Allied Irish Bank has launched a recruitment campaign to take on 300 staff who will work at branch level and in customer and support services. The recruitment will bring new staff numbers in the Republic this year to more than 500 out of a total workforce of about 9,000.
Ms Gillian Harford, head of resources and long-term planning, said yesterday that starting salaries would reflect the experience of successful candidates. They will range from £10,438 (€13,254) to £14,299 and rise to £18,529.
The bank has also been carrying out a graduate recruitment campaign in third-level colleges to fill an additional 220 vacancies. Ms Harford said almost 2,000 applications had been received for these positions and interviewing was almost complete.
The new staff members are replacing those lost through normal attrition during the year and also some temporary staff, she said.
The basic starting salary of £10,438 was for school leavers with no work experience or additional qualifications. "If you compare that with what else is being paid in the market directly to school leavers, then it is quite attractive," she said. It also included a pension scheme, health cover and a loan scheme among other benefits.
Salary levels have been agreed with the bank workers' union, the Irish Bank Officials' Association (IBOA). Mr Larry Broderick, assistant general secretary, said he welcomed the recruitment drive. Staff were "under enormous pressure" to provide services, he added. "This is AIB recognising that the staff situation is tight and there is a need to invest into the future and invest in new staff," he said.
