Talent Acquisition of Standard Chartered Bank Bangladesh

Talent Acquisition of Standard Chartered Bank Bangladesh

This specific report is mainly based on the prime responsibilities that were needed to do during the internship period at Standard Chartered Bank, Bangladesh. Since the internship was in the Talent Acquisition division of HR department, the report has been prepared mainly considering the theme of Talent Acquisition or recruitment process. This report is a descriptive one; no quantitative analysis has been done here. In the very beginning of the report, the background of Standard Chartered Bank, Bangladesh has been described. Then the job responsibilities that were needed to be accomplished during the internship tenure in the bank have been jotted down. After that the general process of recruitment or talent acquisition that can be followed by any organization has been elaborated. The steps of a proper recruitment process have been discussed carefully using different HR terms. Then the following segment consists of the structured talent acquisition process of Standard Chartered Bank, Bangladesh. In that segment, the process of recruitment by the bank has been described in different steps. The report has included a small analysis which talked about the similarities and differences between a theoretical process of recruitment and the customized talent acquisition process of Standard Chartered Bank, Bangladesh. Finally, a small recommendation has been provided to wrap up the report.

Introduction

The report is mainly based on the recruitment and talent acquisition process. The bank has various types of positions throughout the organization and each position demands different work responsibilities along with customized specifications. So the HR department of SCB needs to be very efficient in drawing the map of its recruitment system. For that the bank has an efficient team known as Talent Acquisition headed by Deneb Zeenat Latif. The report contains the job responsibilities that were needed to be done during the internship tenure.

Along with that theories relating to general recruitment process, the standard format of recruitment at SCB and the analysis of the two processes have been incorporated.

Objectives

The goal of this report is to compare the practical experience gained during the internship period with the theoretical knowledge and to find out the similarities and differences between the two.

Primary Objective:

The primary objective of this report is to give an overall idea about the talent acquisition process of the bank and also the general recruitment process and then to analyze their relationship.

Broad Objective:

To give an idea about the talent acquisition process that can be generally followed by any organization. It is generally the accumulation of learned theories.
To give an insight of the standard and customized process of talent acquisition used by SCB in order to recruit their employees.
Compare and contrast both the processes by carrying out an analysis.

Organization Profile

Since liberation, Bangladesh has passed through fragile phases of development in the banking sector. The nationalization of banks in the post liberation period was intended to save the institutions and the interest of the depositors. But the performance of the public sector management left some negative impact on the economy. Therefore, the authorization of private banks was designed to create competition among the banks. Now, it has come to the discussion of private banks in Bangladesh, the first and foremost name that comes to the people’s mind is the Standard Chartered Bangladesh.

Standard Chartered started its journey in Bangladesh in 1948, opening its first branch in the port city of Chittagong. The branch was opened mainly to facilitate the post world war reestablishment and expansion of South and South-east Asia. The bank opened its first branch in Dhaka in 1966 and shifted it’s headquarter from Chittagong to Dhaka after the birth of Bangladesh in 1971.

The bank increasingly invested in people, technology and premises as its business grew in relation to the country’s thriving economy. In 1993, there was an organizational restructuring, which led to a substantial expansion of the bank’s business. The acquisitions of Grindlays Bank (in 2006) and the commercial banking business of American Express Bank in Bangladesh (in 2006) have cemented SCB’s position as the leading foreign bank in Bangladesh.

Today, the bank has 25 branches, 82 ATM booths and 17 financial kiosks and employs over 1300 people in Bangladesh. Standard Chartered is the only foreign bank in the country with presence in 6 cities- Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna, Sylhet, Bogra and Narayanganj; including the country’s only offshore banking units inside Dhaka Export Processing Zone (DEPZ) at Savar and Chittagong Export Processing Zone (CEPZ).

Standard Chartered’s services in Bangladesh range from Personal & Corporate Banking to Institutional Banking, Treasury and Custodial Services. It offers premium retail banking services to individual customers with a variety of deposit and loan products. Their customer banking business continuously meets the challenge of developing new products and services to match the specific requirements of customers. In Bangladesh, Standard Chartered offers 24 hours service through its Money link ATM network and Call Centre. To enhance customer convenience, the bank has pioneered off-site Money link ATMs in Dhaka and Chittagong. Their aim is to offer world-class service in 24 hours.

