9/5/2015

RoleofProbationaryOfficer(PO)inBanks

AsLakhsofaspirantsarepreparingfortheburningprofileofProbationaryOfficereveryyear,the
competitiontocrackthePOexamisgettingtougherdaybyday.Forstartingyourpreparationorfor
givingafinishingtouchtoyourpreparationyoushouldknoweverythingabouttheprofileyouare
goingtoholdinthefuture.
ProbationaryOfficer(PO)isaverylucrativepostamongbankaspirantsasitisthefirstladdertoenter
andserveasanOfficerinBankingIndustry.Manyoftheaspirantshavenoideawhatactuallya
ProbationaryOfficerdoes,soweareprovidinganarticletoclearalltheirdoubts.

DesignationProbationaryOfficersholds(PO)inbanks
APOholdsthedesignationofanAssistantManager(AM)onProbation.HeisinJuniorManagement
Grade1(JMGScale1)OfficerthusheisoftencalledasScale1OfficerorAsst.Manager.

InitialPostingofProbationaryOfficer(PO)
AfterselectionasaProbationaryOfficer(PO)inaparticularbankaPOhastogothroughInduction
trainingprogrammesinManagementTrainingAcademiesofparticularbankswhichlastsfor10to20
days.Thedurationoftrainingvariesfrombankstobanks.
AftercompletionoftheirinductiontraininginManagementTrainingAcademiesaPOcanbeposted
anywhereinIndia,astheserviceofGovernmentBankOfficerisAllIndiabasedservice.
TheycanbepostedasanAsst.ManageronprobationindifferentbranchesorHeadOfficeor
CorporateOfficeorZonalOfficesorinspecializedbrancheslikemicrostatebranches,treasury
Branchesetc.asperplacementpolicyofparticularbanks.

DurationofProbationPeriod
Normallytheprobationperiodisoftwoyearsinwhichtheofficerisexposedtodifferenttypesof
bankingrelatedworks.Insomebanks,thedurationmaybelimitedtooneyear.Probationperiodin
somebanksisdividedinphaseswhichvaryfrombankstobanks.
ExInIndianBank
IstPhase6months,
IIndPhase6monthsand
IIIrdPhase1year.
data:text/htmlcharset=utf8,%3Cp%20style%3D%22margin%3A%200px%200px%2020px%3B%20padding%3A%200px%3B%20border%3A%200px%3B

1/4

9/5/2015

RoleofProbationaryOfficer(PO)inBanks

Theofficersorprobationersmayundergofrequenttransfersordeputationsduringtheprobation
period.OncetheprobationperiodiscompletedtheofficerisconfirmedasanAssistantManagerand
getshisorherpermanentpostingaftersatisfiedPoliceVerificationreportfromtheirLocalSSPOffice
orpolicestation.
SomebanksarenowadaysplacingofficersasDeputyManagersalso,justafterconfirmation,
providedtheypassthetestconductedbythebank.
Forexample:StateBankofIndiaconductsaconfirmationexam.Ifaprobationaryofficerpassesthe
exam,heisconfirmedasanAssistantManager.Infact,StateBankofIndiaevengivesachancefor
promotiontoScaleIItocandidateswhoperformexceptionallywellintheexam.OtherNationalized
Banksdonotconductexamsforconfirmation.

RoleofProbationaryOfficers(PO)inbanks
POsarethetalentedyoungofficerswhohaveampleofpotentialandagreatzealtoworkfasterand
performbetterthanothers.
1.MultitaskingjobTheroleofProbationaryOfficerisamultitaskingjobandtheyareassignedfor
variousbankingactivities,whichhelpsthemtogetfamiliarwithvariousworkingproceduresofthe
bank.
2.PracticalknowledgePOsarepracticallytrainedinvariousfields,likeMarketing,Accounting,
Loans&AdvancesaswellasFinance.
3.CustomerservicesOftenPOsarerequiredtohandlethecustomersofthebanks,usedtoguide
themaboutthebankingfacilitiesandproductsavailabletothem,likeissuingChequebooks,
ATMcards,DemandDraft,etc.Customercomplaintslikediscrepanciesinaccounts,rectificationof
unduechargesarealsohandledbythem.
4.SupervisionofClericalworkAlltheclericalworksuchasmanagingcash,openingaccountand
customerdealingisdoneunderthesupervisionofPOs.Incaseofcashtransactions,POisresponsible
tocheckwhetherClerkenteredeverythingcorrectlyornotandauthorisethetransactions.
5.LoanProcessingOneofthemajorfunctionsofthebanki.e.providingloantotheneedfulisalso
takencareofbyaPO.Beforegrantingtheloantothecustomer,allthedocumentationistobedone
underhis/hersupervision.

