The new roles’ success will determine future expansion
The spike in demand for online banking has prompted National Australia Bank to expand its workforce amid the pandemic – this time, it’s hiring remote-only staff.
NAB is hiring 150 call centre employees who will handle support services in South Australia. The recruitment drive is the first time the group will prioritise hiring staff who will work from home on a full-time basis.
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The decision came after NAB managers witnessed how banking operations continued to flow smoothly with a distributed workforce. However, employees who are deployed in branches will be assigned to handle complex transactions such as business loans and mortgages, NAB said.
The gradual shift away from on-site operations will support the growing trend in digital banking.
“We are really seeing a change in the way customers are engaging with us,” said Rachel Slade, head of personal banking at NAB, in a report on News.com Australia. “We also have learned (over the pandemic) our colleagues can pretty much work anywhere.”
The hiring spree currently focuses on the region of Casey and aims to tap into a wider candidate base outside of major talent hubs like Sydney and Melbourne. The success of these new WFH roles will determine whether the company will launch the recruitment drive across other regions.
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The move will allow NAB to downsize its physical office. However, there are still “swings and roundabouts” in trading off the traditional office space, said NAB executive director Kieren Perkins.
The company will continue to invest in equipment for teleworkers’ home offices and cover the rising cost of onboarding, training and managing remote staff.
However, “from an employee perspective, there’s no real difference,” Perkins told ABC Radio Adelaide. “We pay our staff the rates for the work they’re going to do and that’s fairly standardised.”
