An Evaluation of Human Resource Management Practices of the City Bank Limited

Introduction:

The City Bank Limited is a full service scheduled commercial bank. It has both local and International Institutional shareholder. The bank is primarily driven with a view of creating opportunities and pursuing market niches not traditionally meet by conventional banks. The City Bank has been motivated to provide “best-in-the-class” services to its diverse assortment of customers spread across the country under an on-line banking.

Today, The City Bank is one of the fastest growing banks in the country. In order to support the planned growth of its distribution, network and its various business segments, The City Bank is currently looking for impressive goal oriented, enthusiastic, individuals for various business operations.

The bank wants to build a profitable and socially responsible financial institution. It carefully listen to the market and business potentials, It is also assisting The City Bank and stakeholders to build a progressive, healthy, democratic and poverty free Bangladesh.

The internship program of MBA is a partial requirement to take a taste of real life challenge conducted by the intern. It is an important part of MBA program. This report presents the outcomes of the study during the internship of The City Bank Limited.

Origin of the Study:

I have conducted this report on “an evaluation of Human Resource Management Practices

of the City Bank Limited”. My hoarier supervising Professor Dr. Sirajul Islam assigned this topic, Dean, Faculty of Business Administration, Eastern University

Objectives of the Study:

The broad objective of the report is to provide overall Human Resource Management Practices of the City Bank Limited.

 General Objective –

• To fulfill the requirements of MBA degree.

Specific objectives —

• To describe the Human Resource Management Practices of the City Bank Limited.
• To find-out the selection, training, promotion and development process in HRM division of the City Bank Limited.
• To recommend necessary steps to overcome the Problems and make possible improvement in the future.

Methodology:

The type of method used in this report is mainly of a descriptive nature. To meet the objectives of the study, I realized that a single method would not be effective. Formal & oral discussion, direct observation, and printed papers of the Bank were found useful. Both primary and secondary sources were used here.

 Nature of Study:

This is exploratory type of research. Information has collected and finish the report in both Primary and Secondary sources.

Sources of Data Collection:

The data are collected from two sources —

               I.  Primary sources:

• Practical banking work.
• Discussion with the employees of the City Bank limited.
• Personal Observation.

II. Secondary sources:

• Annual report, publications, training materials
• Periodical statements of the bank, brochures, booklets etc.
• Official Website of the City Bank Ltd.
• Documentary file of the City Bank Ltd.

Data Process and Analysis:

• Collected information based on my own experience.
• Detailed analysis, working variable future projection and working  definitions are incorporated in the report.

Limitation of the Study:

Human Resource Department is the most confidential department for any organization in the City Bank Limited. Here as an intern I am allowed to get limited information for my study. I am not allowed to get the information which is too much confidential for the Bank. So in my report all the information I have learnt from my Work.

Historical Background:

The City Bank Limited., one of the latest generations of commercial banks, which started its journey on the 4^th of July 2001 with a vision to be the absolute market leader. The City Bank ltd. is a commercial bank scheduled bank extending full range of banking facilities as per the directives of Bangladesh bank. It intends to set standards as the absolute market leader by providing efficient, friendly and modern fully automated on-line service on a profitable basis. The City Bank in surviving in the large arena through its unique and competitive products and it is the only local bank providing 100% integrated on-line banking.

The bank is mainly owned by privatize bank in Bangladesh-The City Bank ltd. has positioned itself as a new generation Bank with a focus to meet diverse financial need a growing and developing economy.

Organizational Overview:

The City Bank Limited, with institutional shareholdings by  International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Shore cap International, has been the fastest growing Bank in 2005and 2006. At the year end of 2006, The City Bank ltd .had recorded a 103 percent growth in assets, and a 65 percent growth in liabilities, with an operating profit of 84 percent over the previous year 2005.

A fully operational commercial bank, The City Bank ltd. focuses on pursuing unexplored market niches in the Small and Medium Enterprise Business, which hitherto has remained largely untapped within the country. In the last four years of operation, the Bank has disbursed over BDT 1200 crore in loans to nearly 32,000 small and medium entrepreneurs. The management of the Bank believes that this sector of the economy can contribute the most to the rapid generation of employment in Bangladesh.

