Let
it be said at the outset that even those big corporates with the best
people management processes are capable of handing out gross injustices
when it comes to ensuring that employees facing redundancy are given
opportunity to continue their employment in another area, and,
unfortunately, in recruitment and selection decisions generally.

However,
the Bank has announced that it will cut jobs from its back
office/operational areas. It does appear to have been on a hiring binge
of late, but many of these jobs are at the mid-tier level. It is not
simply a case of taking an employee who has been in an administrative
role for ten-odd years and having them slot into a job with
requirements beyond their capabilities. It’s about getting the right
people in at the right levels and some employees will never be able to
fill the gaps in certain areas. In any case, the NAB had more than its
fair share of dead wood.

The simple fact is that relatively
unskilled jobs are being cleared out from everywhere, and sadly for
Australia, often shipped off-shore. That’s what happens in a market
economy. It would be negligent of me not to mention that I am an
ex-employee of the NAB head office and during my time I did see many a
“people” decision that defied logic, merit, and general commercial
sense.

I am not a mouthpiece for the NAB, nor for any other employer, but a balanced approach is required to these issues.