (low awareness, overload of formal communication, lack of adoption). Rather than more policy documents, they prioritised empathy and storytelling—creating “Tribe” short-form content—alongside technology: a PowerApps FAQ (MSDM) and an AI chatbot, APSI, to make HR guidance easier to find and use.
They balanced creative, relatable content with the compliance needs of a central bank by using surveys to soften tone, co-creating with interns, culture ambassadors and the BI Employee Union (IPEBI), and improving distribution with email-signature placements and WhatsApp stickers. Early wins included a +1,426 spike in MSDM usage in one day, APSI and MSDM handling nearly 300 questions a month, and almost 1 million total views across platforms. The work won Ias a silver ‘Young HR Talent of the Year’ trophy and earned Bank Indonesia bronze for ‘Excellence in HR Communication Strategy’ at the HR Excellence Awards 2025 (Indonesia).
Key Points
- The ‘LOL problem’ identified: low awareness, communication overload, and poor policy adoption.
- Empathy-led storytelling (Tribe) and short-form video made policy relatable and shareable.
- PowerApps FAQ (MSDM) and AI chatbot APSI improved access to HR information and reduced daily workload.
- Co-creation with interns, culture ambassadors and IPEBI distributed content effort and boosted authenticity.
- Distribution tweaks (email signatures, WhatsApp stickers, Instagram) drove engagement and reach—nearly 1 million views.
- Measured impact: MSDM spike of +1,426 in one day; ~300 queries answered per month via tools; award recognition.
Why should I read this?
Want HR fixes that actually work? This is a neat, practical case of a central bank using simple human-centred tactics plus AI to lift engagement and cut workload. Short videos, co-creation and a chatbot—not rocket science, but measurable wins. Read it for actionable ideas you can steal and adapt.
Author’s take
Punchy and practical: empathy first, then tech. The article is worth reading closely if you work in HR transformation or internal comms—there are repeatable steps here, not just theory.