The Hindu : New Delhi News : Corporation Bank targets under-graduates for clerical posts

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Friday, Oct 19, 2007
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New Delhi

Corporation Bank targets under-graduates for clerical posts

Ravi Sharma

BANGALORE: In a novel approach aimed at beating the intense competition in the banking industry as well as a growing attrition rate, the Mangalore headquartered Corporation Bank has done away with the long established tradition of recruiting only graduates to the posts of bank clerks.

The thinking is that with powerful transaction engines like Core Banking Solutions firmly in place and with no tallying or any complex accounting practices really necessary, there is no need for graduates to man clerical posts at the counters. The mantra is for clerks not so much with banking skills, but with high grades in customer care and etiquette.

The Bank’s decision to employ even under-graduates to the posts of clerks in its branches around the country – a 10+2 qualification is now sufficient to sit for Corporation Bank’s clerical cadre entrance examination – also reflects the changing attitude among those seeking to get a bank clerk’s job. As a banker said “no more are youngsters looking to be life long bankers, or for a career in banking, what they want is a lucrative job.”

Almost 10,000 Plus 2 (Class 12) candidates recently took Corporation Bank’s clerical cadre entrance examination. Around 100 will be selected and then trained.

Explaining the new strategy to The Hindu, Corporation Bank’s Chairman and Managing Director B. Sambamurthy said that there was no point in trying to compete with the information technology or the BPO industry to recruit graduates. “In the past, for 200 clerical posts, 50,000 graduates would apply. With the filtering process being so severe those who made it were the best, but with the job options available today the best will not be content to remain as bank clerks. It becomes a lose-lose situation for the Bank and the employee.”

Mr. Sambamurthy adds that for clerical work at the counter what is really needed are persons who are friendly with customers, empathises with them and are adept at basic banking skills. “10+2 is the ideal age for recruiting clerical staff. We also do not see too much competition for this talent pool.”

But he also confesses that it will be more of a challenge to train under-graduates. “Yes, it will be a challenge and they will need more frequent training. We will hire under-graduates for their attitude and then give them basic banking skills. We will be also be resorting to e-learning in a big way to impart training.”

The Bank has also hired the services of a leading customer relations expert from the airline industry to advise them on their recruiting and training processes.

The Plus 2 solution is part of the Bank’s slew of out of the box solutions that are aimed at getting fresh talent as well as retaining old hands.

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