(a)

Source: Morgan Stanley Research

(b)
(c)

1.5

Banks are also increasingly getting attracted towards cross selling

mutual funds, insurance policies, offering credit cards to suit different

categories of customers, services such as wealth management and equity
trading. These are indeed proving to be more profitable for banks than plain
lending and borrowing. The following figure indicates such opportunities.
(d)

are often panic hiring short gun approach.

(e)

No co-ordination, sharing of business information or best practices.

(f)

No economy of scale/cost reduction.

(g)

No formalized agreements regarding terms of business.

(h)

Isolated relationships with individual suppliers and line/ HR managers.

(i)

Misinterpretation of job specifications.

(j)

No separate project-based recruitment strategies.

(k)

Little use of internal recruitment.

(l)

Insufficient sector knowledge from job consultants.

(m)

No consistency in approach.

Very high quantity of CVs and not enough quality

AN ANALYSIS OF THE RECRUITMENT

METHODOLOGY OF SALES OFFICERS IN
A PRIVATE BANK
(A CASE STUDY OF A PVT LTD YESBANK)

BY
KINSHUK DE

CONTENTS
Chapter
1.

INTRODUCTION
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.6
1.7
1.8
1.9

2.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
2.1
2.2
2.2
2.5
2.6
2.7

3.

AIM
BACKGROUND
INDIAS BANKING SCENE
EMERGENCE OF PRIVATE SECTOR BANKS
NATURE OF PROBLEM
JUSTIFICATION
ATTRITION

AIM
OBJECTIVE OF STUDY
RESEARCH TECHNIQUES
RECRUITMENT METHODOLOGIES
INTERNAL RECRUITMENT
EXTERNAL RECRUITMENT

CASE STUDY AT YESBANK

3.1 INTRODUCTION AND GROWTH IN BANKING SECTOR
3.2 YES BANK: AN OVERVIEW
3.3 YES BANK GROWTH
3.5 STRUCTURE OF YES BANK
3.6 HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT AT YES BANK
3.7 NATURE OF RECRUITMENT PROBLEM FACED AT YES BANK
3.8 RECRUITMENT PROCESS IN YES BANK
3.12 JOB DESCRIPTION
3.13 ANALYSIS OF METHODOLOGIES FOR RECRUITMENT OF
SALES OFFICERS
3.14 JOB CONSULTANTS
3.19 ONLINE APPLICATIONS
3.22 REFERRALS
3.25 CAMPUS PLACEMENTS
3.27 DIRECT ADVERTISEMENT
3.28 INTERNAL RECRUITMENT
3.29 CURRENT SCENARIO AND TREND AT DELHI/ NCR REGION
3.30 ANALYSIS FROM INTERVIEWS
3.31 SURVEY OF EMPLOYEES
3.32 EFFECTIVENESS
3.32 OVERALL EFFECTIVE RECRUITMENT STRATEGY
3.39 RECRUITMENT PLAN
3.40 LIMITATION OF THE PRESENT STUDY

4.

RECOMMENDATIONS & CONCLUSION

5.

ANNEXURES
2

PREFACE
Effective recruitment, selection and retention are critical to organizational
success. They enable companies to have high performing employees who are
satisfied with their jobs, thus contributing positively to the organization.
On the contrary, in-effective recruitment methodology, selection and retention
would result in mismatches which can have negative consequences for an
organization. A misfit who is not in tune with organizations philosophies and goals
can reduce output, productivity, customer satisfaction, relationship and over all
quality of work. Training a wrong hire can also be expensive. Effective recruitment
are therefore not only the first step towards organizational excellence, but are
important cost control mechanisms as well.
The study researches the spectrum of recruitment methodologies followed in
private sector banks towards developing an unique model, propose suggestion that
would reduce costs, time to recruit, be effective and help overall organizational (in
particular private banks) interests.

1
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Aim.

To analyze the present recruitment methodology of Sales Officers in a

private sector bank and propose modifications and improvements.

1.2 Background.

Recruitment is the process of identifying and attracting a group

of potential candidates from within and outside the organization for employment.
Once these candidates are identified, the process of selecting appropriate
employees for employment begins. This means collecting from various sources,
measuring and evaluating information about candidates qualification for specified
positions.
Indias Banking Scene
1.3 Indias banking sector is growing at a fast pace. India has become one of the
most preferred banking destinations in the world. The reasons are economy is
growing at a rate of 8.5%, Bank credit is growing at 30% per annum and there is an
ever-expanding middle class of between 250 and 300 million people (larger than the
population of the US) in need of financial services. All this enables double-digit
returns on most asset classes which is not so in a majority of other countries
worldwide. Foreign banks in India are also achieving a return on assets and are
keen in expanding their businesses.

1.4 Indian markets provide growth opportunities, which are unlikely to be matched by
the mature banking markets around the world. Some of the high growth potential
areas to be looked at are the market for consumer finance of about 2%-3% of GDP,
compared with 25% in some European markets, the real estate market in India is
growing at 30% annually and is projected to touch $50 billion by 2008, the retail
credit is expected to cross Rs 5,70,000 crore by 2010 from the current levels of Rs
2,00,000 crore and huge SME sector which contributes significantly to Indias GDP.
Major strengths of the Indian banking industry, which have helped mark its place on
the global banking arena, are our Regulatory Systems, Economic Growth Rate,
Technological Advancement, Risk Assessment Systems and Credit Quality.
Regulatory systems, Technological systems and Risk management systems of
Indian banks were rated better than China and Russia and at par with Japan and
Singapore. China and India are one of the fastest growing economies in the world as
evident from the graphs below:-

Real GDP Growth Rate

%

10.5
8.3

7.5

5.1

Ta
iw
an

nd

4.5

Th
ai
la

si
a

5.3

In
do
ne

Ko
ng

Ho
ng

Si
ng
ap
or

In
di
a

Ch
in
a

5.5

Ko
re
a

5.6

6
4
2
0

M
al
ay
si
a

12
10
8

Loan Growth
27.6

6.4

5.1

ga
p

or
e

nd
la
Th
ai

an

6.4

Si
n

7.7

Ta
iw

K
on
g

a
M

8.1

H
on
g

si

na
C
hi

a
In
di

9.9

K
or
ea

13.4

15
10
5
0

al
ay

%
30
25
20

Source: Morgan Stanley Research

1.5

Banks are also increasingly getting attracted towards cross selling mutual

funds, insurance policies, offering credit cards to suit different categories of

customers, services such as wealth management and equity trading. These are
indeed proving to be more profitable for banks than plain lending and borrowing. The
following figure indicates such opportunities.

