SEB Set to Create 100 New Skilled Positions in its Vilnius Service Centre

As SEB Group’s operations in Lithuania continue to expand and develop, the company has decided to create up to 100 new skilled positions in its Vilnius service centre. Personnel levels in the centre should reach 700 by the end of this year, with the company planning to recruit specialists in a range of departments including IT development, financial operations, loans and staff administration.

This latest expansion comes on the back of sustained growth for the centre, with 175 new positions filled last year alone. This year, the focus is on recruiting skilled specialists to push forward the  complex new IT and financial tasks and processes the centre is currently performing.

According to Rūta Jasiulionienė, manager of the SEB Group’s service centres in Vilnius and Riga, the main focus in expanding the centre in Vilnius will be on maintaining and improving processes that are already in use.

“The service centre of SEB Group in Vilnius distinguishes itself from other service centres in that it provides various services to stakeholders in 20 countries. It carries out banking operations, and provides a range of services including IT, personnel administration, and accounting. For this reason, the branch annually recruits not only specialists in finance and economics, but also social science graduates and students. We always try to attract specialists from many different areas, providing them with as much experience as possible within the company,” explained Mrs Jasiulionienė.

Developing Talents

In 2015, the Vilnius office launched the SEB IT Future Professionals programme. Through this programme, students and recent graduates interested in IT have the opportunity to try out various IT fields over a period of 18 months, enabling them to identify the areas that best fit their strengths. This programme combines studies with work, giving students experience in several different fields and helping them to discover and harness their talents as early as possible.

Alongside this programme, SEB Group also encourages career development and progress, as Mrs Jasiulionienė explains. “Last year, the SEB Group service centre expanded, and there is always continuous movement across departments. In 2015, 10 per cent of service centre employees changed division or department, with many climbing the career ladder or transferring from the bank to the service centre,” she notes.

According to Justinas Pagirys, director of the Investment Development Department of Invest Lithuania, a government agency, SEB has played a key role in the development of Lithuania’s shared services sector. “The SEB Group service centre was among the first in Vilnius, and this was of considerable help in developing the specialists required for this type of organisation,” points out Mr Pagirys. “This was one of the most important factors in creating a favourable environment, and we are delighted that by implementing talent development programmes, SEB continues to be a key part of the success story of Vilnius and Lithuania.”