What it does: One of Australia’s Big Four banks and New Zealand’s largest bank
Staff stats: Around 50,000, mainly based in Australia and New Zealand
The good bits: The professional development and flexible working opportunities
The not so good bits: You may have to endure a boring rotation
Hiring grads with degrees in: Engineering, Maths, IT & Computer Sciences; Finance, Accounting, Economics & Business Administration, Arts & Humanities, Data Science & Analytics, Psychology, Marketing & Sales, Communications, Business & Commerce
ANZ – Australia and New Zealand Bank – emerged out of three UK banks. All were established in the mid 19th century with the intention of servicing two of the British Empire’s most far-flung outposts.
The Bank of Australasia, the Union Bank of Australia and the English, Scottish and Australian Bank all played a vital role in the early histories of the Antipodean colonies. In 1951, the Bank of Australasia and the Union Bank of Australia merged to form ANZ. In subsequent years, the bank opened offices in the Solomon Islands, the US and Japan. In 1970, in what was then the largest merger in Australian banking history, ANZ merged with the English, Scottish and Australian Bank.
This prompted further expansion to Vanuatu, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Germany and France. During this period, ANZ was also snapping up smaller banks and building societies, such as the Bank of Adelaide, Grindlays Bank, PostBank, National Mutual Royal Bank, Bank of Western Samoa and Town and Country Building Society. In recent decades, the bank has opened offices or entered into joint ventures in the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, China, Hong Kong, Timor-Leste, Cambodia and Guam. It’s also continued absorbing smaller players such as Amerika Samoa Bank, Bank of Kiribati, National Bank of New Zealand, Citizen Securities Bank and ING Australia.
ANZ now operates in 34 nations and is among the top 50 banks in the world. In 2019 it had profits of $5.95 billion and 33% of leadership roles filled by women.
ANZ believes “in the inherent strength of a vibrant, diverse and inclusive workforce”. It has a comprehensive suite of people systems, processes and policies in place to promote diversity, minimise bullying and make accommodations for staff facing particular challenges.
ANZ is an Employer of Choice for gender equality. It has a Reconciliation Action Plan and employs staff from 200 different cultural and ethnic backgrounds. It has an Accessibility and Inclusion plan to address the needs of both disabled staff and disabled customers. The bank has been recognised as a ‘Gold Tier’ employer for LGBTI people. At the beginning of 2015, it announced an “all roles flexible” initiative that allows staff significant input into when and how they work.
Social contribution
ANZ’s corporate sustainability framework has three pillars. These are sustainable growth, social and economic participation and fair and responsible banking. The bank facilitates staff, shareholders and customers donating to charity partners and matches any staff donations. It provides grants of $5,000 - $15,000 to charities and community organisations.
It has developed financial education programs in consultation with community organisations and governments. It encourages staff to volunteer and gives them at least one day of paid leave to do so every year. Following natural disasters, ANZ often offers financial assistance to affected customers and support to affected staff, as well as donating to those organisations providing emergency relief. The bank sponsors a range of artistic, community and sporting events, such as the Australian Open and Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.
While ANZ likes applicants to have a credit average, it also believes “university marks aren’t the be-all and end-all”. Its priority is finding people who are comfortable being part of a rapidly changing industry and motivated to “make a difference”.
There are four grad programs you can apply to.
The ‘Australia Retail and Commercial’ program runs for 18 months and can be completed in Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney or Perth. It has a broad focus and is open to grads from all disciplines so long as they have a commitment to customer service.
The 'Regional Agribusiness Banking' program runs for 18 months and can be done Australia wide (typically in regional areas). ANZ is looking for students from diverse educational backgrounds including degrees in Commerce, Agriculture, Engineering and Law.
The ‘Institutional Banking’ program runs for 18 months and can be done in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane or Perth. You don’t need a specific degree but it will count in your favour if you can show you’re a well-rounded person who has been involved in extra-curricular activities. You’ll also need to be independently minded but collaborative as well as digitally savvy.
The ‘Technology’ program is 18 months long and based in Melbourne or Sydney. For this program, you probably will need a degree in computer science, engineering, information systems or science. However, students of all disciplines with a passion for Technology are encouraged to apply.
All the programs involve grads being exposed to diverse people, situations and environments. All provide supportive coaching, peer-to-peer learning, mentoring, training, network and guidance provided by senior leaders.
ANZ pays those in its grad programs generous salaries. Staff get discounts on ANZ banking products as well as having access to discounts on some retail and hospitality purchases.
Given the size of the business, there are plenty of opportunities for lateral and upward moves. Positions are always advertised internally and managers often alert their team members if an appropriate opportunity for advancement has materialised.
Staff are supportive and the culture is a positive, friendly one. You can expect to be invited to lunches, dinners, drinks and parties with your co-workers. It’s not required but many grads opt to join ANZ’s social club.
Graduate satisfaction Rating: 4.1 stars
"Our Graduate Program is designed to take your career to the next level.
What you do matters at ANZ! It matters to our customers, to the community, and to our people.
We’re interested in people who are willing to transform ideas into reality. In an era where digital is reshaping customer experience, it’s important that we continually re-invent the way we work and take this bank to a new level.
We’re on the hunt for dynamic Graduates who love workshopping ideas, are keen to embrace and explore innovation, and have exceptional taste in music (the last bit is optional…). We want people who aren’t afraid to speak up, share their opinions, develop relationships and influence outcomes.
We’re interested in people from diverse backgrounds, who want to join a bank that’s constantly reinventing itself to address our community’s challenges, raise standards in banking and create opportunities for generations to come.
Fast track your career in one of many business areas across Australia & New Zealand.
In Australia, we have five Graduate programs available across our Australia Retail & Commercial, Institutional, Technology, Agribusiness and Finance divisions.
Each of our programs has a different focus and offers a variety of career paths. Join our Technology program and you might be helping out on the architecture or cyber security. In our Australia Retail & Commercial team, your focus could be on banking, lending and investments to help businesses of all sizes achieve their goals.
We recruit for our Australia Retail & Commercial, Institutional, Technology and Agribusiness program streams in February each year, with each program running for 18 months including 3 x 6 month rotations.
We recruit for our 24-month Finance Graduate program in July each year.
If you’re ready to learn, we’re ready to help you develop a successful career at ANZ. You will get 18-24 months of critical experiences across our businesses including exposure to a diverse range of people, environments and situations. We also provide supportive coaching, peer-to-peer learning, mentoring, training, networking and sponsorship from senior leaders.
Diversity of thinking is one of the keys to success, so we encourage students across all disciplines to apply for our program.
Your university grades aren’t the be-all and end-all. We’re equally interested in your creative thinking and comfort in adapting to new people and situations.
Our CEO, Shayne Elliot says:
To be eligible for our Graduate Program, when submitting your application you should be:
Applications for our 2021 Graduate Program are open until Friday 13th March 2020.
We want to get to know you for who you really are, and don’t believe that we can assess that by reading a resume or LinkedIn profile. This means that there’s no need to send us a copy of your resume, or even a cover letter.
We have simplified our recruitment process to be to give you the opportunity to show your best self, while having fun getting to know us along the way.
Our Application Process:
You will be notified of the outcome no later than the end of April 2020."