From the accountant to the data scientist, one could say by forcing the hand a little. Because in the bank of tomorrow (and already in today's) there will be more and more profiles such as computer scientists or financial mathematicians although the more traditional professional skills will continue to be central and indeed strengthened thanks to the new tools made available by technological evolution. The work of the banker, be it a new hire or a resource that has already been employed for some time, is in fact changing: in commercial roles, for example, the figure of the consultant is increasingly required and technology represents an essential support for managing all processes efficiently. For these reasons, we are looking for graduates in economics or in law, digital natives, also for branch roles and in contact with customers, once entrusted to the graduates. The more operational activities are now performed by machines, while human work can specialize above all in relational functions.
“We especially look at recent graduates,” he tells FIRSTonline Marco Fardin, Recruitment and Employer Branding Manager of Ubi Banca. “The 2019/20 business plan envisages 2017 hires on a three-year scale (from 2019 to 1.100). It also provides for 500 training days for employees, 60% of which dedicated precisely to personnel retraining and digitalisation. And that's not all: 80% of these training courses are taught by internal teachers. This too represents, in some way, a new characteristic of banking: the interdisciplinary capacity, thanks to which skills and information are transferred between colleagues".
What are the new banking professions?
“The banking sector, after the public sector, is the one that invests most in technology. Therefore the transition is increasingly faster and more structural: we are witnessing a generational turnover, customers evolve, the ways of relating change. First of all, there are a series of new professions related to technology and quantitative aspects, such as calculations, forecasts, data analysis. These are still the minority in a bank's workforce but are strategically the most important. For this reason, among the profiles deemed of greatest interest to UBI Banca are graduates in statistics, information technology and physics, who will cover both roles in the commercial direction and coordination units, and roles in the bank's governance and support areas such as Compliance, Risk Management, IT, Customer Analytics, in which profiles such as data scientists or quantitative analysts will be enhanced".
And how are the "traditional" professions updated?
“If the role of the bank is changing and many operations are now digitalised, figures such as the consultant, capable of interacting and supporting customers even by mastering technology and multi-channels, are taking on more importance. The branches will not disappear, especially for a bank like Ubi which is deeply rooted in the area, but they will be more concentrated. There is no longer the need for physical proximity in daily operations. There is and there will be an increasing need for consultancy figures who enhance the relationship with the different types of customers, remote advisors, i.e. specialized consultants who provide their support remotely, making the commercial relationship ever more flexible through the enhancement of multi-channels , as well as customer journey management specialists, i.e. experts who improve the customer's contact, purchase and after-sales experience”.
A What is the hiring plan?
“In 2017 UBI Banca has already carried out 700 and a further 330 are planned between now and the end of 2018, of which 200 have already been completed. The 1.100 hirings envisaged in the plan will most likely be exceeded. 75% of new recruits will be under 30 at their first important professional experience, for the remaining 25% the Bank is looking for expert and specialized figures".
And for the more than 20 employees already on the workforce, how will this transition take place?
“Through the 500 training days envisaged over the three-year period of the plan. The workforce rationalization plan envisaged by the Business Plan and shared with the trade unions, saw the creation of a Single Bank, the incorporation of the bridge banks and the evolution of the distribution model, projects successfully achieved and accompanied by a significant investment in training actions aimed at developing digital skills and professional retraining of colleagues".
Some of which belong to the "old guard", perhaps they are neither graduates nor digital natives.
“Precisely for this reason the bank is accompanying them in taking on different roles and capacities, more suited to what a bank must do today. For day-to-day operations, support comes from technology, the banker must be a specialist available to the customer. There is still a great need for him: from a quantitative point of view, in fact, most of the new hires concern the commercial network, both to replace outgoing personnel and to enhance their strength".
To be ready for the technological challenges of the banking system. To what extent will the scenarios change?
“Today Big Data is very important, even in the business of a bank. If Google, Amazon or Facebook decided to enter banking tomorrow, they would represent a major challenge for the sector to face. Among other things, the new PSD2 directive being finalized will authorize institutions to manage, albeit with consent, customer data, the use of which, still to be evaluated, could represent a potential strategic asset for subjects who will be able to exploit it, and will require a further push towards the roles and skills generated by digitalisation”.
