NATIONAL TRADITIONS OF RECRUITING BANK PERSONAL

The modern banking system is characterized by selection of more junior staff to work in banks, that gets used to innovations and learns easily. Also fast career growth and replacement of "the older generation" in the banks takes place. However, fortune and prospects of young and ambitious employees is often accompanied by heavy workload and stress of taking important financial decisions. It should be noted that the rapid development of the banking system does not match with the preparation of relevant specialists, making the deficit of staff almost in every bank. 
For contemporary bank managers, the main goal is profit, while employees are considered as one of the resources such as basic tools and electricity and cheapness is the main principle of their selection. Only for those banks, which occupy the dominant position at the market and for which the main task is to improve their activities, the special role is played by the level of staff, its appearance, education and training. That is why it is you personal choice to be either resource or a qualified employee.
According to the statistics by The National Bank of Ukraine, the accountable number of bank employees was 244 686 people at the end of 2007 which is 21% more than in the previous year (201 637). According to annual banks reports for 2006 we can obtain the following data on the costs banks spend on their employees:

We can see the increasing of the expenses for staff per year wich is a positive trend for employees but not for banks. This is due to the expansion of branch networks of banks and to the increasing of the number of personnel, and to a lesser extent – due to the growth of wages. 
Furthermore, no secret that the wages of top-management are much higher than the wages of ordinary workers. Also the rule “the larger bank – the greater wage” does nor work in Ukraine. But in 2006 about 60% of bank staff was the employees of the 10 largest banks of Ukraine (out of 169 banks totally). 

Natalya Novosad, Head of Human Resources Office LB «Ukreximbank», says:
"Our bank is a state bank and therefore our salaries are not too high, but there is a system of bonuses for the work. Our bank has a low turnover of staff, we can recruit to work about 20 new people in a year. Most of these are graduates from institutes and have higher education. First we recruit them for the position of a teller, and then depending on good qualities and desire to work, they might expect their career growth. So almost all heads of offices and departments of the bank began their career from a teller. Also, it is worth to mention that the information that we prefer male to female employees at work is completely false. In general the ratio of our employees in males and females is respectively 45% and 55%. Moreover many women occupy manager positions”.

How to get a job at a bank? The are following three options:

1. Family relationship and contacts.
I started with this option because in the banking tradition of Ukraine this one is the oldest. Because after the collapse of the Soviet Union the process of forming a new private banking system began, and because of the lack of experienced financial leaders working places were occupied by former political (party and Komsomol) “activists”. And all the other jobs were occupied by their relatives who after the closing of companies and plants had no place to work.
The success of future bankers depended on "being at the right place the right time". Some of them managed to obtain higher economic or law education (usually the second in their life, that is praiseful). Those people are forming the "old guard" of banking and occupy high manager positions now.
Fortunately, for many future bank employees, this way of recruiting staff gradually becomes extinct, and is changed by others. Although, it is still often evident. Its biggest drawback is that relatives and friends that you want help in finding work, not always correspond to the high standards which the rest of the bank staff should correspond to. Still, there has been already found a way out – to create such positions, that have to be simply “occupied”, and all the work is done by other employees.

2. Competitive selection.
Recruitment to the bank is done, preferably, by the structural unit of the bank, or rather its leader, where there is a vacant position. And personnel department, at best, is taking part in this process, and in the worst - just does paperwork. The security of the bank is also involved. It checks the personal data of candidates for the criminal past or offenses. In this area one has to mention the security of Pravexbank particularly, which applies the lie detector at work.
Preliminary competitive selection begins with the studying the data of candidates and their resumes. The important point is the correct writing of a resume, since because of inaccuracies or self underestimation you as a candidate may be rejected at the first stage. So pay attention to the existing general requirements and recommendations on writing a resume. Selected candidates are interviewed, and here you need to show your personality and, undoubtedly, knowledge and skills depending on the position you apply for. Increasingly the knowledge of foreign languages is among the prerequisites due to the arrival of foreign investors at the banking market of Ukraine.
Potential employees of the credit department are tested on mathematical and logical problems, and must have knowledge of the credit cycle, collateral assessment, analysis of business and be able to communicate with clients and clearly express their opinion in writing. The conditions of competitive selection are too loyal or do not exist at all for those who are employed to work at a bank using option № 1.

Nadiya Papirko, Head of Sector of Human Resources LB Ukrsotsbank, says:
"We need young, interesting, initiative staff, people who know not only all the banking products, but also know how to sell it, who are able to communicate with the client and convince him in the benefits of a particular banking product. Also a candidate for the job should have higher economic education, according to the classification requirements of the bank, there are age limits not older than 35-45 years. Our Bank annually conducts a nationwide student competition in banking, which reveals not only the theoretical but practical knowledges and personal qualities of students. The winners, in addition to a cash compensation (6, 4 and 2 thousand UAH.) and a gold bullion, have the right to work, or have internship at the bank. Top-100 the best of all students are included into the personnel reserve of bank.
However, even you suitability to all of the requirements of the bank does not guarantee that you will become an employee because the banking sector often uses a probationary period, which precedes the internship (paid or unpaid). This is not only because to test your professional aptitude, but also because each bank has its own objectives and strategies, software, job descriptions and internal regulations regarding the specific work. Without knowing this, you will not be able to work, especially with customers who feel incertitude and ignorance, which can damage the image of a bank.

3. Recruitment agency.
Large banks with high incomes can afford to use the services of recruitment agencies, because the search of professionals must be done by professionals. If the department of personnel is not a professional " staff archeologist”, then the bank will have to pay 20-25% of annual income of the found specialist. Candidates do not pay for finding work - the shortage of staff has changed conditions in the labor market.

Taras Pentsak, top-maneger of the bank "Forum" in Lviv, says:

"Most of all in the future workers of our Bank, we appreciate experience. Even one year of experience gives the candidate a significant advantage, since all banking products are similar, and specific features of work can be learned in a short period. Therefore headhunting (hunt for heads) is widespread among banks. It's no secret that preference is given to young boys, not girls, because they do not go to the maternity leave, and yet experience shows that customers work better with men, not women. Meanwhile other positions at the bank are available for women".
In the Ukrainian society old stereotypes such as "being a banker is prestigious" prevail. I agree with this, if the banker - is the owner of the bank or the head of the bank or at least the head of a branch. All the other positions at the bank (not of the governing but of executive nature) is associated with the work of a clerk, who however, is all called the banker. Therefore, going to work at a bank you should be ready for the eight-hour working day at the computer including a large amount of documents with full awareness of the importance of your decisions because the simple numbers are other people's money for which you are responsible and worst case is all with a smile and infinite love, you're serving not always friendly customers. So here is such a prestigious job at a bank, which may change only in a year or two as a result of your career growth successfully declared by all banks which ultimately often invite " hunted specialists” or even worse – relatives, to governing positions.