Standard Chartered is highly reputable in providing flexible and innovative financial services solution. Their expertise is in corporate and institutional banking includes cash management, trade finance and custodial service, consumer banking and treasury operations. They adopt a proactive approach in tailoring customized package to meet their customers’ ever-changing needs. They apply state-of-the-art technology to automate their daily operations and electronic delivery system has been put in place to ensure that transactions are handled swiftly and efficiently. Their dedicated Customer Service Centers are staffed with experienced product specialists to ensure that all their customers are well served.

Business Units

(1) Corporate and Institutional Banking

Its principal strengths are in supporting regional and international cross-border trade and investments. Products and services are focused primarily on these areas, notably trade banking, cash management and custody. Institutional Banking manages the Group’s relationships with banks, investment companies and other financial institutions. It aims to be the ―Banker’s Bank‖ operating in customers’ time zones and providing network linkages between international markets. This business has continued to expand rapidly in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, and, increasingly in Latin America. It was strengthen in March 1999 by the acquisition of the trade finance operation of UBS.

(2) Consumer Banking

Superior retail banking services comprising of a wide range of deposit and loan products are offered by Standard Chartered Bank to its individual customers. The consumer banking division constantly faces challenges and meets them by developing new products and services to fulfill specific requirements of local TU. The Bank offers a 24-hour service in Bangladesh through its Money-link ATM Network & Phone-link Phone banking services.

(3) Treasury

Operations are a particular Group strength with a network of over 20 dealing rooms worldwide, offering customers a 24-hour service. The bank is particularly well known for its expertise in exotic currencies and has reinforced its position as a leader in many Asian and African markets.

The foreign exchange and money market operation of SCB in the world is extensive. Exotic currencies happen to be one of its special areas of strength. A 24-hr service is provided to customers in Bangladesh through the Bank’s network of dealing centers placed in the principal areas of the world. The Bank’s treasury specializes in offering solutions to those who wish to manage interest rate and currency exposure that result from trade, investment and financing activities of other dynamic economies of the region.

Support Services

(1) Operations

Operations are the part of the support division that helps to run the business of the bank in a smooth and controlled manner. Since it helps mainly in processing the works of the business units, any mistakes made can be easily detected on time. Following are the main functions of the operations department:

Central operations deals with the closing and opening of accounts and other payment and account related processing of the Personal Banking division. Treasury operations help to deal with the processing works of the treasury division. Loan Administration Unit (LAU) deals with the processing of the Corporate Banking division.

(2) Finance, Administration and Risk Management

Operations also have a department that deals with the internal projects that arises from the need to deal with certain problems or to make certain changes. Following are some examples of projects being dealt with presently:

Administration, audit and back office operations
Taking care of taxation and financial control of the Bank
Keeping track of overall credit operation

(3) Information Technology Center

This department is instrumental in the running of all the computerized operations of the bank. They help in the implementation and generation of computerized reports. Another duty of the department is to maintain communication with the rest of the world.

(4) Human Resource Department

This department manages recruitment, training and career progression plan. Standard Chartered Bank highlights the importance of developing its people to create a culture of customer service, innovation, teamwork and professional excellence.

(5) Legal and Compliance

Some of the key areas that Legal & Compliance department has to take care are: any kind of legal issues, to advise the county regarding all matters and the management on legal and regulatory issues, correspond regulatory compliance issues to South Asian Regional Head of Compliance, and supervise internal control (e.g. internal audit).

(6) External Affairs

This department deals with advertising, public relations, promotions, partial marketing which involves disseminating new products and services to customers and above all ensuring service quality.

(7) Credit

The credit department approves the loans of Corporate Banking division. The approval is mainly based in the risk analysis of the corporate clients done by the Corporate Banking division.

General Process of Talent Acquisition/Recruitment

What is Talent Acquisition?

Talent acquisition is the process of finding and acquiring skilled human labor for organizational needs and to meet any labor requirement. When used in the context of recruiting and HR profession, talent acquisition usually refer to talent acquisition department or team within the Human Resources department. The talent acquisition team within an organization is responsible for finding, acquiring, assessing, and hiring candidates to fill rolls that are required to meet company goals and fill project requirements.

