Mohohlo warns Bank of India against staff poaching

Boitshepo Majube | Wednesday November 27, 2013 17:43

Officially launching the bank yesterday in Gaborone, Mohohlo said Botswana has a small pool of bankers, and the pool is even smaller for those with world-class banking skills. “We don’t want historical data concerning staff training, we want real investment in staff training,” she said.

The governor said she expects this to be through on-the-desk training and at other places, which includes the banks training college in India. “This programme will contribute to building diverse world-class banking expertise that will improve services in the banking industry,” she said.

Mohohlo said she is aware that some training is being conducted by the banks, albeit to a limited degree. “I would like to take this opportunity to renew the BoB’s appeal for a more relevant staff training on an on-going basis,” she said.

She said apart from providing adequate training, customer service quality critically depends on staff morale which, in turn, is predicated on staff welfare, conditions of service, job satisfaction and prospects of career progression. “I need not to elaborate on this matter; suffice it to point out that a good working environment with good career prospects enhances staff productivity,” Mohohlo said.  She added that abiding by these principles would have a positive impact on striking an appropriate balance between the cost and quality of banking services.

SBI Managing Director and CEO Sophy Mathew said they would not be poaching staff from other banks. “We are not going to poach staff from other banks,” she said, adding that the bank has good training facilities. She said the bank will send its employees for training every three years. 

On progression, Mathew said they have a well-defined career path. “The career path within the bank is clearly defined, and the employees progress accordingly,” she stated.