software engineer

teller

analyst

intern

quantitative analyst

Standard-Bank

What is the best part of working at the company?
The best part about working for this bank is that it's a teamwork-driven environment, not a competitive one. Everyone is encouraged to collaborate, share ideas, and support one another in achieving common goals. This fosters a sense of unity and makes the workplace feel more like a community, where success is celebrated as a team effort. Instead of being caught up in individual competition, you're motivated to work together, which not only enhances productivity but also creates a positive and inclusive atmosphere. It’s a place where everyone can thrive, learn, and grow together.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The most stressful part about working at the company can be the fast-paced nature of the banking environment, especially when it comes to meeting tight deadlines or handling high-stakes situations. The pressure to stay on top of regulatory changes, manage client expectations, and juggle multiple tasks can sometimes feel overwhelming. Additionally While the team-oriented culture helps, the constant need to adapt to new challenges and deliver results under time constraints can add stress. However, with the right support systems in place, such as colleagues, training, and resources, these challenges can be managed effectively.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
The work environment at the company is supportive and collaborative, creating a strong sense of community among employees. From my personal experience, there's a real focus on teamwork, where everyone is encouraged to work together to achieve shared goals. I’ve found that leadership is approachable and genuinely interested in the well-being and development of their employees, making it easy to seek guidance or mentorship when needed.

The company culture is built around continuous learning and growth, with many opportunities for professional development. Whether through formal training programs, peer learning, or cross-department collaboration, there’s always something to learn, and everyone is encouraged to take initiative in their own career paths.

One of the things I really appreciate is the work-life balance the company promotes. While the work can sometimes get intense, especially during busy periods, there's a real effort to support employees in managing their workload and taking care of their personal lives. The environment feels inclusive and respectful, and it’s clear that the company values diverse perspectives and ideas.

Overall, it’s a dynamic and empowering place to work where everyone’s contributions are valued, and there's always room to grow.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
A typical day for me at the company involves a mix of activities that contribute to both process improvement and innovation. I often start the day by preparing for presentations, where I share insights, updates, or recommendations with stakeholders. These presentations usually revolve around process improvements, project progress, or new developments in our automation initiatives.

Part of my day is dedicated to mapping out the "as-is" processes, where I analyze and document the current workflows to identify areas for improvement. This involves collaborating with various teams to understand how data flows within the company and pinpoint any inefficiencies. I then use this information to propose potential solutions or design enhancements.

Another significant portion of my day involves working on bots and automation. I contribute to the development of bots that can streamline tasks and improve efficiency across different departments. This includes collaborating with developers to fine-tune the bots, ensuring they work as intended, and troubleshooting any issues that may arise.

Overall, my day is a blend of strategic thinking, collaboration, and hands-on problem solving, all of which help drive efficiency and innovation within the company.

Reporting
A typical week when a report is due includes the activities as explained in the next column.	Steps to producing a monthly Exco Report:
1. Proper write ups of the Key Issues/Material Incidents are collated based on the outcome of the Reporting meeting where senior managers decide on key issues/material incidents for escalation.
2. Updates on the previously reported incidents which are still open are collated.
3. Coordination to attain the business scorecards for all business areas rolling up to the overall  business scorecard.
5. Coordination to attain progress and due dates for the outstanding overdue findings above 30 days overdue.
6. Once all the information is collated, it is populated into the required template.
7. The review process begins, the information is challenged and a draft is sent to the senior managers for sign off.
8. Other submissions include preparing SLA Scorecards, reports updates and Assurance Letters.

Secretarial duties of meetings
A typical week includes the following activities when preparing for the  meetings. Two meetings per month  meetings as follows:
Steps to preparing a meeting pack for Meeting:
1. Producing the agenda
2. Once the agenda is approved, the coordination of documents/presentations from the relevant parties begins.
3. Follow up on action items is performed and updates are included in the document.
4. Meeting pack is distributed (which includes minutes of the previous meeting).