Talent acquisition is a unique function and department is a relatively new development. In many companies, recruitment itself is an indistinct function of an HR generalist. Within many companies, however, recruiting as a designation does not encompass enough of the duties that fell to the corporate recruiter. A separate designation of talent acquisition was required to meet the advanced and unique functions. Modern talent acquisition is a strategic function of an organization encompassing talent procurement, but also workforce planning functions such as organizational talent forecasting, talent pipelining, and strategic talent assessment and development.

Talent acquisition can be done within the organization with the help of recruiting software or outside the organization with the help of a recruitment firm or headhunter. The process involves some of the following tasks: tracking applicants, developing recruitment strategies, gathering and analyzing data, identifying talent needs, posting jobs, handling job requests, recruiting through social media, tracking hiring trends, managing the procurement of independent contractor labor, and mapping future talent and resource needs. These are just a few of the areas that are involved in acquiring talent within an organization.

Talent acquisition is quickly becoming a unique profession. Its professionals are usually skilled not only in sourcing tactics, candidate assessment, and compliance and hiring standards, but also in employment branding practices and corporate hiring initiatives. As global organizations need to recruit globally with desperate needs and requirements, effective recruiting requires a well thought out corporate messaging around hiring and talent development.

Talent acquisition professionals often craft the unique company message around the approach the company takes to hiring and ongoing development of employees. The employment brand therefore encompasses not only the procurement of human capital, but the approach to corporate employee development. The unique needs of large companies especially to recruit and hire as well as attract top talent led to the development of a unique talent acquisition practice and career.

Steps of Talent Acquisition

In order to increase efficiency in hiring and retention and to ensure consistency and compliance in the recruitment and selection process, it is recommended the following steps be followed. Details for each step include the minimum recommended best practice to attract a talented and diverse applicant pool:

Step 1: Identify Vacancy and Evaluate Need

Step 2: Develop Position Description

Step 3: Develop Recruitment Plan

Step 4: Select Search Committee

Step 5: Post Position and Implement Recruitment Plan

Step 6: Review Applicants and Develop Short List

Step 7: Conduct Interviews

Step 8: Select Hire

Step 9: Finalize Recruitment

Step 1: Identify Vacancy and Evaluate Need

Recruitments provide opportunities to departments to align staff skill sets to initiatives and goals, and for departmental and individual growth. Proper planning and evaluation of the need will lead to hiring the right person for the role and team.

Newly Created Position

When it is determined a new position is needed, it is important to:

Understand and take into consideration strategic goals for the department. Are there any upcoming changes that may impact this role?
Conduct a quick analysis of Core Competencies. Are there any gaps? What core skills are missing from the department? The core skills are to be evaluated which are required now and those which may be needed in the future.
Job Analysis is to be conducted if this position will be new to the department. This will also help to identify gaps.

Replacement

When attrition occurs, replacing the role is typically the logical step to be taken. Before obtaining approval to advertise the position, the following should be considered:

As with a newly created position, it may be helpful to conduct a Job Analysis in order to tailor the position to what is currently required and to ensure proper classification.

The role should be reviewed and decision should be taken if there are any changes required as certain tasks and responsibilities performed by the previous person may not or should not be performed by the new person.

Carefully evaluation should be done if any changes needed for the following:

Level required performing these tasks; considering the appropriate classification level.
Tasks carried out by the previous employee
Tasks to be removed or added if any of the work will be transferred within department
Supervisory or lead responsibility
Budget responsibility (if any)
Work hours
Is there still a requirement for this role at all?

Step 2: Develop Position Description

A position description is the core of a successful recruitment process. It is used to develop interview questions, interview evaluations and reference check questions. A well-written position description:

Provides a first impression of the campus to the candidate
Clearly articulates responsibilities and qualifications to attract the best suited candidate
Provides an opportunity to clearly articulate the value proposition for the role
Serves as documentation to help prevent, or defend against, discrimination complaints by providing written evidence that employment decisions were based on rational business needs
It improves retention as turnover is the highest with newly hired employees. Employees tend to be dissatisfied when they are performing duties they were not originally hired to perform.
Optimizes search engine results by ensuring job postings rank high in candidate search results when searching on-line
It is used to map to the appropriate Payroll Title.
Identifies tasks, work flow and accountability, enabling the department to plan how it will operate and grow.
Assists in establishing performance objectives

Step 3: Develop Recruitment Plan

Each position requires a documented Recruitment Plan which is approved by the organizational unit. A carefully structured recruitment plan maps out the strategy for attracting and hiring the best qualified candidate and helps to ensure an applicant pool.

