Financial Crime Associate Review

My role is a financial crime associate within the fraud department and this is based in a call centre environment. My daily tasks involve answering inbound calls from customers who have fraudulent activity on their account or calls from customers who are experiencing issues with using their card due to our fraud restrictions. I interact with members of the public over the phone and I also interact with different staff within RBS who make general queries about customers or who pass customers our way. I also interact with my team daily through group huddles and one to one coaching sessions. My responsibilities are to remove restrictions from customers cards if they confirm the transactions on them are genuine and to take customers through appropriate id processes to secure the account. I also cancel and reissue customer cards if they have fraud or request to do so and refund transactions to them which they do not recognise. On the side of this busy role I undertake the apprenticeship programme for the professional bankers certificate which is a very interesting programme with qualifications gained at the end of it.

I am on my way to gaining a professional bankers certificate which is a bank wide qualification which is very sought after and will help for future job progression. I have also learned more personal skills including an increased confidence in myself. I have learned a wide range of legal and historical information about the bank and also learnt more about how the bank operates and the different services it provides. I have learnt to be more confident and to push myself and have learnt valuable info about how a bank is run which assists me in my current role.

I enjoy the programme to a large extent as it allows me to gain a vast range of knowledge about the banking business and environment and is currently helping to assist my current role as it is allowing me to use my knowledge gained from the programme in my daily working activities so I can deal with a wider range of customer queries. I really enjoy the online live web sessions which surround the revision of the programme and allow for online interaction with other students who are enrolled in the programme.

I feel very valued by RBS as my manager has been extremely supportive in giving all the help she can where the apprenticeship programme is concerned. She has been using one to one meetings to express her appreciation at how well the programme has flowed and the positive impact it is having upon myself. I have also received internal recognition from the unit manager and other team managers of what a worth while and interesting experience it is. External recognition comes from the learning and training provider who keep weekly updates to ensure we are happy with the programme. RBS have shown their value by allowing a work/study balance and providing the tools available to allow the programme to run smoothly.

The programme has an induction which explains in great depth the timeline of the programme and what activities will be achieved in order to pass the programme. The induction includes support from buddys within the workplace who have guided us by slowly transitioning us into working life and preparing us for the working environment. They have also answered any queries relating to the programme. We received study planners which clearly outline which text should be revised and the time frames for when tests/exams should be completed. Meetings with mentors are either face to face or over the phone and are helpful as they find out where we are in the programme and also if we have any support issues/general queries then they are always more than happy to help.

I receive a great deal of support from the training provider. I have very regular meetings with the tutor (face to face and telephony) where we take a while to reflect on the programme and figure out the next steps to get us closer to completion. If there are any issues we have tutors to speak to, phone helplines to ring and a specialist support team to contact if there are ever any issues. The training provider offers a wide range of help online too through agents who chat online to helplines to call in need. I have enjoyed meeting with the training provider to catch up on necessary info and request the support needed.

I receive a good amount of support from my employer. My manager holds regular meetings to find out what support is required and to see where I am in the programme. The HR are also supportive in allowing time off of daily work to meet the training providers and to study at work or attend live sessions online. Support can be found in many places on the intranet, through managers and even the unit manager. RBS have been more than helpful answering any queries and adjusting working life to this programme. The general attitude is really positive and there is always guidance available through our colleagues who are happy to assist.

The salary is very generous and covers all of the relevant costs in regards to travel (bus pass) and general costs (ad hoc purchases of clothing and foods) and also covers general living costs (e.g bills and rent and electricity) and also covers social costs (there is always enough left after paying bills and travel to spend some money to enjoy myself on social occasions. The package also includes generous benefits (e.g company corporate perks and valuable discounts in popular retailers, also general health and insurance can be purchased through the package.)

Yes there are many corporate events in place to support social and charitable causes which can be attended after work. There are also company activities on special occasions (e.g. Christmas ball) which bring a large number of colleagues together to form good relationships. There are also voluntary schemes e.g. repairing broken windows in the community or holding community fundraisers. When I am not working I attend out of work social activities and team gatherings to build on work relationships.

Yes

I would recommend RBS to a friend because they are an extremely supportive and helpful organisation. As soon as I had enrolled on the programme they continually offered me their support including emotional support and making sure I was getting on well with the programme and dealing with any queries about it. They were also very supportive in getting relevant time associated to the programme so that I could attend relevant meetings and online sessions.

I would advise others applying to RBS to attend all relevant meetings before selection stage to show you are punctual and interested and also so you can meet a wide range of people in RBS as it is good to have a few contacts when you first enter the bank. On assessment days I would advise to be completely honest and to show your interest in the programme and to inform them of as much experience and skills as you have. I would advise also to attend all events/activities you are invited to as this is a great way to build new relations and gain good contacts when starting out. I would have like to have been told that I should have attended more corporate events as it does make a big difference having contacts in the bank.