News Letter - Steps to producing our monthly  team newsletter:
1. Initial meeting is held with the team to decide on the content for the next edition.
2. The input on the different topics is sourced for inclusion into the newsletter.
3. Pictures are gathered.
4. Competitions are run and winners get informed in the next edition
5. Review process begins.
6. The director is engaged to in the event there is an issue; she would like to be included in the newsletter.
7. The final review is performed. 
8. The newsletter is then distributed to the team.
Maintenance of the SharePoint site.	Requests are placed with the relevant department to increase the storage space.
Granting of access to the team is performed.
Storing of reports is performed.
Updating of the pictures etcetera.

General Comments:
Over and above the activities mentioned above, there are adhoc requirements that are performed daily e.g. questions arising from Group in preparation other meetings where our input is required.

The hardest part of my job is reliance on the team for information.
The team I work with are good people who are always willing to assist me and vise versa.

•	Master Card transactions (Including Garage Card and Business Master Cards) 
•	Copy statements (current, Investments, and savings accounts)
•	All account transactions (including debit orders pricing, credit/debit details)
•	Lost remittances 
•	Copies of cheques, cheques incorrectly encoded
•	Updating of Plus Plan books 
•	Change of customer or account details
•	Certificates, balances, audit, estate late,	
•	Duplicate I.T.3B’s
•	 Branch IBT details
•	ACB details
•	Deposit details and deposits not included on statements 
•	Account incorrectly credited /debited, and 
•	Missing statements / Cheques
•	Stop payments
•	Upliftment of Credit Cards , Cheques Books
•	Quoting of settlement figures on Vehicle accounts
•	Assisting clients with all queries on VAF accounts.




•	Reactive Selling

•	Support migrating initiatives
•	Generate and pass on Sales to the application Area

	

•	Routine 


•	Conduct a needs analysis to identify customer needs in line with the Financial Advisory and intermediary Service Act licence categories 
•	Keep records in term of the financial Advisory and intermediary Service Act
•	Conduct root cause analysis to prevent recurring problems/queries
•	Maintain a network across related group entities to ensure update knowledge of policies , procedures and process relating to : cheque account packages, savings, investment and E Bank accounts, Home Loans, Cards Division, Vehicle and Asset Finance (VAF), SBIB etc  
•	Attend to related telephone calls and customer queries 
•	Provide agent Banks and other entities with bank codes on Cheque accounts 
•	Ensure staff alertness to the possibility of attempted fraud. 
•	Provide input for fraud investigations, when required.
•	Attend to related telephone calls and customer queries.









Developed Abilities
	        
Interpersonal, Teamwork, Ethics and Tolerance Skills
•	Working and interacting with and appreciating people from diverse cultural, social, and religious backgrounds, in and out of the study/work environment. 
•	To strive to achieve the best in whatever I endeavor. To always give my all in any situation. Going the extra mile for positive results hence improving my knowledge skill. 

Decision-making

•	Quick to assimilate and integrate new information
•	Monitor change in the operation environment, quick to act upon potential opportunities
•	Weigh things up quickly and take initiative within limits of authority


A typical day starts off by walking in through the reception doors. The first couple of minutes normally entail looking through the news to catch up with what happened the previous night in order to get one up-to-speed. This is then followed by meetings as well as your day to day responsibilities which differ amongst teams. This is then followed by other peripheral things like coffee, meeting invites, water and smoke breaks if you smoke, lunch and other unidentifiable things.

My lessons were that you need to be proactive, tenacious, patient and a prominent team worker to survive in the bank. There is a vast majority of personalities which requires one to adjust in order to be able to fit it. 

The company is run in a very different manner depending on the team. Some management is great and are very willing to help you understand the fundamental ins and outs of the bank. Others will commit to making time but will never pitch up for meetings. The processes are too long and some stakeholders are not willing to work and coordinate in a fair and reliable manner. The vast majority, however, are more than willing to send you to the right people who will teach you all that needs to be known on the job.

In terms of coworkers, without pointing fingers, most of the teams were very helpful in keeping my hands busy as well as teach me the processes and everything within the bank. Others barely had time to help and or answer a couple of questions I had. Others would throw toys when you ask questions yet others would devote time t making sure you get something and understand before you deliver.

The hardest part of being a Grad is when there is too much pressure especially around budget time, year end or holiday time. This was so because as a Grad you normally wait for someone o delegate work to you. During these periods, coworkers do not want to delegate as this may cause more work for them through explaining and editing.

