Despite the economic downturn caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the bank expects to hire over 2,000 new staff in Singapore this year.
DBS is going ahead with its hiring plans in Singapore for 2020, and will be creating new jobs where it can, in line with digitalization efforts, the bank announced on Thursday in a statement.
Apart from business-as-usual hiring of 1,000 roles, DBS said it «will continue to hire judiciously for other roles across the bank.» Some 700 roles are available for recent graduates across the bank's specialized programs and apprenticeship programs, and 360 roles will be created for seasoned professionals in growth technology areas.
The bank also will continue with its annual internship programs for 400 students, the announcement said.
Hiring Amid Pandemic
«While DBS is also prudent in our outlook, as a key employer in Singapore, it seemed right to us to not just continue with hiring for business-as-usual activities but also to actively create new jobs where we can, so as to help more people tide through this difficult period,» said CEO Piyush Gupta.
The bank said that since the start of the Covid-19 outbreak in Singapore in February, it has already made close to 500 hires to fill roles in client advisory, data, digital, technology as well as risk and control.
Support for Staff
DBS, along with Singapore's other major lenders UOB and OCBC, previously pledged support for their staff amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and global recession by halting job cuts for the time being, in line with the relief efforts of global banks.
The bank, which has 12,000 employees in the city-state, said its workforce, including branch staff who are unable to perform their duties because of temporary branch closures amid circuit breaker restrictions, continue to remain on full pay. The bank also rolled out an e-learning program for staff to upskill amid the lull in work activity.