In addition to the position’s placement goals the plan contains advertising channels to be used to achieve those goals. The recruitment plan is typically developed by the hiring manager in conjunction with the Departmental HR Coordinator.

Recruitment plan elements:

Posting Period
Placement Goals
Additional Advertising Resources
Resume Banks

Step 4: Select Search Committee

A selection committee is formed to ensure applicants selected for interview and final consideration are evaluated by more than one individual to minimize the potential for personal bias. The hiring manager will identify members who will have direct and indirect interaction with the applicant in the course of their job. Each hiring manager should make an effort to appoint a search committee that represents a diverse cross section of the staff. For positions that are frequently recruited and utilize a search committee, the mix of search committee members should change frequently as well to minimize the risk of ―group think or collective bias.

The Hiring Manager will determine the size (no more than 6) and composition of the committee based on the nature of the position. It is highly recommended the committee members include:

At least one individual who has a strong understanding of the role and its contribution to the department
A job specialist (technical or functional)
An individual who will interact closely with the position and/or serves as a main customer.

Search committee members must ensure no conflict of interest in relation to the applicants under consideration and must never be individuals who may have interest in the position.

Search committee members should ensure that they are well equipped for their role in the recruitment process to ensure fairness and compliance.

Each committee member is expected to be well versed in the recruitment and selection process and have an understanding of laws related to Equal Employment Opportunity.

Step 5: Post Position and Implement Recruitment Plan

Once the position description has been completed, the position can then be posted to the company website or other sites where it wants. Every effort should be made to ensure the accuracy of the job description and posting text. It may not be possible to change elements of a position once posted, because it may impact the applicant pool.

The recruitment plans those were structured need to be implemented and monitored thoroughly by the appointed committee.

Step 6: Review Applicants and Develop Short List

Once the position has been posted, candidates will apply via different media. Candidates will complete an electronic applicant for each position (resume and cover letter are optional). Candidates will be considered ―Applicants‖ or ―Expressions of Interest.

All applicants must be reviewed and considered.

It is recommended that all search committee members review all applicants to ensure more than one person assesses their qualifications and that individual opinion or biases are avoided. It is permissible to have at least two committee members reviewing all applicants for certain recruitments in which there are extensive applicant pools to best narrow down the pool.

Alternatively, Human Resources may perform this function. Each committee member may provide comments to each Applicant’s qualifications as they relate to the minimum requirements of the position.

A phone screen may be conducted to obtain information such as availability, salary requirements, special position requirements (e.g. ability to perform shift work), ascertain minimum requirements and other preliminary information to assist the search committee with their review. It is possible to screen out an applicant due to information obtained during this initial screening and therefore phone screens should be properly documented and attended by at least two search committee members or Human Resources.

Step 7: Conduct Interview

The interview is the single most important step in the selection process. It is the opportunity for the employer and prospective employee to learn more about each other and validate information provided by both. By following these interviewing guidelines, it will be ensured that a thorough interview process has been conducted and all the necessary data are there to properly evaluate skills and abilities.

Preparing for the Interview-Once the short list (typically 3-5 identified for interview) is approved by the Office, the interview process can begin. It is important to properly prepare for the interview as this is the opportunity to evaluate the skills and competencies and validate the information the applicant has provided in their application and resume. Panel Interviews-Prior to the panel interview, committee members should ensure they know which interview questions each will ask.

At the start of the interview, introductions of the Chair and panel members, including names and job titles/roles, are given. Next, the Chair should outline the format of the interview so that the candidate is aware of what is going to happen.

