I have been employed in a public sector bank since 2012 and these are my personal views on further promotion in the bank. These are purely personal views and should not be considered in any other manner.
Promotion in 8 years vs. Promotion in 3 Years:
Earlier the promotion from one post to the next used to be after 8 or 10 years. During this period, the employee used to get sufficiently experienced and he had the ability to Say NO in unfavourable situations against the diktat of the higher authorities. Only what was right as per our consciousness needed to be done at work place.
Now, the promotions have been fast forwarded and the minimum eligibility criteria is 3 years of service. The strategy as advised by some high level or consultancy to the bank management was that, decision making by younger minds would be faster than senior people who took slow decisions. What earlier used to take twenty five years of service to reach the position of Chief Manager, employees can scale the height in 10 years now for those who are in the good books of management.
The main draw back of fast track promotion in my opinion is that, the promotees are not in a position to tell NO under any circumstances. They would tell YES and only YES to whatever decision taken/ imposed by the management. Be it unreasonable business targets, Shortage of staff in their work places, Sacrificing of Work Life Balance or working on holidays, the answer is always YES by the new gen employees. Those who are making life miserable for us presently would have enjoyed their parenthood and younger days in a much more fruitful manner as they were at lower cadres during their youth days and business/ target pressure never used to be this much severe. The present generation is not at all able to enjoy the family life or spend any fruitful time with their family and children.
Today's pathetic Work Life Balance:
We leave our homes by 9 in the morning and reach back by around 8 in the night. In metro cities, the timings are more severe taking into account the travel time and traffic blocks involved. On holidays also, very often we are called to office for work. Resistance or Denials would be met with threats and transfers. Due to severe staff shortage in all the work places, even asking for a single day leave would be met with strong opposition from the reporting manager. Asking for single day alone is a sin, leave alone asking for a week's leave for a family vacation. There is hardly any meaningful time spend with our family.
Role of staff unions:
The main role played by the staff union is during wage negotiation with the management. Also, when the employee faces any enquiry regarding credit related matters or others, the unions would support to a certain extent. Apart from this, there's very limited support from the staff union. Top management is pressurizing the employees like anything for achieving their ends. The union office bearers are posted in comfortable offices (mostly in Risk Management Section or Staff loan section where the risk is minimal). The union people can very rarely be seen in any section related to MSME or Corporate Advances. Regarding transfer also, the close confidantes of union leaders will be working in same place but different offices for more than 10 years at a stretch. The criteria is different for normal employees. The staff union leaders will not open their mouth in front of the top management against the difficulties faced by their members, but will only garland and give bouquet to top management during their visits.
My personal experience with staff unions:
Certainly it was not good. I faced a minor enquiry during my tenure at an earlier branch. During the enquiry, the higher authority of the branch was an earlier active union leader and their close friend. Instead of supporting my cause, the unions drafted a reply in which I was apologizing for all the accusations against me without giving any justification from my side.
Next time, I faced a credit related enquiry involving the same higher official. I was 100% sure in my mind that, there was no wrong doing on my part. I took the help of my father for drafting and submitting the reply. He prepared a perfect reply citing the fact that, there was no lapse from my side and the my higher official had sanctioned the loan justifying my reservations from his side without exercising any caution. The fact that, I had been transferred out of the branch within 2 months due to my non- cooperation was also very clearly mentioned. The enquiry is still going on. However, I feel confident that, I would remain unscathed thanks to my father. Had I approached the union for the reply, things would have been different.
I completed the basic requirement of three years in Mumbai and requested for assistance in transfer to my native place when the top union leader visited our Mumbai office. The reply from his side was that, since you are a specialist officer, you are directly coming under management and we have very limited role to play. Next year, fortunately I went to native place without the help of unions.
Three years had been completed in native place. I was heading a branch for one year. The union district secretary was working in regional office and assured me that, as I am performing well I will not be disturbed from the branch.
But it was not to be. Transfer orders had come for another specialist officer who was having medical issues and the person had completed 7 or 8 years in home state at that time. I was the scape goat identified for head office posting and for not sending the originally identified person. I went and requested everyone including union leaders and top management. With tears I came back from the Circle Office. On the professional side, I put all the hard work and developed the customer base of the branch. There was notable improvement in the branch performance. From 52nd rank in our regional office during December 2018 quarter, my branch improved to 2nd rank during June 2019.
I wanted this success very badly as this was the first time I was heading a branch and being successful at work place would have given a world of confidence for my future career. But it was not to be. Bank has denied me this opportunity and crushed all my ambitions. From this point onwards, my thirst for success at professional level was on the decline. I had been sincere through out my career, but the urge to excel and take more and more promotions has declined.
On the personal side also I suffered on account of my unexpected transfer from my native place. My wife was carrying our second child at the time of this transfer. I had to proceed alone to the next work place leaving my wife and son behind with my parents. Then covid 19 pandemic broke out and severe restrictions were placed for interstate travel. My second child was born post 4 days after expiry of my father in law. I couldn't come to native place for both. The loneliness and helplessness I felt at my new work place was beyond description. Thanks to the majority union for all these wonderful experiences.
Continuous Resignations all around me
Many of my batchmates, seniors and even juniors took promotions and became chief managers within this short span of 10 years. However, not many were able to withstand the professional pressure. Some of my seniors from Mumbai who were good performers were also not able to withstand the pressure and resigned as AGMs and CMs with 10 years of service remaining. If bank doesn't want staff at the higher levels, why are they promoting in such large numbers?? The most targeted category for resigning is the Chief Manager category is what I feel.
There is no difference between Manager and Senior Manager:
This is something which I have been hearing from so many people. Some of the people who joined the bank after me and worked in junior cadres have also become Senior Managers whereas I have remained Manager since 2016. I have been granted only one promotion so far, and that was from Mumbai.
At some point of time, I also felt that there is no difference between the responsibilities of a manager and senior manager. I also felt like taking promotion. However, when I felt like taking promotion, bank didn't grant me. I appeared twice for promotion from manager to senior manager. Both times I was rejected.
I was not able to impress the top management the fact that, I was also putting in lots of efforts and hard work for the institution though in a silent and effective manner. Anyways, I have no regrets for remaining in my current designation. I am happy with my present situation and will not regret even if I retire in the same designation.I have certainly done justice to my job during my entire career. I have not favoured any customer in an undue manner. I have always kept bank's interest the highest priority. More than anything, I have survived and I am still existing in the bank.
Conclusion
Considering the present scenario, going up the ladder under the would require lot of further compromises at personal level, mainly reduction of family time. If something goes wrong professionally at a later point of time even if done with a good intention will not be tolerated by the institution. The inspection department of the bank is going to come very very hard at you in case the account turns to non performing asset. There would be no mercy on anybody. Whether we have followed the Bank guidelines in toto would be critically analysed. There would be new interpretations of the guidelines which we would never have thought about while the account was in standard condition. Once the account turns NPA, all concerned staff would by default be treated as guilty unless proved innocent.
Under the above circumstances, I feel I have contributed sufficiently to the organizational growth from this manager level. There is no incentive to go further in the promotion ladder for the time being and sacrifice so many things knowingly or unknowingly. Happy to be the way I am.