New Business Opportunities being tapped

by Private Sector banks
Derivatives Trading
36.8%
Selling of Mutual
Funds 73.6%

Wealth Management
21.05%

Forex Managem ent

68.4%

Bancassurance 73.6%

Emergence of Private Sector Banks

1.6

The banking industry is fast becoming a buyers industry with the new-

generation private sector banks giving a strong competition to the public sector
banks. Yes Bank is one such new age private sector Bank, offering high quality,
customer centric service catering to "Emerging India". Yes bank is the only
Greenfield license awarded by the RBI in the last 13 years. Yes Bank has fructified
into a "full service" commercial Bank that has steadily built Corporate and
Institutional Banking, Financial Markets, Investment Banking, Corporate Finance,
Business and Transaction Banking, Retail and Private Banking business lines across
the country, and is well equipped to offer a range of products and services to
corporate and retail customers.
Nature of the Problem
1.7

The banking sector in India is undergoing a huge demand supply mismatch of

skilled resources, especially in the sales function. Every private sector bank in the
country today employs sales personnel for customer acquisition and business
development in their respective retail unit cross-selling mutual funds, insurance
policies, credit cards to different categories of customers and services such as
wealth management and equity trading. A robust sales force consists of Relationship
Managers, Sales Managers and Sales Officers, depending on the customer segment
they focus on. On a broad base, customer segmentation in most retail banks is as
follows:(a)

High Net-worth Individuals*

(b)

Mass Affluent Customers**

7

Relationship Managers
-

Sales Managers

(c)

Mass Banking Customers*** -

Average income 15 L pa

**

Average income 15 L pa

Sales Officers

*** Average income < 5 L pa

1.71

Every branch of the bank employs close to 25-40 Sales Officers for business

development. These officers work towards building the customer base of the branch
by selling liabilities products (Current Accounts/Savings Accounts/Fixed Deposits)
and cross selling Investment products (Mutual Funds/Bonds/Insurance). Typically, all
Sales Officers are supervised by the Sales Manager. The purpose of this project is to
study the current recruitment practice of a leading private sector bank and to
recommend improvements/ strategies in this process. Below is a list of common
issues private banks today find themselves facing, having adopted an adhoc
recruitment strategy:-

(n)

Hires are often panic hiring short gun approach.

(o)

No co-ordination, sharing of business information or best practices.

(p)

No economy of scale/cost reduction.

(q)

No formalized agreements regarding terms of business.

(r)

Isolated relationships with individual suppliers and line/ HR managers.

(s)

Misinterpretation of job specifications.

(t)

No separate project-based recruitment strategies.

(u)

Little use of internal recruitment.

(v)

Insufficient sector knowledge from job consultants.

(w)

No consistency in approach.
8

(x)

Very high quantity of CVs and not enough quality.

(y)

Lack of consistent screening methods.

(z)

Loss of good candidates through unprofessional or unstructured recruitment

processes.
Justification
1.8

Significant growth in the private banking sector over the past 5 years is

stretching the manpower resource in the banking sector. Growth has led to a
significant demand for people at the operational levels, and many banks are facing
severe sales force crunch. The trend of attrition and poaching is also growing.
Attrition is particularly rampant in the sales force in private sector banks leading to
turnover as high as 30% yearly. Data from some private sector banks indicate that
on an average bank spend 33% of organizations HR budget on recruitment and 18%
on selection. 38% of organizations HR produce no reports on recruitment activity
whatsoever and are therefore unaccountable for the time and spend involved. Only
8% have any form of competitor benchmark process measurements, which focuses
on quantity (number of CVs) rather than quality (shortlist, initial CV rating against the
job specification, hire ratios to CVs). According to the data, the cost of replacing
staff can be anything between 50% and 125% of that persons annual salary. We are
all aware, employees in the new millennium do not stay with a company for life as
perhaps their grandparents did. Countering attrition has become the challenge.
Attrition, as such, is not a bad phenomenon. It has been known to exist. However,
when jobs were scarce and competition was less steep, banks managed it. Today
attrition costs and hurts. Private sector banks have to re-think their strategy in terms

of recruitment, selection and retention. The costs of repeatedly hiring and re-hiring
can be staggering. Attrition and turnover of sales officers is becoming a serious
problem in todays environment. Thus there is a need for identifying possible
improvement strategies in recruitment. As the market changes, there is a need to
develop a wider and effective recruitment network for recruitment to meet needs.
The obvious question therefore is what is the optimum recruitment strategy?
Attrition
1.9

Eight out of ten sales officers said they have been approached by another

bank or organization during the last year to change. Recruitment of sales officer is
impacted by high turn over of the sales force. There is an ocean of restless young
professionals with low tolerance and high skills, ready to leave one organization and
join another at the drop of a hat. They may be angry with their bosses, frustrated at
work, or simply not satisfied with their pay packets. They feel that loyalty does not
pay, that passion is no longer rewarded. These feelings are not new. They have
always been there, in every organization since time immemorial. But now, thanks to
the growing economy and the shift from socialism to market liberalization, there are
many options available. It is easier to jump now than ever before. Human resources
are the new product in the market and vast corporations both Indian and MNC are
the new consumers. Only the market is unique. Here both, the consumer and the
product have the right to choose. Processes are created to manage the high
attrition rate of employees. But they make the workplace so impersonal that they end
up contributing to the attrition rate. In the international market, Indians are seen as
poor team players and terrible at following processes. Yet, it is precisely our

10

creativity that makes us valuable in the banking industry that demands creativity.
Private sector banks face about 30% attrition per annum.

11

2
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Aim
2.1

To analyze the present recruitment methodology of Sales Officers in a private

sector bank and propose modifications and improvements.

Objective of the Study
2.2

To analyze the present recruitment methodology of Sales Officers in a private

sector bank and propose modifications and improvements with following objectives:(a)

To review the existing process of recruiting Sales Officers.

(b)

To measure the efficiency of the hiring process.

(c)

To suggest changes in the recruitment process.