The most enjoyable part were the benefits that came from being amongst the 7 front office Grads. We would have free dinner, cocktail parties as well as events in the bank

A typical day at Standard Bank starts off bright and early with a cup of coffee to ensure that the employees are wide awake and ready for the various tasks that they are required to complete throughout the day. Employees firstly check their emails, which notify them about any important tasks or duties which need to be fulfilled before the end of the day or week. One can then begin with the day's work, which includes attending a number of meetings, organising and managing the company's numerous projects and dealings, and so on. 
During my work experience at Standard Bank, I found my co-workers to be quite friendly and I was able to get along with and communicate with them with ease. I acquired a fair amount of knowledge and skills (mostly administrative and computer skills) whilst working there-I experienced some of the many pressures and issues that employees deal with on a daily basis, and the long working hours involved.
I also learned that through hard work and dedication, employees are capable of absolutely anything. With such a mindset, an employee can become a valuable asset to the growth and further development of an organisation. 
The hardest part of the job was to get the work done within a limited amount of time and still ensure that it was done with the utmost precision. However, this was not impossible. It was simply a challenge I was willing to take on in order to better myself and learn more about the working environment. 
The most enjoyable part of the job was most definitely collaborating with different people, and my trip to the Standard Bank Art Gallery across the road.
I truly feel that the employees of Standard Bank are delightful to work with, and that the organisation treats its employees well-they provide a number of facilities for them, such as the cafeteria, gym, internet cafe and so on.
My work experience at Standard Bank further motivated me to persist no matter what, and to be prepared for anything that is thrown my way.

Work day starts at 08:00 - we have sign-on sheets which are checked daily.
Any follow-ups which are required are done between 08:00 and 09:00.
09:00 we have a team production meeting and action plans set in place in terms of work load/obstacles/focus areas and a learning topic is set each day. Each team member has an opportunity to run the connect session.
9:30 - 16:15 - work orientated with hourly targets. These are set on big screen TV monitors which are on display so that staff can access whether their productivity is on track. Ensure queues are cleared.
16:15 - 16:30 : recap of daily work, updating of metrics - these are reviewed during daily connect session and continuous improvement ideas set in place to improve performance and business processess.
What I've learned:-
Great team player - you cannot survive in this type of environment of you're not.
Flexibility - you need to be able to skip across jobs as per business requirements to ensure optimal capacity management i.t.o. staff.

Management - clear direction is required to ensure correct results.

Co-workers - we have an eclectic mix of people, combining a wide variety of cultres and backgrouds, however, we all adhere to one "culture" which is based on our company vision and values.
 
Each job has it's own challenges - it's how quickly you can embrace change and overcome obstacles that make the difference between loving what you're doing and simply working for a salary.

The most enjoyable part of the job - assisting people getting that car they wanted, the personal loan they applied for and thought they wouldn't get and helping students negotiate their way through loan applications when they think they're facing a year at home.
Knowing that I've made a positive difference in someones life.

Co-ordinate meetings (face-to-face, video conference or telephone conference as relevant), workshops and conferences (invitations, venue, audio-visual equipment, refreshments, agenda, packs, presentation material)
Co-ordinate annual conference, including letters of invitations for visa applications, accommodation for 16 counties (plus approximately 40 local individuals), venue hire, corporate gifts, after hours events (cocktails, entertainment, dinners) catering and décor
Monitor Head’s incoming emails and responding if not available and extrapolate relevant information to be included in GAP report
Manage diary to optimise meeting time and limit unnecessary time spent in irrelevant meetings
Co-ordinate team diaries for project meetings and feedback sessions including arranging venues, minutes, agenda’s and co-ordinating all relevant information
Liaise with senior executives and assistants on critical meetings and ensure all required documents are in logical order and presentable
Co-ordinate inputs, preparation, editing, formatting, and timely submission of monthly management and other required Group reports
Authorise and monitor leave requests and stationery orders on SAP
On boarding of new team members, including stationery, security access, parking, laptop/cell phone, key stakeholder engagement
Monitor, co-ordinate and approve all travel into Africa to ensure purpose of travel causes minimum disruption to the countries
International and local travel arrangements, including flights, transfers, accommodation, forex, visas, inoculations and daily itineraries/meetings scheduled
Verify accounts/invoices submitted to Head HR and COF 
Process staffs and travel re-imbursements 
General office administration: filing, e-mail, screening of calls, scanning, ordering of flowers, etc.

