3
personnel
New Internal Titles
new faces
After rigorous initial testing in four pilot
offices - New York, London, the Netherlands
and Singapore - human resources has now
adopted a common framework for defining
professional roles throughout the Rl
network.This new system is currently being
implemented globally.
Basic elements
Grid of hierarchy
Differentiating titles
Introducing consistency
2 What'sNewS Issue 7 'July 1998
The new system makes a distinction between
external and internal titles. It recognizes
that every market has its own unique practices:
the counterpart of a 'vice president' in New
York will have an altogether different title in
the London context, for example, 'director'.
Under the new system, these so-called 'external'
or corporate titles are to be applied according
to local practice. What is being changed is the
internal or functional title structure: the names
by which we recognize each other in a
knowledge-based bank, and know what each of
our colleagues do. 'The system is designed to
introducé consistency and clarity to our title
structure,' says Roelf Hagoort of Singapore
branch which helped test the new system. 'In
times of rapid geographical expansion, and far-
reaching organizational transformation, this
system should make it possible to locate the
centres of expertise quickly and easily.'
Each internal title will be composed of three
basic elements. The first is the internal title
itself, which will indicate the level of
managerial, cliënt, or knowledge-focus
associated with the role. Next, the department,
which will indicate the product or functional
responsibilities. Third, the office, providing
information about the person's geographic
location. Here is an example:
Creighton, L.
Senior Relationship Manager
Corporate Banking, Food Agriculture
London
In addition, a person having end-responsibility
for an activity will be called 'head', even when
no managerial responsibility is attached to it.
This is designed to spotlight the highest
knowledge level of any given kind.
A hierarchical grid has been designed to
position the various internal titles in relation to
prevailing external (corporate) titles. An
additional scale is added to pinpoint the level of
experience or mastery. Internal titles will be
grouped together into various hierarchical levels
or scales. In ascending order, they are:
clerical/administration, junior associate,
associate, practitioner, and senior practitioner.
Those at the highest levels of functional,
technical, product, or relationship expertise
(and/or managerial skill) will be grouped under
the category of senior practitioner. Among the
external titles associated with this category are
senior vice president or managing director.
Internal titles include general manager, senior
relationship manager, global business manager,
global product manager and regional business
manager.
The corresponding external title levels of
practitioners include vice president and director.
The internal titles include deputy general
manager, head, senior sales manager (or trader,
or analyst), product manager, senior advisor,
and senior systems analyst. Those at associate
level will have mastered the basics and be
capable of initiating their application. They are
also expected to widen their expertise and
provide guidance to
junior staff. External
titles here include
assistant vice
president or assistant
director. The internal
titles are associate
and senior associate,
relationship
manager, senior
support officer
(trader, analyst, or
advisor) and so
forth. Junior
associates will include managers, junior
relationship managers, and junior traders, while
clerical and administrative covers secretaries,
personal assistants, receptionists and so on.
All of the titles are described in detail under the
new role title guidelines. A complete list is
under construction and will be available later
this year on the public folder 'Internal Titles' in
MS Exchange. 'This new system is a direct
outgrowth of the fact that we are becoming so
geographically dispersed, with a networked,
matrix organization,' explains Pieter van Gent,
senior advisor, management development and
recruitment, in Utrecht. 'Obviously, being able
to rapidly access the knowledge resources at
our disposal, wherever it might be in the world,
will be crucial to the success of our customer
focus strategy. This new internal title structure
will introducé consistency and make it possible
to find the right people, wherever they may be
in the global network.'
Hagoort - more clarity
Newest addition at Rabobank
Ireland is Dublin-born Barry
Henry. Managing the Irish
corporate relationship
management team, Henry will be
responsible for marketing our
complete product range. He joins
us with seven years corporate
finance experience at Chase
Manhattan, where, from his
London base, he specialized in
Barry Henry
Scandinavian corporates and the
pan-European paper and
packaging sector. Still London-
based, he moved on to doek up
another two years relationship
management with Sumitomo, his
skills this time put to use in the
branded food and drink and retail
sectors. His new position now
brings him back home, where he
feels Rabobank, with our 'strategy
of internationalization backed by
financial strength', is set to take
the fast growing Irish F&A sector
by storm. And not a moment to
soon. 'A number offorecasts
indicate that in the coming
millennium some of the strongest
dairy and food companies in the
world will be Irish. Irish, but like
Rabobank, with a strong global
reach.'
Masthead
Editorial Staff
Editorin Chief Noor Tania-Stein (Marketing Rl)
Managing Editor Anne Lavelle (The Write Company)
Editors David Brown, Samantha Dobson
Production Len F ra se r
Editorial Address
Rabobank Nederland, EO 516
P.O.Box 221, 5600 MA Eindhoven
Telephone +31 (0)40 217 50 09
Telefax +31 (0)40 217 71 36
Rabomail whats_news@rn.rabobank.nl
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