Banks are starting to hire again for the New Year!

The Spring Festival holiday has just ended, and many high-performing banks are already actively launching their spring recruitment drives.

According to preliminary statistics, banks such as China Merchants Bank, Suzhou Bank, Shanghai Bank, Shanghai Rural Commercial Bank, and Qingdao Rural Commercial Bank have all announced their spring recruitment plans around the Chinese New Year.

Subsequently, large state-owned banks and other financial institutions are also likely to follow suit, aligning with the “Golden March and Silver April” hiring season in the financial sector.

Perhaps, for many graduates of the 2026 class about to enter the workforce, the spring recruitment of financial institutions remains one of the key highlights?

Recruitment kicks off the day after the holiday

On February 25, the second day after the holiday, Suzhou Bank promptly announced the official launch of its 2026 spring campus recruitment.

This became one of the most urgent and enthusiastic talent acquisition announcements in the industry.

It is reported that Suzhou Bank is the only listed city commercial bank in Suzhou. Since its establishment, it has adhered to the principles of being rooted in Suzhou, deeply cultivating Jiangsu, and fully integrating into the Yangtze River Delta. Currently, it has 21 branches (direct sub-branches) and 189 outlets, achieving full coverage of Jiangsu Province’s operational institutions.

In addition, the bank holds a comprehensive set of financial licenses, including Suzhou Financial Leasing, Jiangsu Suqian Dongwu Village Bank, and Suxin Fund Company. It also holds stakes in two rural commercial banks and has established a Singapore representative office abroad. As of the third quarter of 2025, the group’s total assets reached 776 billion yuan, with total deposits and loans exceeding 470 billion yuan and 360 billion yuan respectively. It ranks 237th among the top 1,000 banks worldwide and has a Moody’s rating of Baa3, an investment-grade level.

As a strong city commercial bank, Suzhou Bank is offering many attractive positions in this spring recruitment, including management training, business training, teller training, and assistant researcher (equity) positions at Suxin Fund, among others, eagerly awaiting talented candidates.

Additionally, this recruitment targets fresh graduates from regular higher education institutions of the class of 2026.

Other institutions are also competing for talent

The post-holiday “talent war” is not limited to Suzhou Bank.

On February 25, Qingdao Rural Commercial Bank also announced its 2026 campus recruitment via relevant official accounts. The positions include branch training roles, comprehensive tellers, and micro-loan center customer managers.

Overall, Qingdao Rural Commercial Bank’s positions tend to be frontline roles, which have traditionally been the main positions in campus recruitment across banks.

It is well known that Shandong is also a “stronghold” for local banks. Banks in this region leverage the local economy, consistently performing well in the industry. Financial data shows that as of the third quarter of last year, Qingdao Rural Commercial Bank maintained double-digit profit growth and performed well industry-wide.

Furthermore, as of the end of September 2025, the bank’s total assets were 509.9 billion yuan, with deposits of 335.2 billion yuan and loans totaling 268.1 billion yuan. In 2025, it ranked 308th on the UK’s “The Banker” list of the top 1,000 banks globally and 60th among China’s “Top 100 Banks.”

This is likely to be quite attractive to students interested in working in Shandong.

Many banks entered the market before the holiday

Of course, some institutions have been more proactive in talent planning.

In early February, China Merchants Bank announced the launch of its 2026 spring recruitment, making it one of the most active among joint-stock banks.

The positions include: head office remote customer managers; branch marketing, operations support, functional, and information technology roles.

Shanghai Bank and Shanghai Rural Commercial Bank announced their spring campus recruitment on February 13 and 14 respectively, becoming typical representatives of city and rural commercial banks that “start early.”

Shanghai Bank’s spring recruitment includes positions such as head office fintech roles, branch business trainees, customer managers, and operations positions, as well as recruitment for subsidiaries like Shanghai Silver Fund, Shanghai Silver Wealth Management, and Shangcheng Consumer Finance.

Shanghai Rural Commercial Bank’s advertised positions mainly focus on marketing trainees, including financial managers, retail customer managers, inclusive finance managers, and micro and small enterprise customer managers.

Spring recruitment tends to be faster

Although the timing of spring recruitment usually follows the end of autumn recruitment, the number of positions offered is often more concentrated, and the recruitment process tends to be quicker than in autumn.

After a bank begins autumn recruitment, it often involves campus tours and presentations from August or September, with the process gradually progressing, and offers often not issued until the end of the year.

In contrast, spring recruitment tends to be more streamlined.

For example, Suzhou Bank’s recruitment process involves: resume submission deadline by March 29, resume screening and written tests in early April, interviews in mid-April, and physical examinations and onboarding procedures in late April.

Spring positions also differ

Another notable change in spring recruitment is the variation in positions.

Autumn recruitment is the main talent reserve period for banks, with many positions open, especially at the head office and key branches, offering more diverse opportunities.

Spring recruitment, however, is more targeted, often focusing on specific roles to strengthen certain areas.

For instance, a well-known joint-stock bank’s 2026 campus recruitment includes management trainees, digital finance specialists, and functional roles at the head office, while spring recruitment emphasizes marketing and customer management positions.

Similarly, some city commercial banks show this pattern: spring recruitment often includes fintech roles at the head office, while autumn offers a broader range of positions.

Of course, competition for spring positions can still be fierce. Some students preparing for graduate exams or civil service exams may shift to the job market, and returning overseas students may also compete during this period.

This means that spring recruitment will continue to be a focal point for many.

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