Company Profile:

The City Bank Limited, with institutional shareholdings by International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Shore cap International, has been the fastest growing Bank the Bank operates under a “double bottom line” agenda where profit and social responsibility go hand in hand. A fully operational Commercial Bank, The City Bank ltd. focuses on pursuing unexplored market niches in the Small and Medium Enterprise Business, which hitherto has remained largely untapped within the country. In the last six years of operation, the Bank has disbursed over BDT 7500 crore in loans to nearly 200,000 small and medium entrepreneurs. The management of the Bank believes that this sector of the economy can contribute the most to the rapid generation of employment in Bangladesh. Since inception in July 2001, the Bank’s footprint has grown to 56 branches, 30 SME Service Centers, 427 SME unit offices and 112 ATM sites across the country, and the customer base has expanded to 465,000 deposit and 187,000 advance accounts till December 2008. In the years ahead The City Bank ltd. expects to introduce many more services and products as well as add a wider network of SME unit offices, Retail Branches and ATMs across the country.

 Vision of the Bank:

To be the leading Bank in the country with best practices and highest social commitment.

Mission of the Bank:

• To become the second largest bank in Bangladesh.
• Recruit the best from the applicants who can be a good resource to the bank.
• Motivate the employees by ensuring attractive salary and wages payments.
• Controlling the employees by using both X & Y motivation theories.
• Constant growth in ‘Small & Medium Enterprise’ sector.
• Manage and control the organizational relationships and responsibilities

Organizational Structure:

The board of directors is the top management and policy making comity of The City Bank Limited. Presently the board consists of a chairman and four directors. It is to be noted that the managing director, is also a member of the board.

The directors are appointed from amongst those who have had experiences and shown capacity in the field of finance and banking, trade, commerce, industry etc.

The chief operations officer executes all the activities under the directions of the board.

The officer and the other line and staff personnel are appointed by the bank’s own recruitment committee of Human resource Division.

Departments of the City Bank Limited:

The City Bank Limited has 26 departments in three different criteria.

The Departments are-

• Business:
• Support:
• Operations:

Employee of the City Bank Limited:

The City Bank Limited has in different employee’s criteria. There are different types of employees working in different places inside The City Bank ltd. The types of employees are-

Regular employee:

The permanent stuffs are known as regular employees. The regular employees are allowed to get the bonus, incentives and other allowances with their basic salaries. And these types of employees also have the benefit of gating extra facilities the The City Bank Limited is providing for their employees.

HR Staff:

HR temporary contract are for those categories whose Job description is such, where he/she needs to be under the direct supervision of Bank’s authority, whose performance is monitored by the Bank Management.

Outsource Stuff:

Other contractual employees are not entitled for any service agreement. They will be recruited through outsource agencies. The requirement of any support staff through outsource agency must come through HR signed by the Division Head. HR will send the requirement to provide staff by the Outsource Agency.

Intern:

To encourage and help human resource development in the financial industry the Bank may decide to offer internship programs to individuals or educational institutions. The decision to enter such an engagement will be decided by the MD& CEO on the recommendation of the Department Head.

Management Trainee Officer (MTO):

Management Trainee Officers highly qualified students of The City Bank Limited. The MTO’s are regular employee but they have to learn as a student inside BRAB Bank for the period of one year. After one year if they can complete their learning period successfully they will become a senior officer directly from the MTO.

Management Team:

Management team of THE CITY Bank includes the following positions and each position contains one member.

Managing Director & CEO

Deputy Managing Director

Chief Information Officer

Head of Credit

Company Secretary & Head of Regulatory & Internal Control

Head of Probashi Banking

Head of Human Resource Management

Head of Treasury & Financial Institution

Head of Marketing & Corporate Affairs

Head of Corporate Banking

Head of Impaired Asset Management

Head of Enterprise Risk Management

Chief Financial Officer

Head of Technology

Head of Retail Banking

Definition of Human Resource Management (HRM):

According to Garry Dessler, HRM is the policies and practices that one needs to carry out the “people” or human resource aspects of a management position, including recruiting, screening, training, rewarding and appraising.

