Mountain of applications stark evidence of unemployment

A staff-hiring exam held by the state-owned Halkbank has revealed the drastic unemployment picture magnified by the global crisis in Turkey.

Some 300,000 young people competed in the exam, through which the bank aims to hire 1,250 people, to be paid an average monthly salary of 750 Turkish Liras ($500) per person.

“The fact that we are among the rare banks that employ high school graduates has played a role in the high interest,” said Hüseyin Aydın, managing director of the bank. “Those who are still studying at university also attended the exam. Including university graduates who entered the exam in two categories, participation reached 300,000.”

Last year, 150,000 people attended the bank’s hiring exam, Aydın said. “Some people attended the exam for two different positions. Considering the double applications, the number of the young people who attended the exam was around 125,000.”

Noting that the bank initially chose staff through a public personnel selection examination, he said: “Although we are mainly publicly-owned, we have been making great efforts to remove the clumsy public outlook. Therefore, we did not prefer the public personnel selection examination for hiring staff. First, we had talks with the Student Selection and Placement Center [ÖSYM], but they said their exam schedule was full. Then we reached a deal with Anadolu University. Last year, we agreed to pay the university 60 liras per person, and we paid half of the exam cost. This cost 6 million liras in total for us.”

Unemployment in Turkey stood at 13.4 percent in the three months through September this year. The figure was 10.2 percent in the same period last year.

Entrance costs:

Aydın said now the bank has candidates pay for entrance costs. “This year, we have reduced the exam cost to 50 liras and had the candidates pay this figure. The crisis had a role in this decision, but we also wanted the candidates to take on responsibility. When they do not pay the cost, they change their mind at the last minute and not enter the exam.”

The exam took place at 20 centers nationwide. Among the winners, 3,750 people will be interviewed, Aydın said. “We have difficulty finding staff for our needs mostly in Istanbul and Bursa. Expensive and difficult life conditions in Istanbul and the industrial density in Bursa create the need for alternative employment fields.”

Halkbank hired 1,038 people this year. The bank has 2,221 staff who are about to retire. The rate of university graduates has risen to 75 percent with new hiring. The bank currently employs 12,593 people in total.

Halkbank’s managing director also said the bank has not curtailed or recalled loans amid the global crisis. “Our credit growth was 25 percent between September 2008 and the same month of this year. The rise in the sector was 4 percent. Our market share climbed from 6.6 percent to 7.8 percent. Over the period, we realized 57 percent of the sector’s total liquid loan increase.”

Noting that on average 30 percent of banks’ branches are located in Istanbul, Aydın said: “This rate is around 19 percent for Halkbank. We have a deficit in Istanbul. By opening 20 new branches, we have raised the number of our Istanbul branches to 134. For banks of our scale, the figure is double. Therefore, we will focus on growing in Istanbul and attain the necessary level within five years.”