A typical format might be:

Introductions of each panel member
A brief description of the role they are being interviewed for
Description of how the interview panel will conduct the interview (e.g. each alternates questions and all will take notes)
Each panel member provides their questions at the conclusion of the interview.
The interviewee is given time at the end to ask questions
The interviewee is informed of the next step (e.g. will be contacted either by phone or in writing of the outcome)
Thank the candidate for coming and ensure someone shows the candidate out Virtual Interviews-To reduce travel costs and time associated with interviewing out of area applicants, virtual interviews can provide an alternative method to in-person interview. Guidelines for conducting virtual interviews are as follows — to ensure fairness and equity in the interview process, it is recommended out of area applicants are provided an opportunity to interview in the same manner as local applicants during each stage of the interview process.

Interview Questions-Questions should be relevant to the position and seek information on specific skills and abilities to perform the job such as ―describe your experience working with students in an academic environment and/or post-secondary degree-granting institutions‖. Interview questions not pertaining to the current requirements of the position are not to be used e.g. an interview question on supervisory experience if position will not be supervising employees).

The use of behavioral and/or competency based interview questions is strongly encouraged as, when properly crafted, they allow the interviewer to obtain more meaningful data to determine the applicant’s ability to carry out the duties and responsibilities of the job.

Appropriate/ (Prohibited) Inappropriate Interview Questions

It is illegal to ask applicants questions that are not job related and/or personal in nature or that would otherwise solicit protected information. All interviewers should review the list of Appropriate/Inappropriate Interview Questions prior to conducting the interview to ensure illegal questions are avoided.

After the Interview- Upon completing the interview, committee members will complete one of the following evaluation tools and forward to the Committee Chair along with any interview notes. Candidate evaluations should be sure to include only those comments which are relevant to the requirements of the position.

Testing and other Selection Methods- Tests and other selection methods such as requesting work or writing samples and presentations are additional tools used to assess candidates. Skills demonstrations, such as requiring applicants to demonstrate how to perform a task specific to the position they are applying to, are considered tests and must be validated.

Writing samples and presentation assessments are not considered tests and can be evaluated using a scoring rubric. Similar to the tool used to evaluate a candidate during an interview, writing and presentation scoring rubrics are used to evaluate the applicant’s writing and/or presentations skills based on certain predetermined criteria.

Applicants are to be notified, via the posted position purpose, of the requirement for tests or other selection methods (e.g. writing and presentation) used as part of the hiring process. Tests, work samples and presentations should only be required of short listed candidates. Because tests and requests for writing samples and presentations must be administered consistently across the hiring process without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age (40 or older), or disability, their administration procedure must be approved by Human Resources prior to use.

Tests and the selection tools mentioned above should not be relied upon as the only screening mechanism. Interviews and reference checks should carry considerable weight in the overall decision process.

As an alternative to testing applicants carefully crafted interview questions can be used to gather information on an applicant’s experience and ability to perform certain aspects of the job without the need for testing. Additionally, applicants provide job related certifications of completion for coursework or technical/industry certifications (related to the position) help to provide a measure of skill aptitude to further evaluate qualifications.

Employers should administer tests and other selection procedures without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age (40 or older), or disability. If a selection procedure screens out a protected group, the employer should determine whether there is an equally effective alternative selection procedure that has less adverse impact and, if so, adopt the alternative procedure. For example, if the selection procedure is a test, the employer should determine whether another test would predict job performance but not disproportionately exclude the protected group.

Welcoming the Interviewee– Interviewing can be a very stressful experience for some and the more at ease an interviewee is, the better one is able to identify true attributes. The following should be considered:

Panel interviews, can be an intimidating environment for an interviewee, so it should be remembered to break the ice if possible.

When organizing interviews, it is best to assign a person who ensures the interviewees have the proper directions, parking details and who is easily accessible on the date of the interview. Enough time for the interview is to be allowed so the interviewee does not feel rushed. Let the interviewee do most of the talking. The 80/20 rule should be remembered. The interviewee should be doing 80% of the talking. While it’s important to articulate the needs of the department and the role, this time is to gather as much data to evaluate their experience and ensure a proper fit.

Step 8: Select Hire

Final Applicant-Once the interviews have been completed, the committee will meet to discuss the interviewees. Committee members will need to assess the extent to which each one met their selection criteria.

The search committee evaluation tool will be helpful in justifying decisions and making them as objective as possible.