Research Techniques
2.3

In order to develop a meaningful recruitment strategy for the future, it is

imperative that one first fully understands the current process. The most effective
way to achieve this is to undertake a full 'recruitment process audit', which should
look at every aspect of the recruitment cycle. The following research methodologies
were used to arrive at the 'best strategy for recruitment of employees for any private
sector bank in India:-

12

(a)

Through structured questionnaire filled in by internal, external

candidates and line/ HR managers.

2.4

(b)

Interviews.

(c)

Collection of raw data.

(d)

Industry practices.

(e)

Trend and Reports.

(f)

Banks records and documents.

Banks have to consider innovative approaches for recruitment ensuring that

every 'route to recruit' is fully utilized effectively in a time bound manner at minimal
cost. There are many options available to private sector banks to achieve best
results in the recruitment of new employees. However, to define this we will need to
gain a clear picture of the present recruitment process. Having fully audited and
documented the current recruitment cycle from attraction to induction, one will finally
be in a position to offer 'best strategy for any private sector bank.
Recruitment Methodologies
2.5

Following are the two main recruitment methodologies employed by banks

presently:(a)

Internal Recruitment

(b)

External Recruitment
13

2.6

Internal Recruitment.

This involves filling vacancies through internal

means from existing employees. Following questions should always be asked. Is

there an internal candidate who could take up the role? What are the strengths,
limitations and training required? Initial consideration should be given to a banks
employees, especially for filling vacancies above the entry level. If external efforts
are undertaken without considering the desires, capabilities and potential of present
employees, a bank may incur both short and long run costs. In short run, morale
may de-generate, in the long run banks with a reputation for consistent neglect of inhouse talent may find it difficult to attract new candidates available through other
channels.
2.7

External Recruitment.

To meet demands and vacancies from external

sources for talent brought about by growth, desire for fresh ideas or to replace
employees who leave, banks periodically turn to the outside labor market. The Five
most popular external recruitment sources considered are:(a)

Job consultants

(b)

Campus Placement.

(c)

Online Application.

(d)

Recruitment advertising.

(e)

Referrals

14

3
CASE STUDY OF PROBLEM AT YESBANK
Introduction and Growth in Banking Sector
3.1

As brought out earlier, the Indias banking sector is growing at a fast pace.

India has become one of the most preferred banking destinations in the world. The
reasons are economy is growing at a rate of 8.5%, Bank credit is growing at 30% per
annum and there is an ever-expanding middle class of between 250 and 300 million
people (larger than the population of the US) in need of financial services. Banks are
increasingly getting attracted towards activities such as marketing mutual funds and
insurance policies, offering credit cards to suit different categories of customers and
services such as wealth management, insurance and equity trading. These are
indeed proving to be more profitable for banks than plain lending and borrowing. HR
Managers in private sector banks need to think and act strategically in relation to the
requirement of workforce and ensure 'best strategy for recruitment to meet goals at
lowest costs.
Yes Bank: An Overview
3.2

Yes Bank, Indias new private sector Bank, is the outcome of the professional

commitment of top management team, to establish a high quality, customer centric,

service driven, private Indian Bank catering to Emerging India. Yes Bank has
adopted best international practices, the highest standards of service quality and
15

operational excellence, and offers comprehensive banking and financial solutions to

its customers. A key strength and differentiating feature is its knowledge driven
approach to banking for its retail and wealth management clients. Yes Bank is built
on a foundation of trust, strengthened by knowledge, backed by technology,
governed by transparency and committed to responsible banking. The result is an
unstinted commitment. It is this commitment that has earned the Bank the distinction
of being ranked Indias No. 3 Bank in a recent survey of listed banks in India by
Business World. The same survey also ranked Yes bank first in Safety, Efficiency &
Growth. Yes bank won the Continuous Innovation in HR Strategy award at The
Indiatimes Mindscape Employer Branding Awards 2007, the RASBIC award for
Innovative Recruitment & Staffing Programme and the Global HR Excellence
Award for Innovative HR Practices at the Asia Pacific HRM Congress 2007.
3.3

The bank has been able to achieve this growth through four instruments. A

focused business strategy and entrepreneurial leadership, highly rated employees,

best-in-class processes and evolutionary technology. Yes Bank is pursuing a Brand
strategy to build one of the finest financial brands in India and to provide an
unprecedented delightful banking experience to all its customers. What has worked
well for Yes bank is that unlike the first lot of private banks that came up in the mid1990s, it did not get caught in a liquidity crunch that was brought about by the high
interest rate regime unleashed to contain inflationary pressures in 1995. Yes Bank
started its operations in 2004 with branches in Mumbai, Delhi and Gurgaon (NCR).

16

3.4

Growth.

The total net worth of the bank as on 30 Jun 07 stands at INR

8231 million with about 60 branches in 35 locations across India within two years of
operation. The bank made plans to be about 100 branches by March 2008. The
foreign investors in Yes Bank are Rabobank, Citigroup Venture Capital International,
Chrys Capital and AIF Capital. The bank has increased its headcount in North India
region from around 500 people in Nov 06 to about 2000 people by Jun 2007. Each
branch requires around 25-40 people to be fully operational and run effectively.
Structure of Yes Bank
3.5

The bank has a matrix structure with the Relationship Vertical on one axis and

Product vertical on the other axis.

RELATIONSHIP VERTICAL
Corporate &
Institutional
Banking

Business
Banking

Development
Knowledge
Banking
Investment
Banking
Treasury

P
R
O
D
U
C
T
V
E
R
T
I

Corporate &
Development
Banking
Transaction
Banking
Corporate
Finance

17

Emerging
Corporate
Banking

Retail
Banking

Treasury

A
L

3.6

Human Resources Department at Yes Bank.

The bank is presently on an

expansion drive and the HR department is presently concentrating on recruiting to

man these branches. The organization has a tree structure with only three levels of
hierarchy in the HR department i.e. President, Vice President and Relationship
Managers. The organization is as follows:-

President

Senior VP

Relationship manager
Retail Banking
NCR & Punjab

Relationship manager
Retail Banking UP

Relationship Manager
Business Banking
EC, C&IB

Relationship manager
C.P.U.

Relationship manager
Training & Development

3.7

Relationship manager
HR Operations

Nature of Recruitment Problem Faced at Yes Bank (From Bank

Records).

