By Na Jeong-ju
Staff Reporter
An increasing number of people want to work as bank tellers after banks took measures to ensure long-term job security for tellers and other non-regular employees.
There is still some degree of discrimination in wages and benefits against tellers, but the job is sought after by many young jobseekers amid rising youth unemployment rates. Banks have introduced programs to educate tellers and implemented a competence-oriented wage system for them.
Woori Bank, the country's second largest lender, said Tuesday more than 12,000 people applied for 250 teller positions. About 200 applicants have master's or doctorate degrees, the bank said.
``Since we became the first South Korean bank to give regular job status to tellers in March, many tellers at other banks have dreamed of becoming tellers at Woori,'' an Woori official said. ``Hundreds of tellers working at other banks submitted applications to Woori this time. Among the applicants are hundreds of highly educated people who have failed to get jobs since graduation.''
Woori said successful applicants would be announced late this month after rounds of tests and interviews.
On July 19, Korea Exchange Bank (KEB) said it has agreed with its union to provide long-term job security to 1,000 of its 1,572 non-regular employees. Most of its non-regular workers are working as tellers at branch offices.
In the short term, the measure will cause a sharp increase in labor costs, but in the long term it will lead to an improvement in productivity, higher work morale and customer satisfaction, according to KEB officials.
``Higher paychecks and better benefits for teller positions mean managers have recognized the importance of the role tellers are playing in improving relationships with customers,'' said Cha Yu-jon, an official of the Korea Federation of Banks.
``Employers used to hire non-regular workers to fill regular jobs because of low wage costs and labor flexibility. But it is not the case for tellers any more.''
The increase in the number of applicants for teller jobs reflects better working conditions for tellers.
The National Union of the Financial Industry has decided to demand an 18.2 percent raise for non-regular employees at financial firms, including bank tellers, as well as shorter working hours.