The documentation should demonstrate the selection decision. As one of the most critical steps in the process, it is important to keep the following in mind:

The best candidate for the position was chosen based on qualifications.
The candidate will help to carry out the department’s missions.

Reference Checks-The purpose of a reference check is to obtain information about a candidate’s behavior and work performance from prior employers that could be critical to the decision, regardless of their skills, knowledge, and abilities. As past performance is the best predictor of future success, it is recommended references should be obtained from current and previous supervisors who can speak to the candidate’s on the job performance. A hiring mistake is costly in time, energy, and money. Failure to check references can have serious legal consequences. If an employee engages in harmful behavior, which would have been revealed in a reference check, the organization can be held legally responsible for ―negligent hiring.

Reference Checking Options

Online Applicant Reference Checking
Under certain circumstances, additional references may be contacted if additional information is needed (e.g. low ratings on a particular skill or behaviors) by conducting a phone reference.

Step 9: Finalize Recruitment

Upon completion of the recruitment process the offer to the selected finalist is made. Prior to initiating the offer, it is recommended that one more check of the selection process be completed as follows:

The duties and responsibilities of the position should be reviewed and ensure they were accurately described and reflected in the job description and interview process.
The selection criteria used is reviewed to ensure they were based on the qualifications listed for the position.
It is to be confirmed that interview questions clearly matched the selection criteria.
It is to be confirmed that all applicants were treated uniformly in the recruitment, screening, interviewing and final selection process.

Initiating the Offer-Once a final check of the selection process has been completed and the final applicant has been determined, the Committee Chair or designee will notify the Departmental HR Coordinator of the finalist’s name, salary and start date.

The Departmental HR Coordinator reviews the requisition and ensures all applicants on the requisition have been assigned a decision code.

The Departmental HR Coordinator forwards this information to the Organizational HR Coordinator for review and approval. Once approved, the Departmental HR Coordinator notifies the Committee Chair or designee of offer approval. The Committee Chair or designee makes the offer to the finalist.

The Recruitment & Selection Process of SCB

Like any other banks, Standard Chartered also follows a standard recruitment and selection procedure. The bank does have a set structure of the entire process which is completed through the following series of steps. The steps are briefly described below.

Step 1: Planning & Forecasting

The very first step in any type of recruitment is the planning and forecasting of the human resource requirements and availabilities. The HR department at first sits and plans for the organization’s employee requirement for an entire period of time. In this planning, Talent Acquisition Head with the permission of the HR Head asks the managers and supervisors of different operating departments to come forward with their employee requirements. The managers prepare a list of what positions are vacant and also about newly created posts, the job descriptions are specifications of the positions for which they are planning for hiring, etc. After having discussions with the TA Head, the bank comes forward with charter of planning and the number of employees they would need for the upcoming period. In the planning phase the recruitment guide is prepared where all the instructions regarding the job position information, the timing of recruitment, the sourcing, the screening, the evaluation- everything is clearly described using specific benchmarks and processes. After that the recruitment process goes to the next step where the potential candidates are searched for the available vacant positions.

Step 2: The Sourcing

Sourcing usually means- finding the sources of potential candidates for different particular positions of the organization. SCB considers some media to be its source of candidates. The source can be both internal and external. The sourcing is generally a part of the recruitment plan and guide where there are strategies regarding how the applicants for different types of positions will be sourced.

The most important source is their database which is actually their HRIS. The bank has an option in their company website which they have entitled as ―Career‖. The bank asks the potential candidates to post or upload their CVs or resumes in that particular folder of sourcing. After the people have uploaded their information in the website, the IT employees sort those out, filter those according to some predetermined format and store the CVs in the HRIS of the bank for further usage in the recruitment process.

The second source is the job fair. It is an external source. The bank organizes job fair at least thrice a year. One of these fairs is organized in auditoriums of some reputed hotels or clubs. The other two fairs are organized in two specific universities. The organization places its CV drop box and asks the interested applicants to come and drop in. In all the cases mostly the fresh graduates are encouraged to show up and drop their CVs. Sometimes there are also walk-in interviews which are arranged by the banks where the candidates are given a pop-up chance of showing their potential. Mostly, the bank looks for interns and entry level employees in these job fairs.