Definition of Selection:

The selection process is a series of specific steps used to decide which recruits should be hired. The process begins when recruits apply for employment and ends with the hiring decision. According to Dale Yoder, “selection is the process by which candidates for employment are divided into two classes those who will be offered for employment and those who will not.”

Definition of Training:

Training consists of planned programs designed to improve performance at the individual, group and organizational or organizational levels. Improved performance in turn implies that there have been measurable changes in knowledge, skills, attitude and social behavior.

According to Griffen, “training usually refers to the teaching operational or technical employees how to do the job for which they are hired.” 

Definition of Development:

Employee development, by design, is more future oriented and more concerned with education than employee job specific training. According to Griffen, “development refers to teaching managers and professionals the skill needed for both present and future jobs.”

Employee developments methods are:

• Job rotation
• Assistant- to positions
• Committee assignment
• Lecture courses & seminars

Training and Development program of The City Bank Limited:

Human Resource development is an essential pre-requisite to achieving organizational goals. Continuous training of the employees and executives is aimed at capacity and professional skill building throughout the year .The City Bank Limited has an established resourceful training institute .Experienced banker’s work as faculty members under the direct guidance of a director

Training is a learning experience in that it seeks a relatively permanent change in an individual that will improve his /her ability to perform on the job. We typically say training can involve the changing of skill, knowledge, attitudes or social behavior. It is application of knowledge.

Development is a related process. It covers not only those activities which improve job performance but also those which bring growth of the personality; help individuals to the progress toward maturity and actualization of their potential capacities so that they become not only good employees but better men and women. The most popular training methods used by The City Bank Limited can be classified as either on the job or off the job training.

 On – the – Job Training:

The most widely used methods of training take place on the job. This can be attributed to the simplicity of such methods and the impressions that try are less costly to operate. On -the -job training places the employees in an actual work situation and makes them appear to be immediately productive. It is learning by doing.

One of the drawbacks to on the job training can be low productivity while the employees develop their skills.

Off- the -Job -Training:

Off-the -job training cover a number of techniques classroom lectures, films demonstrations, case studies and other simulation exercises, and programmed instruction. The facilities needs for each of these techniques vary for small makeshift classroom to an elaborate development center with large lecture halls, supplemented by small conference rooms with sophisticated audiovisual equipment, two many mirrors, and all the frills.

Training Needs and Priorities of The City Bank Limited:

Now that we have an understanding of what should include we can look at how we assess whether there is a need for training. We propose that management can determine this by answering four questions:

(1) What are the organization’s goals?

(2) What tasks must be completed to achieve these goals?

(3) What behaviors are necessary for each job incumbent to complete his/her assigned tasks?

(4) What deficiencies, if any, do incumbent have in the skills, knowledge or attitudes required to perform the necessary behaviors?

Training will be its judged by its contribution to performance where performance is a functional of skills, abilities, motivation, and the opportunity to perform. Manager must compare the value received from the increase in performance. That can be attributed to training with the costs incurred in that training. The desire for improved worker productivity cannot e approached in a vacuum. The benefits that accrue from training must exceed the costs incurred.

Steps in the Evaluation of training and Development:

• Evaluation criteria
• pretest trained or developed-
• Workers  posttest
• Transfer to the job
•  Follow-up-studies

Rewards & Control Systems:

Rewards & Control Systems are meticulously refined to reinforce behavior that is deemed pivotal to succession the market place. The employees who don’t adhere to the cultural and behavioral norms of the organization, due to dissonance between the values of the individual and the values of the organization; are given a clear warning to either shape up or ship out.

The City Bank Ltd. Human Resource Department:

Human resource department in The City Bank ltd. exist to help people and organization reach their goals. Along the way, they face many challenges arising from the demands of the employees, the organization, the society. The domestic and international environments are the particularly turbulent because of the growing challenges also result from ever changing laws, especially laws that address the need for equal employment opportunity. Within these constraints, the human resource department of The City Bank ltd. must contribute to the organization’s “bottom line” in ways that are both ethical and socially responsible.

