Some banks have high welfare to attract scientific and technological talents, but there are deficiencies in the cultivation and use of talents
Bank digital transformation, how to retain talent after attracting talent?
Our reporter Liu Xu
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At present, banks are undergoing digital transformation, and the demand for technological talents is greatly increasing.
For this reason, various banks have significantly increased the recruitment of scientific and technological talents this year, and some banks have even listed it as a special recruitment plan and offered generous terms.
However, how to retain talent after attracting talent is also very important.
In this regard, industry insiders pointed out that to promote the development of financial technology talents, we need to start with recruitment, training and retention.
In addition, we must focus on the demands and pain points of financial technology talents and innovate talent selection methods.
Recently, Xie Hongwen, an employee who has worked in a joint-stock bank in Shenyang for 10 years, has felt the tremendous changes in the bank's talent structure.
The bank has more than 40,000 employees across the country and will recruit more than 3,000 new talents for scientific and technological positions across the country this year.
In addition, if an old employee successfully recommends a scientific and technological talent, he will be rewarded 5,000 yuan.
During the same period, Xie Hongwen's sales outlet in Dadong District, Shenyang City reduced the number of front desk windows from 11 to 3. He also stepped out of the counter and became a marketing manager.
While hiring a large number of people, while slashing staff, it is the epitome of banks seeking digital transformation.
Transformation is already on the way
In 2012, Xie Hongwen joined the bank as a teller as soon as he graduated from university.
At the peak, he was able to handle more than 150 transactions a day, and at that time, the outlets opened 11 windows (including 3 VIP windows).
"At that time, when I went to the cafeteria to eat in shifts at noon, I was jogging. I was so tired that I just wanted to lie at home on the rest day." Xie Hongwen said.
Four years ago, the bank adjusted its business sector and simultaneously reduced the business area and front desk windows of 13 branches in Shenyang, and half of the tellers were transferred to marketing and logistics.
"In fact, it was forced to reduce the business that customers can use mobile phones to do at the counter. In the past few years, the counter business has been greatly reduced, and 8 transactions were done in at least one day." Xie Hongwen said.
According to data from the China Banking Service Report 2020 by the China Banking Association, in 2020, the number of off-the-counter transactions of banking financial institutions reached 370.872 billion, an increase of 14.59% year-on-year; the average electronic channel diversion rate of the banking industry was 90.88%.
Beginning in August this year, the four major state-owned banks and some joint-stock banks have successively issued recruitment announcements for the fall of 2022.
After searching, the reporter found that various banks have significantly increased the recruitment of scientific and technological talents this year, and some banks even listed it as a special recruitment plan.
For example, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China has set up "Professional Talent Program" and "Technology Elite Program" to provide talent reserves for emerging businesses, key businesses and comprehensive support positions, as well as product research and development, user research, and big data analysis. "Technology Talent Post" and "Information Technology Post"; Postal Savings Bank of China separately listed the "Head Office Information Technology Line"; Bank of Communications and other institutions have specified in the recruitment announcement that financial technology related majors are preferred.
In terms of salary and benefits, the reporter found that in order to compete for scientific and technological talents, a joint-stock bank’s Shenyang branch gave 12 benefits for science and technology jobs, including welfare subsidies, paid annual leave, corporate annuities, supplementary medical insurance, housing subsidies, health checkups, Staff dormitory, filial piety fund, heatstroke prevention and cooling fee, holiday benefits, birthday benefits and child insurance.
The key to digital transformation is talent
Today, Xie Hongwen is busy instructing customers to open and cancel cards using smart devices.
“It’s full of discomfort. If the smart devices in the lobby are faulty, report for repairs. I am vaguely answered when customers inquire about online business. The key is not knowing technology.” Xie Hongwen felt that the key to the bank’s digital transformation is talents. .
"In the past, bank recruitment focused on absorbing professional talents. Those who can learn computers but don't understand economics, and those who understand economics don't have a computer foundation." said Chen Hong, the former general manager of the human resources department of a joint-stock bank Shenyang branch.
In recent years, colleges and universities across the country have successively opened financial technology majors, but the curriculum settings lack uniform standards and norms. Many colleges and universities simply combine financial and computer courses, resulting in a low degree of matching between recruited newcomers and positions.
Talent training is also difficult to satisfy. Chen Hong introduced that the bank where she worked has its own learning system and will regularly launch online training courses.
However, the trainees said that most of the training lecturers are experts in cloud computing and big data, and they don't know the bank or the business. They can only learn the "skins" of digitalization.
There are not many trainings for science and technology posts, because science and technology talents are mainly concentrated in the information research and development center of the headquarters or provincial platforms, a small amount are scattered across the country, and the rest are in the outsourcing technology subsidiaries of banks.
In addition, there are few opportunities for rotation of science and technology posts. Basically, the "round" goes out and the "round" does not come back.
After working in the bank's internal information technology post for 8 years, Wu Qiming believes that he has the most say in the bank's ailments.
In 2019, the bank developed a non-performing asset disposal OL system, and it took a whole year, mainly to integrate technology and business.
"We invited 103 salespersons from all over the country to test, and the salespersons put forward the requirements, and then we improved the interface and backend. If there are people who understand both banking and software engineering, you don't have to be so close."
Wu Qiming, who graduated with a major in computer science, first came to the bank to work for stability.
The bank’s science and technology post is mainly responsible for network security and stability, and the application of technology is more conservative and cautious. You don’t need to be a “code farmer” like in an Internet company. It is also better than going to research institutes and institutions.
However, it was this "stability" that prevented him from being promoted.
In March of this year, he has already jumped to an Internet company.
Retaining talents requires multiple measures
In recent years, with the blessing of artificial intelligence, big data, cloud computing and other technologies, the financial technology industry is becoming a promising innovative format.
58. The data from the "Financial Technology Talents Job Search Report" released by 58.com in August this year shows that up to now, the total demand for information technology talents in China is as high as 15 to 20 million.
"To promote the development of financial technology talents, we need to start with recruitment, training and retention." Hao Hongbin, general manager of Liaoning Bailian Talent Management Co., Ltd. suggested that first of all, we must make accurate portraits for financial technology talents in specific positions and establish scientific and professional selection standards.
At the same time, with reference to Internet companies, improve the rank system and attract high-end technology, Internet and other cross-industry talents.
In addition, we must focus on the demands and pain points of financial technology talents and innovate talent selection methods.
Chen Hong suggested based on his experience that, in terms of talent training, banks should set up a professional training department to help technicians improve their functions, and employees can choose training courses based on their job level.
It is necessary to provide flexible career development options for technical expert talents, and establish a "dual-channel" development model for financial technology talents with parallel professional and management sequences.
Establish a talent exchange and cooperation mechanism, with the development of technological capabilities as the core, and cultivate compound talents in business, technology, and data.
"High salary is better than high salary to support people." Wu Qiming said, what banks should do most is to improve the financial technology line salary system and welfare guarantee system, and do a good job of guaranteeing the lives of talents.
In terms of scientific and technological innovation and investment in scientific and technological personnel, stable and reasonable cost support shall be provided to encourage talent innovation.