Another important source of finding potential applicants is the ―Job-posting‖ in the website of the bank. The bank always posts its available job vacancies through the organization. The job postings include the job descriptions and specifications required for the post. The candidates are asked to apply through online for those particular postings. It is also considered as external source.

Besides these three sources, the banks sometimes requests their current employees for their referrals and also asks them to drop by if they think that they are capable of applying for the jobs.

Step 3: Screening

After the sourcing, the time for screening comes. The HRIS has a huge amount of data available. The Talent Acquisition division now needs to decide which particular applicants have the capability of candidacy. For that reason the screening process takes place. Screening actually means sorting out a specific candidate pool from a pool of applicants who closely meets almost all the requirements for the job.

Screening is done in a number of ways. The screening process varies depending on the importance and work responsibilities of a specific position. Usually at first the CVs received by the bank are skimmed through to find out whether the primary requirements of the job are met.

This screening is usually done by the Talent Acquisition Coordinator (TAC) or by the interns upon providing the specific criteria and benchmark for screening. After the screening has been done, the next step considered in the recruitment process is the Evaluation.

Step 4: Evaluation

Evaluation is the process which is used by the bank in order to judge and find out the best suitable person for a specific vacancy. Mainly in this step, the decision regarding forming the interview panel is made. Whatever be the position of employment, interview is a must step for each and every position. Evaluation for different positions is carried out following different ways. Some of the evaluation criteria are discussed below.

Officer, New Business Sales: These positions are usually for entry level officers of SME sales, ETB Tele sales, etc. In order to fill these positions, the applicants are asked to attend a face to face interview with the interview committee which usually comprises of the manager or supervisor of the specific department and Talent Acquisition Specialist. The interview usually lasts for about 10minutes and the decision regarding hiring is taken within the day of interview.
Relationship Manager/ Relationship Executive: The evaluation process for these positions is divided into two phases. At first after the primary screening the selected candidates are asked to attend an Aptitude Test. The aptitude test usually comprises of four sections which are – Mathematics, English grammar & vocabulary, Analytical ability and a comprehension. Usually the test is of 60 minutes. The candidates who successfully pass the aptitude test are invited to attend the face to face interview with the manager and the talent acquisition specialist. The final selection is done after the interview session.
Internship: The Selection of interns is done in a pretty simple way. The applicants need to go through an interview with one of the HR personnel along with personnel of the specific department where the intern will work. Within a week of the interview the selected intern is contacted and asked to join the bank with some of the required documents.

After the evaluation process comes the next step of recruitment which is known as the Offering Job & Collection of Pre-Joining Documents.

Step 5: Collection of Pre-Joining Documents

After the evaluation is completed, the selection committee comes to a decision regarding which individuals to hire. A specific hiring list is prepared by Talent Acquisition Coordinator upon the instruction of the evaluation committee. Then the selected applicants are contacted to offer them with an initial offer where they are provided with a summary of the position and compensation package. The individuals are asked to go through the summary carefully and express their concerns if any. If they have anything to discuss about the compensation and benefit package then they are given a specific time. After the discussions they are given the final offer letter.

But before receiving the final offer letter the candidates asked are required to submit some documents. The selected candidates are given a list. The candidates are required to submit the documents provided in the list. The probable documents that a candidate needs to submit are:

The CV
5 copies of passport size photo
Photo ID (NID/Passport)
Copies of all academic certificates
Previous appointment letters (if any)
Complete Pre-employment employee form
Address proofs (Utility bills/NID/Passport)

These documents are very important and the candidates are asked to submit these things before receiving the final offer letter. These documents are very important since with the help of these the bank initiates its verification process which is indeed considered the most important part of its selection process.

The next step in the recruitment process is the Verification.

Step 6: Verification

This is one of the most important steps in this process. The bank gives immense importance to verification and that’s why this is done by different parties. Primarily the Talent Acquisition Coordinator contacts with the persons who have been mentioned as references in the CVs of the candidates. He personally mails them and also carries on phone calls to have a brief idea about the candidates.

The proper verification is handled regionally in India. The Regional Head of HR in India recruits a third party agency for carrying on the verification process of the recruitment. A form is asked to fill up by the candidates where they need to put a number of information about themselves.