Functions of Human Resource Division:

The City Bank Ltd has a fully functional Human Resources Division (HRD) supported by manpower. The HRD of the City Bank Limited performs the following functions:

• Selection and Recruitment.
• Training and Development of Employees.
• Compensation and Benefits Planning.
• Promotion Planning.
• Making Reward and Recognition Policies.
• Policy Formulation for Staff Loans (Car/Housing).
• Policies for Resignation or Termination from Services.
• Employee Gratuity Fund Policy Formulation.
• Employee Provident Fund Policy Formulation.
• Employee Welfare Fund Policy Formulation.

Human Resource Division’s Wings:

Human Resource Division of the City Bank Limited has work with six wings. The wings are-

• Recruitment.
• Administration.
• Training.
• Pay Benefits. &
• Performance Appraisal
• MIS & Strategic Planning.

Selection and Recruitment:

Selection and Recruitment is an integral part of any organization that heavily depends on their workforce to successfully perform their mission and achieve their vision in the long run. Thus appropriate selection of candidates to join in the workforce is a necessary part of Human Resource Management, which is ensured by the Human Resource Division in The City Bank Limited.

Recruitment Process:

For the recruitment The City Bank Limited use the following process

Direct Recruitment:

The the City Bank Limited has a CV Bank in HRD. In direct recruitment the HRD short list the CVs from the CV Bank or collect the CVs that referred by the employees of The City Bank Limited for direct interview for the specific selected post.

Through Advertisement:

Sometimes the HRD of the City Bank Limited can’t able to short list CVs for specific post from their CV Bank. In this situation the HRD advertise of recruitment in specific post mentioning the job description with the minimum requirement that the applicant should have for the post. And collect CVs which are being specified according to the requirement that has been published in the advertisement. After that the CVs will be short listed and the recruitment procedure will go according to the direct recruitment process.

Internal Job Posting:

For any kind of internal job search it will operate through a circular as lotus notes or board notice. Any existing staff other than permanent also HR Temporary (minimum one year with The City Bank Limited) & outsource staff (minimum three years with The City Bank Limited). Only the Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer can allow exceptions. Job specification will be clarified in that circular and interested candidates will have full liberty to apply subsequent to the clearance from respective line manager.

Promotion:

Promotion can be used as an effective tool for recruitment as it can serve the internal purpose for recruitment within the organization. Promotion may also take place if the job size increased and the MD/ Management Committee decide(s) to upgrade the job upon recommendation of the respective Department Head or Line Manager. The process of upgrading a job will have to be undertaken through a process of reviewing the Job Content, Responsibilities, Dimensions, Changes in the Organization Structure, etc. Full justification of the necessity of the change must be presented.

Transfer on deputation:

Based on requirements and needs bank can adopt that policy after taking the approval from MD’s Offices.

Contract as specialist/consultant/counsel

It is not a post of regular employee. It is a contractual job and these persons are directly appointed by MD with the reference of the Chairman/ Board of Directors or Management Committee.

 Recruitment Budget:

• Managing Director & CEO will determine and analyze the necessity of manpower based on recruitment required by the Departments and projected budget based on the year after discussing with different department heads. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the management to examine the work load and carry out the job analysis and as well as looking into the real requirement of employees under various categories, to see whether an additional hand is really necessary
• Board of directors holds the authority to finally decide any matter regarding any sort of recruitment. Besides they are the supreme authority to create any kind of new position.
• THE CITY Bank must recognize the importance of manpower estimation and accordingly an Organ gram should be prepared for the Bank and for each Division & Branch. The Organ gram shall however, not be rigid, it may be reviewed and revised when necessary from time to time. Subject to review from time to time, the competent authority as per power delegated by the Board will make the appointments.

Recruitment Policy:

• All regular employees will appointed by the Managing Director.
• All HR contract and outsource contract employees will be appointed by The Head of Human Resource Division.
• The schedule of recruitment will be created according to the Service Level Agreement (SLA).
• The interview board will with The Head of Department of that post, The Supporting Department Head and The Head of HRD.

Administration:

The Administration is the wing that maintains and controls the employees of The City Bank Limited. The administration has to go with the following work.

