Attention Finance Job Seekers: "Attend the Recruitment Fair and Seize Employment Opportunities" (Comprehensive)

Held over two days under the theme "Youth Dreams Opened by Finance"
Conducted video interviews, recruitment consultations, briefings, and consulting
Bank hiring values job-related practical skills over 'specs'
Current employees also promoted "Life with Evenings" firsthand

[Asia Economy Reporter Song Seung-seop] The "Joint Financial Sector Recruitment Fair," involving 55 financial companies and over 15,000 job seekers, has officially opened. Financial sector recruiters emphasized practical skills and experience related to the job rather than unnecessary qualifications. To appeal to the MZ generation, which values work-life balance (Work-Life Balance, or "Wolrabel"), they actively promoted solid welfare benefits and progressive corporate cultures.

The fair, held under the theme "Youth Dreams, Finance Opens," is conducted online and non-face-to-face over two days starting on the 8th. Events such as the opening ceremony, video interviews, recruitment consultations, job briefings, and employment consulting run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Participants can also join a talk concert featuring current bank employees.

At the opening speech, Kim Kwang-soo, Chairman of the Korea Federation of Banks, stated, "The financial sector will discover new jobs suited to the changing financial environment," and emphasized, "We will continue efforts to create jobs in the real economy through financial support." Yoon Jae-ok, Chairman of the Political Affairs Committee, who gave the congratulatory address, said, "I hope that recruiting young talent will create a virtuous cycle of financial industry development, corporate growth, and job creation." Financial Services Commission Chairman Ko Seung-beom urged, "It has become difficult for young people to find jobs due to preference for experienced hires," and called for special attention to new recruitment positions in the financial sector.

The financial industry sector that attracted the most attention from job seekers was undoubtedly commercial banks. The competition rate for entry into the five major banks?KB Kookmin, Shinhan, Woori, Hana, and NH Nonghyup?is still known to be around 100 to 200 applicants per position.

Most commercial banks showed a preference for practical talents related to job duties through corporate information centers set up online. Major banks are already implementing rigorous blind recruitment processes to exclude unnecessary qualifications or personal information.

KB Kookmin Bank conducts a written test after document screening, evaluating basic job skills and in-depth job knowledge for general applicants. IT and data positions also require an online coding test. In the first interview, candidates must undergo presentations, sales interviews, and practical interviews related to the recruitment job. Shinhan Bank advises applicants to effectively express their capabilities in their documents and states that understanding the relevant job group is essential in the three-stage job suitability interviews. NH Nonghyup Bank evaluates applicants' communication skills, problem-solving abilities, and information skills through job competency assessments. Particularly, questions about understanding agriculture and rural areas are asked, and different questions are given depending on the application field.

At the '2021 Financial Public Enterprise Recruitment Fair' held at the joint recruitment expo for the financial sector, representatives from the Korea Financial Telecommunications and Clearings Institute, Korea Credit Guarantee Fund, Korea Exchange, and Korea Securities Depository are explaining the recruitment process.

The tendency to focus more on experience rather than the qualifications that the financial sector used to emphasize has increased. Hana Bank, through "Small Tips for Each Recruitment Stage," advised, "Even if the experience is not flashy, if you have gained something, it is good to consider whether it aligns with the talent image and core values." Woori Bank guides that expressing the will to join and interest in the company is important during the document and interview stages.

A similar trend continues in policy banks. A recruitment officer at KDB Industrial Bank explained, "We requested applicants to show not just their abilities but how they have lived and what values and personality they have, so it would be good to keep this in mind." The Export-Import Bank, planning to hire about 30 to 40 people this year, stated, "The document screening has been removed, and a first written test has been introduced," adding, "Since there is no separate document screening, all applicants can take the test, which includes NCS basic job competency evaluation and quantitative assessment."

Financial public enterprises and public institutions preferred by financial job seekers announced at recruitment briefings that they conduct meticulous and detailed evaluations due to the nature of the industry. The Korea Financial Telecommunications & Clearings Institute said, "We spend a lot of time evaluating self-introduction letters," and mentioned, "We have been conducting multi-person interviews to thoroughly understand the applicants' profiles."

One of the events at the 2021 Joint Recruitment Fair for the Financial Sector, the 'Current Employees Talk Concert.' Representatives from Woori Bank, NH Nonghyup Bank, and IBK Industrial Bank are explaining about recruitment and corporate culture. Photo by Financial Services Commission

At the current employee talk concert, bank employees appeared directly to actively promote welfare and work-life balance. For MZ generation applicants, a life with evenings off is considered as important a value as high salaries and growth potential.

An attendee from Hana Bank said, "If you choose the exercise you want, such as Pilates or golf, the company supports monthly fitness expenses," and added, "Due to the PC off system at 6 p.m., employees must automatically leave work, ensuring work-life balance." A KB Kookmin Bank official also explained, "Most employees leave after 6 p.m., to the extent that managers ask if there is more work today."

There was also a noticeable emphasis on strict blind recruitment and encouragement for active applications. An NH Nonghyup Bank official who appeared at the talk concert said, "There was even a 42-year-old among the new hires," and urged, "Since age is not entered during recruitment, please apply without hesitation."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.