According to Albert Chan Leung-choi, the bank's senior executive for commercial banking, the recruits will be trained in management across most aspects of the group's commercial banking operations. These offer banking services to all sizes of corporate customer. This year sees an increased intake of management associates, reflecting expanding operations and robust growth, especially in the mainland.

Mr Chan said HSBC's traditional emphasis on long-term leadership and management development had resulted in a pool of top-notch professionals who helped the group maintain its competitive edge.

HSBC's graduate training programme has earned the group a reputation for being the 'preferred choice' among the best and brightest university graduates from around the world, he said.

In 2005, the trainee programme was renamed 'management associate programme' to reflect the aspirations of today's university graduate. 'In its earliest version the programme was five years long. It was then shortened to three years, but we have condensed it further to 26 months, in keeping with the industry's fast-paced development,' Mr Chan said.

The programme is tailor-made for university graduates. Participants are rotated to different operations, and on-the-job training complements classroom learning.

In the first year, the management associates undertake various projects and gain hands-on knowledge in different trade services. By managing a team of their own, they hone their client servicing and leadership skills. They next attend a seven-week training course in Britain, during which they get to meet the group chairman and the group chief executive.

'In the final 12 months they are given a portfolio of corporate customers to manage so they can demonstrate their entrepreneurial potential,' Mr Chan said. 'This tests their ability to manage customer relationships and analyse and manage risks, while getting them familiarised with HSBC products and services.'

Recruitment day, to be held at HSBC's head office, will see 200 fresh graduates and graduates of the past three years attending three two-hour information sessions. Each session includes an introduction by an HSBC senior executive, a sharing exercise by management associates and an interactive discussion for all participants.

'The recruitment day will be followed by roadshows at the universities. We have also launched overseas recruitment on the internet,' he said.

Personality, aspirations and self-confidence are some of the qualities the applicants will be assessed on.

'Banking is a people-oriented, customer-focused business. Our management associates must have a genuine interest in people and provide service from the heart,' Mr Chan said.

Candidates must have good communication and interpersonal skills and show initiative, determination and a readiness to learn and take on challenges, Mr Chan said. The HSBC culture emphasises teamwork and team spirit, he added.

On completing their training, the management associates will be given a posting that takes into account corporate needs and personal aspirations.

There will be opportunities for further rotation and even overseas postings, reflecting HSBC's policy of developing all-round and highly adaptable business leaders.

'HSBC has operations all over the world, so our leaders and managers should be readily mobile to meet the challenges of globalisation,' he said. 'They must also have strong international perspectives, and this can be acquired only from extensive exposure to international news and publications.

'Young people should start building a good foundation early on if they aspire to a career in banking.'

Fresh intake

40 management associates will be recruited for 26 months of training in commercial banking

Recruitment day on July 14 kick-starts global campaign

Graduates from over the past three years eligible to apply

Overseas recruitment on the internet