Sufficient training, development and career counseling for employees are needed much in the banking sector as bank staffs in the country are lagging far behind others in terms of power skills, a study revealed on Tuesday.
The study, titled A Review of Human Resource Management of Banks 2021 conducted by the Bangladesh Institute of Bank Management (BIBM), said although internationally 80 per cent of skills should be power skills, the employees in the banking sector in Bangladesh have attained only 11.5 per cent.
Currently, employers around the world are looking for employees having power skills/soft-skills. Power skills include teamwork, work ethics, adaptability, problem-solving, time management, communication, leadership, stress management, etc.
The study findings were shared at an online review workshop arranged by the BIBM. Chairman of BIBM Executive Committee and Deputy Governor of Bangladesh Bank Ahmed Jamal was present as the chief guest.
Presenting the study findings, BIBM Associate Professor Dr. Mohammad Tazul Islam said 89 per cent of trainings are provided to raise technical skills like opening of bank accounts and banking rules and regulations but power or soft skills like integrity, employee behaviour, stress management and problem-solving capacities are largely ignored here.
"It should be reversed because power skills play a key role in raising productivity," he said.
Showing data, he said training expenses in percentage of total operating spending of banks was only 0.45 per cent, which continued to decline to 0.10 per cent in 2020 and 0.09 per cent in 2021.
"The global best practice is 3.0 per cent. We're far below the international standard," he said.
The result was obvious; average training expense per employee also kept shrinking. Tk 3,483 was spent per employee for training purposes in 2019. The spending fell to Tk 2,692.03 in 2020 and Tk 1,012.23 in 2021, according to him.
The study finds that 83 per cent banks conduct internet-based training programmes, around three times the level in 2019 due mainly to the pandemic.
He said the banking sector of Bangladesh is also lagging behind in utilisation of their budgets. Currently, the utilisation of the budgets is less than 50 per cent.
"The Head Office HR and training institute of a bank should have a special plan to implement the budget. Otherwise the scope of employees' skill development will decline," he suggested.
BIBM director Mohammed Sohail Mustafa, BIBM Director General Dr. Md. Akhtaruzzaman, Independent Director at Bank Asia Limited Helal Ahmed Chowdhury and BIBM Supernumerary Professor Ali Hossain Prodhania also attended the event.
