Timely boost for Time Bank reopening

on a recruitment drive that has resulted in it receiving thousands of applications.
The bank recently flighted an advertisement in the local media inviting applications to fill 34 vacancies within the various units that it would be operating and this attracted in excess of 30 000 applicants.
Time Bank, which is transforming from a commercial bank into an investment bank, deliberately opted to go on to the open market instead of recruiting staff through headhunting as has become the norm, in order to cast its net as wide as possible.
The positions advertised for ranged from executive director and general manager to lower ranks such as drivers and messengers. The bank’s managing director, Mr Takura Tande, confirmed that over 30 000 applications have been received by the bank so far.
He said it was interesting to note that while the bank did not disclose its identity some applicants were still able to trace them back to source before proceeding to hand in their curricula vitae directly at the bank’s Three Anchor House headquarters in Harare.
Despite the huge task involved in sifting through 30 000 applications, Mr Tande insisted that there won’t be any shortcuts in processing them.
“An instruction has been relayed to HR to thoroughly go through each and every application to make sure that the 34 vacancies are filled according to best fit. I am excited. To me, it is a demonstration of the bank’s popularity and its relevance in employment creation.
“While it’s our wish to absorb everyone who meets our criteria into the institution we may not be able to take on board everyone for now who meets the criteria due to the limited number of positions available,” he said.
“Be that as it may, we are an equal opportunity employer. As a policy, we do not surround ourselves with relatives in Time Bank and we also don’t discriminate against anyone be it on the basis of colour, religion, tribe, political affiliation, creed, sex or place of birth. The best man or woman will always get the job. It is precisely for this reason that we decided to recruit openly on the market and give everyone a chance.
“We now have the Herculean task of going through the 30 000 applications in a bid to put together a formidable team that would be able to revive the bank and take it forward.”
The response, Mr Tande said, was hardly surprising for a bank that is almost starting from scratch in terms of its recruitment after it lost most of its employees after it was placed under curatorship in 2004. It took lengthy and intense court battles for the restoration of its licence by the court and the Ministry of Finance mid last year.
Mr Tande said that this huge response has given the Time Bank brand a timely seal of approval.
Time Bank is one of the four banks re-launching their operations following the reinstatement of their licences last year.
The others are Royal Bank, Trust Bank and Barbican Bank. Trust Bank and Royal Bank have already commenced operations.