BasicSalaryofProbationaryOfficer
ABankProbationaryofficersstartingsalaryinmostofpublicsectorbanksandeveninsomeprivate
data:text/htmlcharset=utf8,%3Cp%20style%3D%22margin%3A%200px%200px%2020px%3B%20padding%3A%200px%3B%20border%3A%200px%3B

2/4

9/5/2015

RoleofProbationaryOfficer(PO)inBanks

banksissame.ThelatestrevisionofsalaryofBankPOhastakenplaceweffrom1stNovember,
2012(Thefinalagreementhasbeensignedonlyon25thMay,2015)AllnewlyrecruitedPOsare
placedinthefollowingscaleatthe1ststageofthesame.Therevisedsalaryason1stJune2015will
beasperScaleIgivenbelow:

(Thefiguresinthebracketsindicatetheannualincrementandthenumberofstagesforwhichthe
sameisapplicable)
Thus,therevisedinitialBasicPayofaBankPOwillbeRs.23,700/asfrom1stJune2015onwards.

MajorallowancespayablemonthlytoBankPOs
InadditiontoBasicPayPosareeligibleforthefollowingallowances:
1.DearnessAllowance(DA):DAinbanksisrevisedonquarterlybasis(i.e.inthemonthsof
February,May,AugustandNovember)basedontheConsumerPriceIndex(CPI)asdeclaredby
GovernmentofIndia.ThenewrevisedcurrentDA(forthemonthofMay2015,June2015andJuly
2015is33.70%oftheBasicPay).DAcangoupwithhigherinflationandalsocomedownifthe
inflationrateisinnegative.
2.SpecialAllowance:Thishasbeenaddedin10thBPS(wef01/11/2012)andforscaleIis7.75%on
whichDAisalsopayable
3.HRA(HouseRentAllowance):Thisdependsontheplaceofpostinganditcanbeeither9.0%or
8.0%or7.0%dependingontheplaceofposting.
4.CCA(CityCompensatoryAllowance):Thisalsodependsontheplaceofpostingandcanbe
either4%(maximumRs.870/)or3%(MaximumRs.600/)or0%

GrossSalary
Theabovestatisticsindicatesthatthetotalsalaryofaprobationaryofficeronjoiningatametro
stationwillbearoundRs.37145/.However,thetotalsalaryofaprobationaryofficerwhohastojoin
inruralareawillbeaboutRs35800/(ThisincludesHRAalso).However,SBIgivesfouradditional
incrementstoBankPOsandthusgrosssalarywillbehigherbyaboutRs5000/.pm.

data:text/htmlcharset=utf8,%3Cp%20style%3D%22margin%3A%200px%200px%2020px%3B%20padding%3A%200px%3B%20border%3A%200px%3B

3/4

9/5/2015

RoleofProbationaryOfficer(PO)inBanks

InlieuofHRA,mostofthebanksallowyoutotakeleasedaccommodation,theamountofwhich
variesfrombanktobankandalsodependsonplaceofposting(Theentitlementofsuch
accommodationrangesfromRs10000toRs29,000p.m(approximate).Thus,wecansaythesalary
cashcomponentofBankPOinPublicSectorbanksisaroundRs37100pmwhereasinSBI,theinitial
cashcomponentsalaryofSBIPOisaround43000/pm(includingHRA).
Atlastaprobationaryofficerhastoworkinvariousdepartments.ItcanbeDeposits,Loans&
Advances,Clearing,Pensions,PaymentandChequeclearances,FixedDeposit,ATMandInternet
Banking,CreditCard,ReportMaking,etc.Workallottedtothemmainlydependsuponthepoliciesof
aparticularbankalsoplaceofpostingwhereheorshegotposted.Theyarelikediamondsforevery
bankandbanksalsowanttopolishthembygivingthembesttraining.
AlltheBest&HappyReading
SanjayMishra
Asst.Manager(IndianBank)

data:text/htmlcharset=utf8,%3Cp%20style%3D%22margin%3A%200px%200px%2020px%3B%20padding%3A%200px%3B%20border%3A%200px%3B

4/4