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Although the number of employees in the sector is still declining, Belgian banks are feverishly looking for new profiles to cope with digitization and stricter regulations. According to preliminary figures from the sector federation Febelfin, Belgian banks hired 2,550 new employees last year, a quarter more than a year earlier. That writes De Tijd on Saturday.
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jvhBron: BELGIAN
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That figure is expected to rise sharply in the coming months. “In just about all human resources departments you hear that it is the first time in years that such a large influx of new employees is possible,” say HR experts.
The four major Belgian banks alone – BNP Paribas Fortis, KBC, ING Belgium and Belfius – hope to recruit 1,640 this year. BNP Paribas Fortis plans to hire 2,000 by the end of 2025. “Over the past three to four years, we have been in run-down mode and have been much less present in the job market,” says Sandra Wilikens, HR Director of BNP Paribas Fortis. “We adapted to the changing behavior of our customers, as a result of which a number of functions were lost. But we have now reached a turning point.”
As in other sectors, there is an acute shortage of IT professionals. But also for compliance – the department that is responsible for internal supervision of activities and compliance with the rules – the candidates are very few.
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