SBI may hire 2,500 officers this year

State Bank of India will recruit about 2,500 probationary officers soon. “The total recruitment for this year could be around 12,000 officers and clerks, including a couple of thousands or a little higher number of officers,” Mr A. Krishna Kumar, Managing Director, SBI, told Business Line here.

Last month, SBI had notified recruitment of 8,500 clerks and 1,000 stenographers.

The bank is planning to add 1,000 branches in the current financial year to take the total number of branches to 15,000 by end of March 2013.

The bank would need staff to man these branches and as replacement for the retiring staff, the official said.

When asked on the reduction in recruitment numbers compared to previous years, when over 25,000 people were hired, he said the higher hiring during last two years was due to lack to recruitment for about three years.

“Now that we have stabilised numbers, the recruitment has been rationalised but not reduced,” Mr Krishna Kumar said.

On the net interest margin for the bank during the last financial year, he said it could be at the same level of 3.82 per cent which was achieved in the quarter ended December 31, 2011.

SBI is yet to announce the financial performance for 2011-12.