I have spent many years working in the Financial Services Industry at various of the Large Financial Services organizations. 
During the course of my career I have had exposure to most aspects involved in the running of a large Finance department, this includes
•	Ownership and accountability for the full Finance function
•	Preparation of Monthly, Quarterly and Annual Management Reports
•	Preparation of Group Consolidation 
•	Preparation of board packs, (I have been an Executive Manager and presented the Financial part of the Board pack at Board meetings)
•	Preparation of Annual Financial Statements in compliance with GAAP and IFRS
•	Involvement in several system implementations (including SAP GL and SAP subledger )
•	Involvement in the Annual budget and reforecast process
•	Liaison with regulatory bodies regarding issues and queries (including the SARB, FSB, SARS etc)
•	Taxation queries including negotiations with SARS
•	Preparation of Statutory returns including Quarterly and Annual Short Term Insurance returns submitted to The Financial Services Board and the SARB, VAT returns, tax returns,  
•	Liaison with senior management regarding queries
•	Staff management, coaching and training
•	Representation of my organization on various industry workgroups and committees  including the South African Short Term Insurance Tax and VAT Forum, Several Risk Financing workgroups, (including groups set up by the Financial Services Board), IFRS implementation workgroups
•	Involvement in the Internal, external and Forensic audit processes
•	Meeting with large corporate clients to discuss current trends in the industry, as well as the impact of these trends on the future of the industry and the impact on their specific funds, 
•	Involvement in the structuring and presentation of the products to both existing clients and potential new clients as well as client retention

A great organisation to work for if one resides in an area where people,culture and skills are valued. The organisation overall is in a state of transformation and many changes are happening, making ofr an exciting but also an unstable environment to work in. 

The work day is usually more than a 12 hour day, very little skills and assistance from staff and a lot of political pressures to do the work with broken systems, overly governed processes and little skilled resources.

I learned that the current environment where people are unhappy, but scared to express their unhappiness, performance suffers a great deal and is not sustainanble in the long term.  Areas where people are purposefully busy with work they see will result in the fulfilment of the vision and that they are also contributing while growing, they tend to deliver meaningful and quality work.
Management needs attention and is mostly too involved in the deeper layers and operationally stuck in the "trenches".  Not lifting their heads up to see the top of the mountain and to drive the strategy.

Co-workers are very involved in political jossling. Skilled, but with mostly the wrong focus.  

The job is technicall very challenging, but great.  The hardest part is the navigation through the complexities of the different systems, the influencing of people to get the job done and the more than usual communication layers to navigate through.  

The most enjoyable part is the achievement of results in an environment that is harder to navigate through than what I experienced in other corporate organisations.  The achievement and the recognition of the achievement is what keeps me going to work everyday.

If I can make it in this organisation, then I can make it anywhere.

I was introduced to the courier company through an agency. I have never worked for a logistics or courier company before. This was my first time. We were an amount of six new people introduced to night shift from 06:00pm and we did not know when the shift ended.We were trained in the vaults where the position read admin. However we were scanning in phones and cards in envelopes to their different destinations. As time went by we were only two people left as night shift was no joke. Only the bravest survived. As time went by I realised that each vault had a different bank they were presenting and that determined the shift. They were all night shift accept one where there was night shift and day shift. Everyone finished they own work. Night shift did not leave work for day shift and day shift did not leave work for night shift. We would end up having night or day shift staff there to complete the days work.  There was no cellphones or money or food allowed inside. We were wearing grey coats and left our bags in a locker at the entrance. They arranged access for us with our right hand index finger. The salary was rewarding and something to look forward to. However we also worked Saturdays from 08:00am till 18:00pm at times. I applied upstairs at the outbound contact centre and I was successfull. The shift we worked started from 08:00am till 18:00pm or sometimes till 19:00pm if we had high call volumes. We signed an open contract where you would receive an sms in the evening confirming that you should not come in the following day as they will let you know when something comes up again. I have learned that courier companies can deliver anything from a paper to blood or organs or even body parts to any part in the country and abroad.I gained experience and new product knowledge.I learned to work in a big group to make a difference in an individuals life.

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