Changes Coming in Bank Selections;To Restrict Multiple Offers

It seems there is light at the end of the tunnel for candidates with low scores in the IBPS conducted common written examination (CWE).Banks have decided to place a check on those who despite being selected in one or more banks, still appear for interviews in other banks.

 

A slew of proposals were discussed and decisions have been taken in last weeks`s meeting  attended by the IBPS, HR heads of public banks & Indian banks association, reports BL

 

As a result of it - the following changes have been agreed upon

• To put off graduation eligibility for clerks
• Reduce fee charges
• To restrict multiple selections
• To maintain adequate no. under waitlist status

Non-Graduation for Clerks

Earlier this month, few banks which announced clerical recruitment had fixed graduation as minimum educational qualification to apply.It was in relation with Khandelwal committee`s recommendation submitted to govt last year.Candidates without a degree but have qualified in the clerical CWE expressed shocked.

 

Now, it has been decided by banks to postpone the implementation of ‘graduates only’ rule for clerk posts.

 

By this move, non graduates would also become eligible to apply for clerical vacancies advertised this year.

 

Reduction in Fees

Before submitting the online applications applicants are to remit fees in the branches of recruiting banks.Since the fees are non-refundable candidates who aren't shortlisted for interviews were complaining of spending money for just applying.

 

Sensing discomfort, banks seem to have agreed on reducing the charges to Rs.100 from Rs.200 & Rs.20 from Rs.50.

 

But its not known for which posts (PO or clerk) this change would be effective but is a welcome move

 

Multiple Offers

There were heated arguments about multiple selections offered by banks to a section of top scorers, while others could not even secure a single call for interviews.The delay caused by these people in joining should have made banks to arrive at a decision.

 

Banks have decided to

• Minimize the joining time to 3 weeks
• Maintain adequate no. of candidates in waiting list
• Award the offer to the next eligible candidate (from waiting list) if the selected person doesn't turn up
• To conduct interviews for unfilled posts with already applied candidates (only if waitlist is exhausted)

The proposed changes would certainly bring cheer to the numerous young people aspiring for bank jobs.

 

Though registrations were over a month ago, some banks are yet to announce interviews.We believe the delay could be due to above reasons.

Role of Probationary Officers in Banks – Quick Guide

Probationary Officer is one of the post regularly advertised for bank recruitments, but many candidates do not know the work involved or the exact meaning of PO.One of our readers had asked a question regarding the role of probationary officer in banks.

 

Hence we felt it would be better to analyze the job profile in detail, enabling freshers to understand the position better before applying for upcoming bank exams.So, what are the functions of a Probationary Officer in bank ?

 

Probationary Officer is the first entry point for a job in bank, especially to fresh graduates & those without prior experience.The PO will report to their immediate senior officer,who will closely monitor & evaluate the performance of him/her for a certain period.

 

While on job, Probationary officers will have to take up assignments given by their managers.Along with training,they will also be deployed across various departments of the bank to gain exposure in operations & working of bank.So,in short,the PO must be willing to take up any work during the probation period in order to understand the process effectively & to scale greater heights and reach higher positions.

Probation period : Normally,the probation period for PO`s will be for 2 years.The probation period can also considered as the learning phase. Hence it is extremely important to be in good conduct,during probation.Banks have the right to terminate the employee during the probation,if he/she does not fit the position.

 

Salary: The payscale for probationary officers ranges between Rs.10,000 - 18,240. Depending on the post & grade after successful completion of probation,the pay scale may increase.An increase in salary for bank employees has been approved recently

SBI PO Jobs Written Test – No more Maths Papers !

Candidates interested in applying for jobs in State bank of India have a reason to smile as the bank had recently made changes to their exam pattern. SBI has scrapped the mathematical/ quantitative papers for its Probationary Officers recruitment announced last month leaving more room to test candidates on logical reasoning & data analysis skills.

 

The Test : As per recruitment notice for officer jobs in State bank of India & their associate banks, the exam pattern given was -

1) Test of English Language
2) Test of General Awareness, Marketing & Computers
3) Test of Data Analysis & Interpretation
4) Test of Reasoning (High Level)

 

Test of Reasoning : The recent SBI recruitment for 4500 Probationary officers saw the inclusion of Test of Reasoning paper in place of Quantitative aptitude/ Numerical ability, which is a standard part of many competitive exams in India, including bank exams.This could be due to the change in the test pattern made by SBI, says an article published in Business line.

 

Decision Making : Now, with this change the bank looks to extract & test the reasoning and decision making skills.This seems to be a welcome move by SBI as bank officers will have to choose & decide between various available options for which their analysis, logical reasoning & decision making skills are taken into account in written exams.

 

No Maths.Easy? Although, the removal of maths papers from SBI officer recruitment exams would enable more eligible candidates with no exceptional maths knowledge to apply, it is also mentioned - Test of Reasoning would be of high level !

 

Hence, bank job aspirants will now have to prepare extensively for reasoning & data analysis tests, as the competition for bank jobs is increasing & SBI remains the first choice for many, even after the introduction of IBPS common exam

SBI 11000 Clerks : 36 Lakh Applications Received

The largest public sector bank in India,State bank of India (SBI) invited applications for the recruitment of 11,000 clerks starting last month.The online registration process for the recruitment closed on September 15th & now it seems more than 36 lakh candidates have applied for 11,000 vacancies, making SBI think on methods to conduct written exam for this huge number.

 

The 11,000 clerk positions have been divided across various circles based on its requirements,with reservations for each circle.As per a newspaper report, it is said that out of 36 lakh applications,Mumbai circle - with highest number of vacancies (1100 posts) has received close to 5 lakh applications!

 

Now,with the written test for clerk recruitment already fixed on 8th & 15th November 2009, it would be a difficult task to accommodate all 36 lakh applicants on these dates.The final announcement on the dates & timings can be expected soon from SBI management,said our sources.

 

MBAs as Clerks: Although the current recession,sluggishness in job market & status of working for India`s largest bank,are considered to be the reasons behind this huge response ,candidates with post-graduate degree & MBA have applied in masses.

Infact the minimum eligibility required to apply for clerk vacancy was a pass in 12th std.

High competition: With so many applicants vying for a job in SBI, a heavy competition is on the cards.The real test would be evident at the time of result announcement as the minimum cut-offs could increase, especially with over qualified candidates also lining up.

 

In addition to this, the time taken to release the results could also be pushed further.Banks normally complete a recruitment process within 7-8 months of initial advertisement.With a huge number of candidates, don't be surprised if SBI takes more than a year to release the final results!