The editorial "A missed opportunity?" (April 16) provides timely advice to the public sector banks to utilise the opportunity likely to be created by mass retirements to restructure its operations by employing new technology. The fact that the large number of vacancies are intended to be filled up by compromising on job specifications shows poor succession planning. Instead of compounding the lapse by relying on internal promotions in spite of a dearth of competent personnel, the banks should use the occasion to induct fresh and better talent at different levels, and go for adding young people at foundation levels (probationary officers and the like) by adjusting the intake against higher positions. Then they can employ the new talent-mix to transform their work culture from customer-disorientation to customer-friendly organisations. In public perception, PSBs are overstaffed and gossip-minded service providers, who look upon customers as intruders in their pastime. Their true mindset is revealed in single-branch locations in smaller towns, where the bank's monopoly of service makes the personnel little despots. (I am speaking from experience). The arising opportunity should also be used to replace cumbersome manual procedures with simplified, technology-driven systems. The new staff would be able to learn them more willingly than the tradition-bound old hands. Forward-looking companies use mass retirements as a blessing to re-engineer the organisation with appropriate talent, shed excess manpower and become lean and energetic. Why not the public sector banks?
Y G Chouksey, Pune
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