These forms along with the collected documents are handed over to the third party for the smooth completion of verification.

Step 7: Final Offer to the Applicants

After all the verification process is completed, this step is followed. This is one of the most important steps of recruitment after the decision has been made about hiring the potential candidate. In this step the selected candidate is offered with the specific job. The offering includes providing an offer letter or appointment letter which includes details about the job position such as whom to report, which branch to join, the compensation and benefits package and some other important issues. Usually the candidates are given one month time after offering the appointment letter to join their job or position. The selected candidates are asked to submit some extra documents while joining, these are- the acknowledged offer letter and the release letter(s) if any.

Step 8: Medical Test & Boarding

After getting the final clearance report from the verification committee and offering the final appointment letter, the selected candidates are again contacted and asked to get their medical tests done. After that the proper request for joining is send to the candidates. They are asked to sign and agree with the commencement date and join on that date precisely. After joining the employees are given boarding message which contains their employee id, the insurance policies, the employee conduct policies, etc. The boarding message completes the recruitment process and gives the key to the Training Department.

Analysis

After the discussion of both the theoretical recruitment process and the recruitment process of SCB, it can be noticed that there are similarities and differences between the processes. We know real life is pretty different from that of theories of books, and it is quite evident in the recruitment process of SCB. SCB has customized its recruitment process according to the operations of the bank and also per its requirements. No organization can entirely follow the theories of books. Same case is with Standard Chartered Bank.

One similarity is that the bank follows a sequential process comprising of some steps for its recruitment or talent acquisition which is also seen in the general recruitment process. There are also points which are similar; such as the planning of the employee positions and determining the employee needs though in different titles, the selection procedures, etc.

The differences are good in number. In the theories there are almost 9 steps of recruitment but SCB has divided it recruitment in 8 different steps. The naming of the steps is also quite different. Moreover there some inclusion of some extra documents which are not there in the general recruitment process. One such document is the Pre-employment employee verification form. Again the general recruitment process includes some special terms which are not mentioned in the recruitment process of SCB.

So it can be said that SCB tries to follow the general recruitment guidelines but in its own structured way. The bank has its own pool of HR specialists who very well understand the needs and requirements of the bank and plans the recruitment process as per the requirements. This helps the bank to ensure an efficient and effective recruitment process throughout the organization. The HR team is continuously working to improve its efficiency so that it could hire the best pool of candidates for the proper operation of the bank.

Recommendation

Providing recommendations for a multinational bank like Standard Chartered is a tough job indeed. As there are specialist teams who are continuously working for the improvement of every process that bank follows, it is quite difficult for a fresher like me to prepare recommendations, but according to me there is a step for which I would like to recommend a point.

If the steps of the recruitment process are noticed carefully, there is a step called ―Verification‖. This step is the only step which takes the most time in order to complete the recruitment process.

Sometimes there are situations when the bank demands quick hiring of employees but due to the different phases of the verification step, the bank fails to meet up those demands. For this reason there is deficit of the right people at the right place in the right time.

The bank needs to work on the verification process. It needs to lessen the time that it actually needs to complete the step. In order to reduce the time gap the process needs to be done as quickly as possible that means it needs to be done efficiently. In order to do that, the bank needs to choose such a vendor who will do the task quickly but still in an effective way.

This is the only recommendation I could suggest for the bank in order to lessen the time that it takes while hiring. Otherwise, the other steps are completed in an efficient and effective way.

Conclusion

It is known to all that reality is very different from what we have learnt from our theory books. A person can only understand and get the idea of the world when he/she actually tries to get involved in the processes. Here in the internship, the situation is same. After getting involved with the processes and people of the organization, I could visualize many things which were not possible only reading books. In the report both the general recruitment guideline along with the structured recruitment process of SCB has been elaborated. While preparing the report, I personally could understand where the differences and similarities lie. On a concluding note it can be mentioned that the recruitment process of SCB is quite effective and efficient. Almost all the needed steps of the process are done in a systematic manner maintaining some structured methods. The Talent Acquisition team is continuously working on the process to improve it as much as they can. The Bank has a target to make their recruitment process the best among all the existing organizations in Bangladesh.