The State Bank of India (SBI), the country’s largest lender, is gearing up for a major recruitment drive to strengthen its operations and improve customer service across the country. The bank plans to hire around 3,500 officers, including probationary, specialist, and circle-based officers, in the current financial year.
Expanding Officer Cadre
SBI Deputy Managing Director (HR) and Chief Development Officer Kishore Kumar Poludasu said the bank recently recruited 505 Probationary Officers (POs) in June, and the process to fill another 541 vacancies is already underway. The PO recruitment follows a three-stage process — preliminary exams, mains, and a psychometric test with interviews.
In addition to POs, about 1,300 specialist officers have been selected to strengthen the bank’s IT and cybersecurity divisions. The bank is also in the process of hiring nearly 3,000 circle-based officers, which is expected to be completed by the end of this fiscal year.
Earlier this year, SBI Chairman C.S. Setty announced plans to recruit around 18,000 people in total — including 13,500 clerical positions — to boost manpower and improve service efficiency across its vast branch network.
Focus on Diversity and Inclusion
Poludasu emphasized that SBI is also working to enhance gender diversity, with a goal to increase the representation of women in its workforce to 30% within the next five years. Currently, women make up about 27% of SBI’s total workforce of 2.4 lakh employees, though they account for roughly one-third of frontline staff.
To bridge the gap, the bank has introduced a series of women-centric initiatives. These include creche allowances for working mothers, a family connect programme, and tailored training sessions for women returning from maternity leave, sabbaticals, or extended sick leave.
Empowering Women Leaders
SBI has also launched a flagship programme called Empower Her to identify and mentor high-potential women employees for leadership roles. Through structured leadership labs, coaching, and mentoring sessions, the initiative aims to build a strong pipeline of future female executives.
Poludasu said the bank remains committed to creating a workplace where women can thrive professionally and personally, with a focus on leadership development, work-life balance, and dignity at work.
With over 2.4 lakh employees, SBI continues to be one of India’s largest employers and a leader in workforce transformation within the banking sector.