Promotion:

Promotion is a continuous process by which the employee motivates for batter work; get the price for employee’s better work. In The City Bank there are two types of promotions-

Regular Promotion: Regular promotion is given according to the employee’s regular performance. When the supervisor or department head of the employee evaluate that his employee is become an asset for the bank and deserve promotion then the supervisor or the department head take a promotion appraisal form from HRD and recommended the employee for promotion.

PM Promotion: Performance Matter (PM) is the annual performance report of individual employee of The City Bank Limited. According to Performance Matter ranking scale the employee can get promotion in the job grade of their own.

Training:

After recruiting a potential candidate the next important function of HRD is to orient the new entrant to the organization and providing the employees with all the necessary knowledge about their duties and responsibilities. This is done to ensure effective input from the employees into the organization thus, their most efficient level of performance. The training program used in the organization also ensures employee retention to The City Bank Limited spending in training programs for employees is not an expense, but an investment.

The training program includes:

• Orientation Training
• In-house training
• Job specific training
• Need based local/foreign training
• Peer or Supervisor’s coaching
• E-learning: Online training and evaluation

Performance Management:

Performance appraisal is the process of assessing employee’s past performance, primarily for reward, promotion and staff development purposes. Performance appraisal is a process that identifies, evaluates and develops employee performance to meet organizational goals.

Purposes of Performance appraisal in The City Bank Limited:

• To review past performance
• To assess training needs
• To help develop individuals
• To audit the skills within an organization
• To   set targets for future performance
• To identify potential for promotion
• To provide legal & formal justification for employment decision
• To diagnose the hidden problems of an organization

Performance Appraisal Process:

• Supervisors
• Subordinates
• Peers
• Clients / Customers
• Self appraisal
• 180/360 degree approach

 Approaches to measuring employee performance in The City Bank Limited:

There is various kind of method for measuring performance appraisal. Only two type of Performance method are at bellow:

360-degree feedback: One currently popular methods of Performance appraisal is called 360-degree feedback. With this method managers peers, suppliers are ask to complete questionnaire. The questionnaire is generally lengthy.

Experience based: The City Bank Limited measures the performance of employee by experience. For example MR. X has been working in the organization for three years and MR, Y has been working in The City Bank Limited for two years. So The City Bank favors MR. X for his more experience.

Job Evaluation:

Meaning of Job evaluation:  Job evaluation is an–

Orderly and systematic techniques of determining the relative worth of various jobs within the organization, So as to develop an equitable wage and salary structure.

The two most common methods of job evaluation that have been used are first, whole job ranking, where jobs are taken as a whole and ranked against each other. The second method is one of the awarding points for various aspects of the job. In the points system various aspects or parts of the job such as education and experience required to perform the job are assessed and a points value awarded- the higher the educational requirements of the job the higher the points scored.

Objectives of Job Evaluation:

• To determine equitable wages differential between different jobs in the organizations.
• To minimize wage discrimination on the basis of age, sex, caste, region, religion etc.
• To enable management to gauge and control the payroll costs.

 Process of Job Evaluation:

• Gaining Acceptance
• Constituting Job evaluation Committee
• Selecting Jobs to be evaluated
• Describing the jobs
• Selecting the method of job evaluation
• Weighting job factors
• Assigning money values
• Periodic review

 Employee relation:

Employers and employees each have their own sets of needs and values, and successful relationship between these two sides requires that some sort of balance be struck. This balance often takes the form of a psychological contract, an understood agreement between employer and employees that defines the work relationship.

The City Bank Limited is maintaining three channel categories employee relationship those are:

• Employee safety
• Employee health
• Employee working condition

 Employee safety:

The City Bank Limited provides the employee safety. It ensure the all kinds of job safety such as insurance of each employee not this provide insurance to the labor.

 Employee health:

Free medical checkup; provide health care and necessary medical facilities for each employee.

Employee working condition:

The working condition of employee is very hygienic because it always based on “Right work for the Right person.”

Incentives of The City Bank Limited:

Incentives add to base pay: It controls costs because the employee is being paid for his/her extra effort and for the benefits brought to the organization.

