eFinancialCareers

Just what are all those Babcock & Brown bankers going to do now that most of them are getting the boot? B&B plans to cut 850 jobs by 2010, leaving it with just 650 employees. That’s if it survives at all. Macquarie is trimming too, just more quietly. “By the end of next year we might see thousands being let go from Macquarie, but they won’t make a big announcement. They’ll... Read more

It’s not just US and European banks which are axing in Asia, the Aussies are at it too. Macquarie Group is said to be cutting about 10-15% of its Asian jobs, according to Reuters. The investment bank would not provide further details of any Asian layoffs, but it has already cut bonuses and shed some property and real estate staff in its domestic market. Macquarie, which employs some 13,800 people worldwide,... Read more

Citigroup’s global jobs purge is hitting home as the US bank starts to slash analyst staff in Sydney. And don’t rule out further cuts at other global banks in December and the New Year. Citi has reduced active analysis of Australian companies by 18% since early October, while New Zealand coverage has been more than halved. Predictably enough, this is leading to layoffs, with about four analysts given their marching orders... Read more

It looks like UBS has done away with the concept of annual bonuses. The Swiss bank today unveiled details of a new bonus scheme, under which ‘top executives’ will receive (at the very, very most) a third of each year’s bonus at the end of the year in question. The rest will be put aside and only awarded if the bank/employee performs well and behaves nicely in subsequent years. “Should UBS's... Read more

A job on Collins Street might be safer than one on Wall Street, but the global financial crisis is still sucking some confidence from the local market. “Recruitment is quieter than this time last year across all financial services markets and there is a preference for contracting in all but the most senior roles. When someone leaves, the firm will always try to use its internal resources first. It’s becoming... Read more

Get ready for a rocky 2009 – KPMG reckons banks in Australia will slash 10,000 jobs over the next year. The accountancy firm’s recently released annual banking statistics survey states that more consolidation will lead to fewer, larger banks. The scale, scope and speed of the financial crisis will also help to send headcount tumbling. Westpac's AU$17bn takeover of St George is likely to result in redundancies for 10% of... Read more

Reports that CBA is planning a 5% cost reduction have sparked redundancy rumours, and mean that three of Australia’s four main retail banks are in or verging on cost cutting mood. ANZ has plans to reduce management-level jobs, with at least 500 positions said to be at risk. And Westpac, which cut 450 head-office roles last year, is in limbo until shareholders vote on the St George takeover proposal in... Read more

The Australian Government has injected AU$2.8bn into the banking system and guaranteed bank deposits. But will these initiatives have any effect on recruitment? Simon Tobin, national manager, financial services at recruiter Michael Page, comments: “There’s still a lot of caution out there. People are wondering what it will mean: they’re waiting to see what new regulations and government involvement will mean.” Toby Aikins, at search firm Jon Michel, says the injection... Read more

A slow final quarter awaits the recruitment market in Singapore and Hong Kong. With Wall Street and Europe delivering daily doses of bad news, many banks in Asia are simply too scared to sign off on new jobs. But the reflective mood in Raffles Place and Central also means that massive layoffs are unlikely. Financial employers are playing wait-and-see, leaving the chainsaw in the shed for now. James Carss,... Read more

Don’t be shy about showing off your extra-curricular experience on your CV – it may just set you apart from the candidate pack in today’s tough employment market. Jon Michel, principal of Jon Michel Executive Search, says including all-around abilities indicates that a candidate can work hard, play hard and is therefore robust enough to cope with the long hours in the banking sector. “Successful candidates will ideally be good... Read more

As Nomura gears up to integrate Lehman Brothers staff across Asia-Pacific, should LB bankers be preparing for a complete change in their working culture, or even jumping ship in fear of the takeover? The answer, it seems, is that sitting things out is probably the best bet – life at Nomura may not be so different to life at Lehman, and the Japanese bank could offer better job security, too.... Read more

In the wake of the global financial crisis, a leading headhunter has described the Australian banking recruitment market as “two-speed”. John Coles, CEO of Executive Group International, says global banks are in limbo as they wait for direction from new owners and/or overseas masters. Meanwhile, Australia’s comparatively strong economic growth and its mining industry are helping to hold up local commercial banks with minimal exposure to sub-prime calamities. “The... Read more

Despite the dramatic upheavals in US investment banks, at Australia’s retail banks it’s steady as she goes. Hiring activity has calmed a little but that goes back several months so isn’t because of the US disintegration, says Edmund Gill at recruiter Hays. “Any hiring slowdown really began in July. Liquidity is tight, so there’s been an awful lot of prudence in the past three to six months. Banks are not... Read more

Thinking of working in Singapore? Employers and candidates there have become more cautious in the wake of the global financial crisis, but the local jobs market remains in comparatively good shape and is still attracting foreign talent. These are some of the key issues emerging from this week’s eFinancialCareers roundtable discussion, which was attended by senior internal recruiters from several of Singapore’s leading financial institutions. The roundtable panelists, who asked not... Read more

Lehman Brothers staff in Australia have been given breathing space to decide their future by Nomura’s expected takeover of their firm in Asia-Pacific. All employees in the region will be offered Nomura jobs if the deal goes through as planned. And in the meantime, the Japanese bank is said to be sticking to Lehman’s current salary levels for the rest of 2008. Patrick Everest, a partner at Jon Michel... Read more