Like any startup Bank, the HR department faces the uphill task of

recruiting the branch team and sales force for every new branch. This could be close
18

to about 25-40 officers per branch consisting of Relationship Managers, Sales

Officers headed by the Branch Managers and Sales Managers. Further, there is a
factor of about 30% attrition per annum, which has to be made good to maintain
sales force levels. The following data substantiate attrition rates at Yes bank, Delhi.

Business
Unit (360
officers)

Sub-Unit

<1

1-3

3-6

6-12

Month

Months

26

22

1
2

1
2
6

2
6
34

2%

6%

35%

>12

Months Months Months

Total

RETAIL
BANKING &
WEALTH

Banc-

MANAGEMENT

assurance
Branch
Banking
Liabilities

Grand Total
Total Attrition
(%)

54

1
9
32

4
18
96

33%

2%

94 out of 360 sales officers leave bank within one year

35% between 3-6 months
33% between 6-12 months

Attrition at Yes Bank, Delhi - Tenure wise Data from 360 Sales Officers
Recruitment Process in Yes bank
3.8

The sales force required for a branch to function is Tellers, Customer Sales

Managers, Customer Sales Executives, Sales Manager and a Branch Manager. The
line managers drive the recruitment process for existing branches, whereas the HR
drives the planned recruitment for the new and upcoming branches based on
defined norms. In case of an existing branch as the need against a position arises,
19

the line manager requests the HR department with the qualitative requirement of the
candidate. However, for an upcoming branch a planned recruitment of the complete
team as per defined norms and size of branch is undertaken preferably on a top
down approach. The HR department tries to follow a pre-defined recruitment
methodology to short list candidates and select thereafter.
3.9

Selection of right candidate is undertaken in a hierarchical process. The

immediate Team Leader along with HR takes the first round of interviews. The next
round is undertaken by either the Sales Manager or the Branch Manager as per the
branch requirements and norms. However, for senior managerial positions, there are
a series of interviews with HR, line managers, Head of the department and upto the
level of CEO. The top management is actively involved in selection and
compensation finalization. The salary fitment is made by HR keeping the fixed cost
of the employee and various other factors into consideration. Global sourcing is
twice for senior managerial positions than for middle management positions at Yes
Bank.

3.10

Any candidate who has to be recruited is interviewed both by the line as well

as the HR. The line assesses the candidate on his current potential, skills and
knowledge. The HR on the other hand assesses the candidate on his attitude,
profile, dexterity, family background, educational parameters, compensation and
other YES parameters defined. The line managers look at the job fit whereas the HR
looks at the organization fit of the employee.

20

3.11 While setting up a new branch the first step is to get the branch manager
onboard. The branch manager is either selected within the organization or hired by
the HR department and the Regional Head. Any new branch has to have a Teller, a
Customer Sales Executive/ Manager and a Branch Manager to be fully operational.
Training is the next most important process before a selected candidate begins to
carry out the assigned responsibilities in any branch. This is undertaken for the
Retail and Business Banking division of the bank. Often training is the main purpose
to assign the infant branch to a parent branch. The flow of the recruitment process is
as follows:-

21

Line projects need

for manpower

Informs HR

HR
departmen
t

Search for potential

employees against job
description

References

Consultants

RECRUITMENT
METHODOLOGY
Potential
candidates
identified

Interview by line and

HR managers

Candidat
e
selected

Yes
A

22

No

If senior
managemen
t position

Interview by CEO

Yes

No
Back papers, resume, salary slip and
offer letter of candidate sent to CEO
along with the organization chart

Offer letter signed by CEO

sent to the candidate

Employee joins and is given the

joining kit by the HR
department
RECRUITMENT FLOW IN YES BANK
Job Descriptions

3.12

They are lists of the general tasks, functions and responsibilities of a position.

Typically, they also include to whom the position reports, specifications such as the
qualifications/ experience needed by the person in the job, salary range for the
23

position, etc. Job descriptions are usually developed by conducting a job analysis,
which includes examining the tasks and sequences of tasks necessary to perform
the job. The analysis looks at the areas of knowledge and skills needed by the job.
Bank keeps updating them and it is not a one-time description, but a process which
is kept up with ever-changing responsibilities and skills necessary to perform the job,
and the changing incentive plans.

3.13

Analysis of Methodologies for Recruitment of Sales Officers.

While the

recruitment methodology for sourcing both sales officers and senior management
positions have been discussed in the preceding paragraphs, the prime focus the
present study and report will be sales officers. The following methods of recruitment
being followed have been analyzed:(a)

(b)
3.14

External Recruitment
(i)

Job consultants

(ii)

Online applications

(iii)

Referrals

(iv)

Campus placements

(v)

Direct Advertisement

Internal Recruitment
Job Consultants.

In this process, the bank ties-up with an empanelled a

list of job consultants. Whenever a position arises, the bank requisitions their
services and provides the necessary job description, experience, place of work and
compensation details. The consultants then search their database and provide a list
of potential candidates after screening. The employer should insist that entry level
24

screening against the profile provided is undertaken by the consultants. The

advantages/ disadvantages of such methodology are as follows:-

(a)

ADVANTAGES & DIS-ADVANTAGES OF JOB CONSULTANTS

ADVANTAGES
DISADVANTAGES
Get candidates for specific skill (a)
Very expensive.

set/ profile.
(b)

(b)

Resume

are

screened

for (c)

specific profile.
(c)

Quick

matching

Not suitable for mass induction.

Dependent

of

credibility

of

consultants.
and

effective

employers

and

way

of

potential

candidates.
3.15

The average cost for such services for sales officers in urban region is about

Rs. 10000 and Rs. 7000 in rural region per sales officer. For mid level and high level
positions, the cost of services is about 8.5% of the yearly salary of the employee. In
case the employee resigns within three months, the bank insists, the consultants
provide replacement at no extra cost and insures for the training costs. This method
of recruitment is effective but expensive, especially in case of senior level
management and is not suitable in case of mass recruitment. 45% of the positions at
Yes bank at Delhi National Capital Region (NCR) are presently being filled up
through job consultants. However, due to non-availability of suitable job consultants
in rural areas, only 30% of the positions at Yes bank outside Delhi were filled through
job consultants.

3.16

During the study, 25 line and HR managers that work with such job

consultants were asked for their opinion about the quality of the candidates provided
25

by job consultants, which resulted in an interesting finding. Majority of respondents

think that the quality of candidates provided is good (58%), 21% consider it to be
average and another 21% even think it is insufficient.

QUALITY OF CANDIDATES FROM JOB CONSULTANTS

21%
58%

21%

IN-SUFFICIENT
AVERAGE
GOOD

3.17

The author felt that the results concerning quality of candidates are partly due

to the way job consultants are being engaged by certain companies as part of a
shot-gun approach", without exclusivity and sometimes as a last resort after failing
to fill the position.

3.18

Re-evaluating Job Consultants.

During the case study, it was learnt

that Yes bank has an empanelled list of 32 consultants and this is being continuously
tracked & re-evaluated. The evaluation process is built on Likert scale and has many
parameters like consultant credibility, quality of candidates, core competence,
profile/ segment of operation, timeliness, flexibility, ability to source candidates for
difficult locations, network, ability to handle large scale recruitment etc. This ensures

26

that the consultants deliver consistent superior performance for staying empanelled.
Time savings, cost advantages, and better knowledge of the market were given as
the most important reasons for outsourcing the process to recruitment agencies by
HR department at Yes bank.

3.19

Online Application.

Banks have online portal where they advertise all

available positions and enables candidates to post their resumes against vacancies.
The bank also advertises such positions on various job websites like naukri.com,
google jobs, Monster.com etc. The advantages/ disadvantages of such methodology
are as follows:-

(d)

ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES OF ONLINE STSTEM

ADVANTAGES
DISADVANTAGES
Quick and easy way of matching (a) Lot of junk resume for jobs irrelevant

employers and potential candidates.

to their specialization. Therefore requires

(e)

Inexpensive.

extensive screening.

(f)

Wide publicity.

(b) Not all candidates are accustomed to

looking for jobs in this manner.
(c) Publicity limited to internet users.
(d) Loss of human interaction.

Industry statistics reveal that 100 percent of the high tech companies in Global 500
list, and 89 percent of Fortune 500 companies, use their corporate websites for
recruitment. The past year has shown major growth in e-recruitment advertisements,
which cost 80 percent less than newspaper ads and is about 10 times cheaper than

27

hiring consultants. Online recruitment is of immense assistance in junior and middlelevel recruitment. Senior positions require a different strategy.

3.20

Online job advertising can however result in candidates of very different

capabilities seeking attention. Browser-based pre-screening tools with qualifying

questions derived from the job specification can save many hours of unnecessary
work for both the applicant and hirer. Such technology, though at infancy stage
presently can save hours of screening effort.

3.21

Yes bank has an online portal on which they advertise all openings and

enables the viewers to post their resumes. Candidates (internal and external) can
apply for positions as per the positions and locations advertised. This methodology
of recruitment has been found to be cost effective with vast coverage. However, line
and HR managers feel many irrelevant applications are being posted, which leads to
waste of time in screening/ interview and is at times discouraging. Based on
available statistics, 15% of the positions at Yes bank Delhi are presently being filled
through such online methodology. However, this is likely to grow substantially.
Snapshot of the Website:

3.22

Referral.

Companies/banks runs an employee referral scheme, which encourages employees

to recommend acquaintances/ friends as candidates for certain positions and also earn some incentives. Not
many companies realize the benefits of good referral programme. A successful referral programme reduces cost
per hire significantly and at the same time promotes ownership. The advantages/ disadvantages of such
methodology are as follows:-

28

(a)

ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES OF REFERRAL STSTEM

ADVANTAGES
DISADVANTAGES
Inexpensive compared to job (a) You may be obligated to hire in

consultants.
(b)

Referred candidates are aware of suitable.

the culture.
(c)

certain cases when candidate is not

(b)

Employees refer candidates with (c)

May lead to inter-personal issues.

May not always produce desired

good potential.

results.

(d)

(d) Not suitable for mass recruitment.

Results are quick.

(e) Not sustainable in the long run.

(f) Issues arise when referred candidate
is selected and does not perform or
quits.
3.23

Yes bank runs a successful employee referral scheme, which encourages

employees to recommend friends and earn incentives. I have happy employees,

otherwise nobody would call their friends/ relatives" says CEO, Yes Bank Ltd. Based
on available statistics, 6% of the positions at Yes bank Delhi are presently being
filled through referrals.

3.24

The employee is paid the referral fee after 3 months after the candidate joins.

The bank doesnt pay for referring any fresher or referring a candidate for a position
who would be directly reporting to the person who referred him. The compensation
for successful hire through this scheme is about 5% of annual salary. The success of
such a system is when vacancies are well advertised internally.
29

3.25

Campus Placement.

The banks go Business schools for recruiting

sales officers for the post of Sales officers. The HR initiatives campus placements
based on long term forecast of sales officers. While recruiting from campus, the
bank screens for candidate having a good academic record, family background with
sound academic records in both Graduation and Class XII. Yes bank goes to Tier I &
II B-schools for recruiting sales officers for the post of Client Sales Partner (CSPs)
and about 15% of the positions at Yes bank Delhi are presently being filled through
such methodology. The advantages/ disadvantages of campus placement are as
follows:-

(a)

ADVANTAGES & DIS-ADVANTAGES OF CAMPUS PLACEMENT

ADVANTAGES
DISADVANTAGES
Inexpensive.
(a) Competition is fierce. Companies/

(b)

Good for mass induction at lower Banks all across India compete for

levels.

similar un-experienced low cost skills.

(c)

Allows hiring specific skills.

(d)

Source of talent that can be therefore

trained towards specific competence.

(b)

Linked to academic session and

useful

towards

long

term

manpower requirements.

(e)

Provides talented youth with drive. (c) It has been observed that often good

(f)

Helps

banks

build

reputation candidates

during such job fair/ campus placement.

have

many

job

offers.

Therefore, may not ultimately join.

(d) Training costs are very high for
candidates taken from campuses

3.26

Campus recruitment is a cost effective model for mass recruitment after tying

up with various B-schools. Business schools have vast resource of talented students
30

studying specialized courses in Banking and Insurance. However, Banks must plan
staffing and be clear about its future manpower turnover/ requirement.

3.27

Direct Advertisement.

This is the age old method of bringing employers

and candidates together and is still widely used. A clear and attractive newspaper
advertisement with specific details is eye-catching and invites immediate attention.
The services of newspapers and employment exchange are useful. About 10% of
the positions at Yes bank Delhi are being filled through such direct advertisement
methodology. However, this is likely to grow substantially.

The advantages and

disadvantages are as follows:-

(a)

ADVANTAGES & DIS-ADVANTAGES OF DIRECT ADVERTISEMENT

ADVANTAGES
DISADVANTAGES
Effective medium when job (a) Ideal for mass recruitment.

requirements and competencies are well (b) May bring many applications which
defined.

may not be suitable for the position.

(b)

Therefore, requires extensive screening.

Very good reach.

(c)

Can involve cost and results take

some time to fructify.

3.28

Internal Recruitment.

As brought out earlier, it involves filling vacancies

through internal means from existing employees. If external efforts are undertaken
31

without considering the desires, capabilities and potential of present employees, a

bank may incur both short and long run costs. In short run, morale may de-generate,
in the long run banks with a reputation for consistent neglect of in-house talent may
find it difficult to attract new candidates available through other channels. The
advantages and dis-advantages of internal recruitment are:-

(a)

ADVANTAGES & DIS-ADVANTAGES OF INTERNAL RECRUITMENT

ADVANTAGES
DISADVANTAGES
Ability
of
candidate
and (a) Assessment of candidate is based on

competencies are well defined.

(b)

Internal

candidate

references, brief interview or less reliable

know

the information.

organization, its strength and weakness.

(c)

Promotion

(b) May be difficult to find the right

builds

motivation candidate suitable for the position with

among existing employees.

ideal mix of competencies from internal

(d)

sources.

Very cheap.

(c)

Transition

organizational

activities
growth

and
often

rapid
mask

managerial deficiencies. However, when

the

growth

deficiencies

rate

slows

become

down

apparent

the
and

organization find it difficult to undo the

damage. The cost of remedial action can
prove disastrous and prohibitive.

Sources of data:(a) Line and HR Managers.

32

(b) Bank records and documents.

(c) Job consultants.
(d) New employees hired through various recruitment methodology list above.
(e) Industry trends for online recruitment.
(f)

Placement cells of colleges the Bank visited e.g. ICFAI, IIPM, BIMT.

(g) Internal IT Helpdesk placed at Yes bank, Chanakya Puri Branch.

(h) Questionnaire and survey of HR/Managers/ Employees.
(i)

Wipro Solutions, the vendor of the application software.

33

3.29

Current Scenario and Trend at Delhi/ NCR Region.

The percentage of

recruitment undertaken by various methodologies at Yes bank in Delhi and NCR are
as depicted:-

Yes Bank, Delhi

15

15

10
10

44

Campus

Job Consultant

Referral

Direct Advertisement

Internal

Online

Yes Bank, National Capital Region (NCR)

16

20

11
9

30

14

Campus

Job Consultant

Referral

Direct Advertisement

Internal

Online

3.30 Analysis from Interviews.

Both the document based research and

questionnaire survey methods were used. Interviews of 82 HR managers, Line

34

managers, employees and candidates were undertaken to analyze the trends in

recruitment, which according to them are effective recruitment strategies for private
sector banks. The format of questionnaire is placed at Appendix and results of
effectiveness of each recruitment strategy according to survey of HR / Line
managers are as pictorially depicted:-

Yes Bank, NCR

18

18

10
10

26

18

Campus

Job Consultant

Referral

Direct Advertisement

Internal

Online

EFFECTIVENESS OF RECRUITMENT STRATEGY

FROM SURVEY OF HR/ LINE MANAGERS IN DELHI AND NCR

Yes Bank, National Capital Region (NCR)

20

19

12
10

25

16

Campus

Job Consultant

Referral

Direct Advertisement

Internal

Online

35

Survey of Employees
3.31

About 82 Line/HR managers and employees were interviewed on the

effectiveness of a particular recruitment methodology and it can be seen that Job

Consultants, Online, Referrals and Campus recruitment were the most preferred.
The following data on use and effectiveness was arrived at during the survey of
employees:Recruitment Strategy

Usefulness

Priority (Data from

Effectiveness

respondents)
Job Consultants
Online applications
Referrals

5
4
3

4.3
4.25
4.0

Campus Placements
Direct Advertisement
Internal Recruitment

3
1
1

3.9
1.5
3.5

Survey Questionnaire placed at Appendix (78 Line/HR Managers and employees interviewed)
Mark scale 1(Not effective), 3 (Moderately effective), 5(Very effective)
Effectiveness was measured by the following:(a) Cost per hire = Recruiting costs/ No of positions
(b) Time to fill vacancy
(c) Staffing Efficiency ratio = Total recruiting costs/ Total compensation
(d) Hire Quality
(e) Hiring Manager Satisfaction

3.32

Overall Effective Recruitment Strategy (Data Arrived at from Bank

Records).

Banks need to continuously re-assess and estimate recruitment

strategies and its effectiveness. Analysis of available data, surveys and costs

36

involved at Yes Bank were undertaken to arrive at an effective recruitment strategy

for the role of a Sales officer. Following was concluded:Recruitment

Applicability

Priority

Strategy
Job Consultants
Online applications
Referrals
Campus

5
4
3
3

Placements
Direct

Advertisement
Internal

Other

Cost

Overall

Factors
4
3.5
4
3.8

Effectiveness
3
5
4
5

Effectiveness
4
4.2
3.2
3.8

Recruitment
Mark scale 1(lo), 5(hi) for Priority
Mark scale 1(lo), 5(hi) for Cost, Cost Effectiveness 1(lo), 5(hi), Overall Effectiveness 1(lo), 5(hi)

Evaluation of Effectiveness of Methodologies for Recruitment of Sales Officers

3.32

HR and Line managers in private sector banks need to think and act

strategically to ensure availability of sales officers with right skills. This involves
adopting the correct methodology for recruitment, selection and appointment with
speed and transparency at lowest cost.
3.33

Initial consideration should be given to a banks employees, especially for

filling vacancies up to mid level positions. External recruitment should be resorted to

after potential of present employees have been exhausted. This will ensure morale
of employees does not de-generate. Additionally, larger organizations might be more
likely to have well defined succession. However, the need for specific skill set for a
specialized position cannot be ignored and therefore under such circumstances
external recruitment should be undertaken. Such preferential decisions should be