Motivates employees;

• Individual
• Group
• Company-wide

 Individual incentive plans:

• Awards bases on individual  Employee Performance vs. company standards
• Awards bases on individual Performance standards using Objective & subjective criteria
• Quantity and / or quality goals
• Quantity of work output How many units produced
• Quality of work output what the quality of the product or service being produced.
• Monthly sales How much sales was generated
• Work safety record How many hazard or errors are being reduced
• Work attendance If the absent is reduced or attendance is good.

Group incentives:

• Group incentive plans
• Customer satisfaction
• Official cost savings
• Material cost savings
• Reduction in accidents
• Services cost savings

Company-Wide Incentives:

• Wide Performance Measures Company
• Wide incentives plans
• Company profits
• Cost containment/prevention
• Market share Sales revenue

MIS and Strategic Planning:

The Management Information System (MIS) & Strategic planning section does not follow any procedure of work, as most of the functions are project or assignment based. The City Bank ltd. different departments and divisions use different Management Information System {MIS}, there is no centralized system formed yet. Thus Management Information System (MIS)& Strategic Planning does not go by any specific work procedure. The Manager, of Management Information System (MIS) & Strategic Planning is in charge of the Projects/Assignments and currently the Management Information System (MIS)& Strategic Planning section is maintaining the “E-Learning” system which is an Employee Development program based on Online Training & Evaluation. Employees can sit for online exams within the workplace and it is the duty of the Management Information System (MIS)& Strategic Planning Manager to evaluate the electronic scripts and distribute the results after evaluation.

The current projects of Management Information System (MIS) & Strategic Planning are development of two computerized systems named “E-Attendance” and “E-PM”, one for employee attendance management and the other is for employees’ performance measurement matter respectively.

 SWOT Analysis of the City Bank Limited:

SWOT analysis indicates the way to find the real position of any organization. SWOT means Strength, Weakness, Opportunity and Threat. So, when any company or organization conduct the SWOT analysis, it is very easy for the company to learn the strength, weakness, opportunity and threat of that particular organization. By this analysis try to identify the real picture of The City Bank Limited.

SWAT is Classified into two broad categories –

Internal-

• Strength
• Weakness

External-

• Opportunity
• Threats

S (Strength):

• Capable management.
• Adequate capitalization.
• Good profitability.
• Extremely rapid growth.
• Keep records in appropriate methods.
• Well performed employees.
• Employees are satisfied with their job.
• Well-decorated office.

W (Weakness):

• Lack of experienced employees in junior level management.
• Insufficient workforce and team work.
• Centralized power.
• Lack of negotiation.
• Lack of administrative performance.
• Lack of business communication
• Lack of Promotions system
• Manual Recruitment policy

O (Opportunity):

• Private sector orientation.
• Opportunity to contribute in national growth rate.
• Scope to reduce non-worked percentage.
• Scope to introduce a new sector.
• Well serve in the society.
• Take the opportunity to get a huge amount of money.

T (Threats):

• Foreign & Private Bank are doing business in Bangladesh.
• Government interrupts hi the way of development.
• Various anti – corrupted groups are always threatened to fulfill their own purpose.
• Village areas are being hassle by the local village politician.

Findings of the Report

 Findings of the study:

• The job analysis, human resource planning, recruitment and selection policy of The City Bank Limited is not standard because the manager of HRD is not capable to apply the various HRM function.

• The bank does not accurately follow the performance appraisal. There is being occurs some discrimination, nepotisms are exercised. As a result, employees with same efficiency are given different score by different author.

• The Pay Packages of the Bank is not competitive in comparing to other Bank operating in Bangladesh.

• Employees training is not arranged frequently basis.

• Though the organization is not in lacking of employees, but I think there is lacking of proper employees- that means “lack of right people in right place”.

• Succession Planning involves having senior executives periodically review their top executives and those in the next lower level to determine several backups for each senior position. This is important because it often takes years of grooming to develop effective senior managers. But the organization has not focus yet such a succession planning.

• Some employees says that extra work load in a regular basis is a common criteria of the organization. For this reason, the bank sometime loss employees attractiveness.

• Only the head office contains HR division and all the HR activities are controlled from the head office. For this reason, when sometimes any HR problems raised employees have to wait for a long time to solve it. Moreover, this department is not too structured.

• Training evaluation systems are not properly used or maintained.

Recommendations: