National Banking & Financial Services Network reports record year.

National Banking & Financial Services Network reports
record year in cooperative placements!
2002 was a record year for production in the 16-year history of the network. Member split revenues were up 10% over 2001.

www.banking-financejobs.com is the oldest and largest formalized specialty network of independent recruiters who all specialize in some aspect of Financial Services. We are a mature, seasoned and successful group of independent financial service recruiters with a time proven way to help each other increase placement revenues since 1986. We have representation in 33 states and Canada with 50 members.

The biggest gainers for 2002 were Mortgage Banking positions with a 72% increase along with various Trust related positions, which were up 19% over 2001. Commercial Lending positions, historically our strongest sector, were up 27% over 2001.

Retail/Consumer Banking also showed a large increase over 2001 with a 75% increase.

These results demonstrate clearly the value of an established specialty network as an effective strategy for recruiters to increase revenues.

This success can be attributed to several factors:

1. The high level of trust that exists among members.
2. The long term relationships that exist among members.
3. The consistency of the process among members.
4. The high level of experience and professionalism (an average of 12 years recruiting experience) of members.

Members report that there are jobs that need to be filled. The problem is that candidates are more reluctant to make changes. Candidates seem to reflect the mood of the country uncertainty, apprehension, fear of the unknown. This is certainly adversely affecting the hiring process.

David Harwood, CPC, President of Harwood & Harwood (a member firm based in NC), states Mortgage business is booming, based largely on refinance activity which is being driven by the lowest interest rates in 40( ) years. This has translated into a strong demand for loan processors, underwriters and closers. In the management ranks, we see a consistent demand for mid to senior level operations management talent that has not only technical knowledge but also strong workflow/process management skills.

Brad Hopson, President of IntelliSearch (an executive search firm based in Dallas, TX), states Business is extremely busy for mortgage lenders nationally, which has kept the demand for seasoned mortgage professionals at a very high level. In addition to properly staffing the operations side of the business to handle the existing volume of mortgage business, many companies are expanding into new markets creating additional staffing opportunities. I do feel that given the anticipated $2.2 trillion mortgage origination market for 2003, we may now be experiencing the peak of this boom.

Margaret Cunningham, VP and trust specialist with BancSearch, Inc., Tulsa, OK, reports that Trust sales and customer contact positions are in most demand. We expect this to continue until the paradigm shifts and companies decide not to focus on relationships but perhaps using more technology. Banks that are doing well continue to hire and project growth. The weakest banks are in a 'wait and see' mood.

Gillis Lindberg, of Wells, Bradley & Associates (an executive search firm in Lake Elmo, MN), reports that Strong independent banks are enjoying continued growth with strong demand for lenders and private bankers. People with modeling or risk management backgrounds are also in demand. Lindberg also says that matching leaders in the industry who can truly impact a bank's growth with the right company culture continues to be a challenge but is being met by the experienced banking recruiters.

Membership in National Banking & Financial Services Network is by invitation only for independent recruiters who have a verifiable track record in their stated areas of specialty.