Teletalk to revise hiring policy to attract top talent

State-owned mobile phone operator Teletalk is set to revise its recruitment policy to attract experienced and skilled professionals from the corporate sector, according to officials, marking a major shift from its traditional hiring practices.
To adopt the new policy, the company will need to amend its 'Articles of Association', according to Teletalk's Managing Director AKM Habibur Rahman, who confirmed the move to The Financial Express on Friday.
The impetus for revising the recruitment approach came from a directive issued by the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications a few weeks ago, instructing Teletalk to recruit from the corporate sector.
The mobile phone operator's board of directors subsequently discussed the proposal at their 231st meeting, with a focus on amending management policies related to senior-level appointments, including that of the managing director.
State Minister for Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Zunaid Ahmed Palak recently reviewed the progress of this initiative. During the review, he instructed Teletalk's senior officials to ensure the smooth implementation of the revised recruitment strategy.
Teletalk says the proposed amendments target Article 55 of its 'Articles of Association' specifically.
The current provision says that the government nominates the managing director, who is then appointed by the board with its approval.
The amendment, however, proposes a more open and competitive selection process.
Under this process, the managing director could be appointed through either an open selection process or a government nomination, broadening the scope for recruiting top talent.
Teletalk's Managing Director AKM Habibur Rahman described this as an ongoing process before the changes are officially adopted at a special general meeting.
"The matter was discussed during the last board meeting but no decision was made," he said. He added that the issue would also be discussed at the next board meeting.
Meanwhile, a top Teletalk official advocated for consultations with various government bodies before finalising the move. The public offices include the Department of Posts and Telecommunications, the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Commerce and the Planning Commission.
"Although the state minister for Post and Telecom asked for a prompt implementation, it may take time," the official said.
In recent facelift moves, state-owned Teletalk has signed agreements with a number of infrastructure players including Summit Communications, Banglalink, Robi Axiata and Huawei for quality improvement through sharing and developing infrastructure.

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