37

undertaken by the management, line managers and HR keeping organization goals

into consideration.
3.34

Recruitment using job consultants though very effective for managerial

positions can be expensive. Executive search firms tend to match candidates to jobs
faster that most organizations internally can, on their own, primarily due to larger
database, wider access and core competence. Networking strategy is used by the
recruitment consultants widely.
3.35

Campus recruitment is a very effective recruitment strategy, especially for

mass recruitment and candidate can be thereafter be trained. However, during

interview of such student candidates, it emerged that organization and its career
opportunities are prime motivation factor for students to seek employment with any
particular organization. Two major advantage of this strategy is cost and
convenience. However, such recruitment is limited to selected period of the year and
requires prior planning of sales force needed by the organization.
3.36

It has been observed from the data, online recruitment methodology is very

effective. However, the rise of more and more online job portals coupled with the
tightness of the market has also had a negative influence on recruitment. Many
banks thought that advertising in online job portals could reduce their dependency
on job consultants and lower recruitment costs. However, large no of job portals
have fragmented the demand and supply side market. It has therefore become
necessary to advertise and search in more and more job portals, which is proving to
be time-consuming, costly for banks and also becoming ineffective.

38

3.37

The success of the recruitment process is not only determined by the

methodology that are used for search and selection, but also by the way these
methodologies are used. One also needs to take into account the following:(a)

What are the no of positions available?

(b)

What role does the recruited position play and its importance?

(c)

Can the role be re-organized for better organization effectiveness?

(d)

Can internal candidate be trained for the position and what are the

costs, time involved?

(e)

How long do you expect the new candidate to remain in the role and

stay in the bank?

3.38

(f)

What are the organization retention strategies?

(g)

What is your plan for the recruitment process and monitoring?

Recruitment strategy can be targeted or broad-based. Targeted recruitment is

specific, focused and addressed to the section where one believes to find the right
candidate for the particular position. Broad-based recruitment can be effective for
positions that easily filled with minimal training. Organizations and Banks also have
to work towards building a brand value which impacts employee positively. As
Hertzberg work suggests that the line managers play a pivotal role both as hygiene
and motivation factor that impact on both employees attraction and retention.
Image and a reality of ethical and trustworthy operations in the organization is a
major attraction to both potential candidate and those already employed.
39

3.39

Recruitment Plan.

Based on the recruitment methodology arrived or the

organization wishes to adopt, a recruitment plan should be devised. The present

study after taking all available data and inputs came up with a Recruitment Plan
template. This template in placed at Annexure. The following are the salient points
towards a successful recruitment plan:(a)

Recruiting the right person starts with a detailed job description and

personal specification. It also involves following a recruitment process that

produces a suitable candidate at a minimum cost to the bank.
(b)

The more complex the job, the more complex the recruitment process

needs would be. However, as a minimum, the interview process should

include at least two level interviews, a psychometric assessment and a
thorough reference check.
(c)

Advertisements through various recruitment methodologies should be

clear, to the point indicating job description.

(d)

Interviews should be highly structured and based on proven

methodologies. They should reveal levels of competency in key areas,

appropriateness of experience, personality strengths and weaknesses and
integrity.
(e)

Carefully selected psychometric assessments are valuable tools in the

selection process, but not to the exclusion of a structured interview.

Individuals should be selected on the basis of past performance, competence
and personality.

40

(f)

Always recruit the right person for the job. Recruitment should be seen

as a 'rejection process' as much as a 'selection process'. One shouldnt be

tempted to pick 'the best of from a bad lot
(g)

Screen likely candidates with a simple telephone interview before

deciding who to invite for the face-to-face interview.

(h)

When one actually meets the candidates, let them tell about their

background and achievements. The details about the job, the compensation,
the company, etc should follow.
(i)

Identify what initial training will be required and how much will be

needed to invest in the candidate and whether he or she is worth that

investment.
(j)

Never over sell the job. Honesty about the role should be the best

policy.
(k)

Background & reference checks are very vital. During interview of new

sales officers at Yes Bank, it was found that around 40% of new employees
never had references taken up. Background checks should be as thorough,
as possible and should include employment history and character references.
3.40

Limitation of the Present Study.

Some of the most used methods are

not the ones found to be most effective under all circumstances and scenarios. Most
banks do not have a clearly defined recruitment strategy, but use a shot-gun
approach to find candidates for their vacancies. This study has not considered
regional areas factors, Gender of candidates, age, discriminations etc in a detailed
manner. However, this is not to say that there isnt a problem in this area or
methodologies for recruitment will not be different. As seen in tables above, the
41

response varied between segments analyzed. Some discrepancy were noticed

which can have generalization error.

42

4
RECOMMENDATION & CONCLUSION
Recommendation
4.1 Recruiting can no longer be confined to the traditional ways. With the war of
talent intensifying, employers are broadening their reach though innovative
channels. Static recruitment no longer suffices in todays context of cost
effectiveness and efficiency. HR professional have a big responsibility to hire a best
candidate from the available sources discussed above. At the same time, one has to
be cost conscious. No process is complete without an evaluation of its success. All
executives interviewed accentuated the importance of employer branding in
attracting highly suitable candidates. Job consultants, online applications and
Campus placements emerged the most effective external recruitment methodology
used. Most showcase organizations and private sector banks today have started
using technology to screen resumes, filter applicants and build database for future
use. Based on all available data, an optimum, cost effective, diverse and scalable
recruitment strategy or methodology for recruitment of sales officers was arrived at
by the author targeting each methodology. Private sector banks should aim to
achieve the model by reengineering processes, maximizing use of technology to
reduce costs and exploit each source effectively.

43

Conclusion
4.2

This report has investigated the various methodologies for recruitment and

the need was therefore to arrive at a recruitment strategy for the private sector
banks. As brought out earlier, the success of the recruitment strategy is not only
determined by the methodology that are used for search and selection, but also by
the way these methodologies are used and implemented. The processes should
ensure that there is no "shot-gun approach as a last resort after failing to fill the
position. Outsourcing of the recruitment process to an agency versus doing this work
in-house as a core HR responsibility is part of the strategic choice companies should
consider in determining a clear and effective HR recruitment strategy. Trying to do
both adds costs as HR resources go up and the required time to fill vacancies often
increases leading to less efficiency in finding and selecting candidates for open
positions. Employers have to use all available information and techniques available
to them including the more traditional tools of common sense and good judgment
44

when making the right hiring choices for available vacancies. The following are to be
considered additionally:(a)

Ensure you look internally prior to adopting any external recruitment

strategies.
(b)

Have a clear understanding of the current marketplace including

salary, skills shortages reasons for candidates to join the bank.

(c)

Map a consistent recruitment / hiring process for each new recruit.

(d)

Create a consistent job profile for each requirement.

(e)

Ensure feedback is offered. Feedback forms should be completed

for each candidate interviewed.

(f)

Ensure relevant management information is collated and presented

to hiring managers from suppliers.

(g)

Have a clear understanding of the best methods of attracting

employees, devise an attraction strategy.

(h)

Review all testing and assessment products and processes.

(i)

Once you have successfully recruited staff, make sure you keep

them by introducing attractive retention measures and developing innovative

and creative training programme to keep them motivated and engaged.
(j)

Hold focus group meetings of employees.

45

5
ANNEXURES
LIST OF ANNEXES
I

APPROVED PROJECT SYNOPSIS

II

QUESTIONNAIRE FOR INTERNAL/ EXTERNAL EMPLOYEES AND

CANDIDATES
III

QUESTIONNAIRE ATTRACTION (NEW EMPLOYEES)

IV

QUESTIONNAIRE FOR HR MANAGRS AND LINE MANAGERS

PROPOSED RECRUITMENT PLAN FOR PVT LTD YES BANK

VI

SAMPLE QUESTION FOR INTERVIEW

VII

LIST OF CANDIDATES INTERVIEWED/ PARTICIPATED IN SURVEY

VIII

FEEDBACK FORM

46

NAME

KINSHUK DE

DATE OF JOINING

ANNEXURE II
QUESTIONNAIRE FOR INTERNAL/ EXTERNAL EMPLOYEES AND CANDIDATES

Please rate these points on a scale of 1 to 5 as per the following:

1.

Completely Disagree (Lo)

Mostly Disagree

Neutral

Mostly Agree

Completely Agree (Hi)

On a scale of 1 to 5 how do you feel about joining, working for us and why?

47

2.

Can you rate in order of merit the following methodologies of recruitment that you

believe is cost effective and can easily reach out to you easily:-

3.

Job consultants

Online applications

Referrals

Campus placements

Direct Advertisement

What according to you (on a scale of 1 to 5) are the primary causes for high attrition

in the banking industry?

Salary
Low Tolerance
Better prospects elsewhere
Market Liberalization
Poor Processes
Company Brand
Job Content
Poor Growth
Poor Incentives
Job Security
48

 Rewards elsewhere
HR/ Other Policies
Management

49

NAME

KINSHUK DE

DATE OF JOINING

ANNEXURE IV
QUESTIONNAIRE FOR HR MANAGRS AND LINE MANAGERS
Please rate these points on a scale of 1 to 5 as per the following:

1.

Completely Disagree (Lo)

Mostly Disagree

Neutral

Mostly Agree

Completely Agree (Hi)

Which of the two main recruitment methodologies, Internal Recruitment or External

Recruitment according to you should be resorted to and why (Please elaborate) ?

2.

Can you rate in order of merit the following external recruitment methodologies that you

believe are cost effective and can easily reach out to best candidates in Delhi and NCR:-

DELHI

NCR

Job consultants

Job consultants

Online applications

Online applications

Referrals

Referrals

Campus placements

Campus placements

50

3.

Direct Advertisement

Direct Advertisement

What according to you on a scale of 1 to 5 are the primary causes for high attrition in the

banking industry?

Salary
Low Tolerance
Better prospects elsewhere
Market Liberalization
Poor Processes
Company Brand
Job Content
Poor Growth
Poor Incentives
Job Security
Rewards elsewhere
HR/ Other Policies
Management
4.

Which of the following could further improve recruitment in your organization (Rate 1 to 5)?

Planned Hires
Coordinated, sharing of business information
Economy to scale/cost reduction
Formalized agreements regarding business terms
Improved relationship with Job consultants and Line/ HR managers
Detailed job specifications

51

 Consistent screening methods and approach

Structured recruitment processes
Effective recruitment methodology

52

NAME

Kinshuk De

DATE OF JOINING
ANNEXURE III
QUESTIONNAIRE ATTRACTION (NEW EMPLOYEES)

Please rate these points on a scale of 1 to 5 as per the following:

Completely Disagree (Lo)

Mostly Disagree

Neutral

Mostly Agree

Completely Agree (Hi)

I like to work on the permanent roles of the company

I am more concerned about my designation rather than the job content

I value incentives more than my fixed salary

I value growth potential more than the salary in the organization

I value rewards and recognition more than my salary

I value the brand of my company more than the job content

I value HR policies more than my salary / job content

53

I value regular interaction & appreciation from the top management more than any reward

I value job security more than my salary in the organization

54

ANNEXURE V
PROPOSED RECRUITMENT PLAN FOR PVT LTD YES BANK
1. Date:
Section 1: Position Data
2. Working Title
3. Title Code and Payroll Title
4. Grade
5. Salary Range
6. Department
7. Hiring Authority (name & phone)
8. Recruitment Contact (name & phone):
9. Appointment Type:
10. Final Filing Date
11. Estimated Hire Date:
12. Is this a new position?
13. No of Positions
13. Full/ Part Time?
14. Attachments
15. Job Description (Enclose attachments if required).

Section 2: Recruitment Plan

16. Selection Criteria
17. Scope of Search (Nationwide/ Regional)
18. Recruitment Strategy
(a) Job consultants
(b) Online applications
(c) Referrals
(d) Campus placements
(e) Direct Advertisement
(f) Internal
19. Selection Members:
20. Source of funds for recruitment with estimates:

55

ANNEXURE VIII
FEEDBACK FORM
Kinshuk De
[email protected]
Fax : +91-9810775595

CASE RECRUITMENT METHODOLOGY

We value your feedback. Please take some time to fill this feedback form and fax it.
1.
How useful is this case study in providing you with some suggested
approaches to deal with HR recruitment issues?
Very useful
2.

Useful

Moderately useful

Not useful

How do you rate the case study?

Very Good

Good

Neutral

Poor

3.
Would you consider implementing the strategies/ approaches in the case
study?
Yes

No

Other Comments:
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Particulars of respondent
Name
Organization
Address
Email

Designation

56