2022年经济学人 金融领域爆发人才抢夺战(2)

All that equates¹ to an avalanche² of work for investment bankers.

所有这些对投资银行家来说都意味着海量的工作。

The industry’s staffing model, meanwhile, is ill-suited to spikes³ in demand.

与此同时，该行业的招聘模式并不适合员工需求激增的情况。

“If the large banks aren’t able to pay their best people well, they lose them all,” explains one headhunter.

“如果大型银行不能给最优秀的员工支付高薪，他们就会全部流失，”一位猎头解释道。

The only way to do that and remain profitable is to be ruthless about headcount, running teams with “very little fat” in normal times.

要做到这一点，并保持盈利的唯一方法是精简团队成员，在正常时期用“极少的成本”管理团队。

When business balloons, as it did in 2021, those lean teams very quickly end up working at full capacity—at which point the only options are to poach people from elsewhere or to turn down business.

在业务膨胀时，就像2021年那样，这些精简的团队很快就会满负荷工作，到那时，唯一的办法就是从其他地方挖人或者拒绝业务。

The result is a fierce, zero-sum skirmish between banks for skilled staff.

其结果是银行之间为争夺熟练员工展开了一场激烈的零和冲突。

At the same time, the list of other firms offering bankers eye-watering salaries has lengthened⁴.

与此同时，还有更多其他公司向银行家们开出了令人垂涎的薪水。

Private-equity funds have long piggybacked off the training offered by the big investment banks, luring⁵ talent away with better pay and slightly gentler working hours.

长期以来，私募股权基金一直都依靠大型投资银行提供的培训，以更高的薪酬和更人性化的工作时间来吸引人才。

Banks in America are particularly vulnerable, with a supersized private-investment industry offering just as supersized compensation.

美国的银行尤其脆弱，要面临庞大的私人投资行业提供的可观薪水。

(Blackstone, one of the biggest such firms, received 29,000 applications for 100 junior-level jobs in 2021.)

(最大的此类公司之一黑石集团(Blackstone)，在2021年收到了2.9万份应聘100个初级职位的申请。)

In recent years, these have been joined by a growing cohort of dealmakers going it alone and taking firms public via special-purpose acquisition companies.

近年来，越来越多的交易人团体开始单干，通过特殊目的的收购公司将公司上市。

m&a boutiques, which advise on mergers⁶ without the full-service offering of an investment bank, entice⁷ still more bankers away from banking⁸.

在没有投资银行提供全方位服务的情况下，为并购提供建议的小型并购公司吸引了更多的银行家离开银行业。

Third, there has indeed been a shift in workers’ attitudes -- just not one that results from them being unwilling⁹ to hack¹⁰ the hours of their predecessors¹¹.

第三，员工们的态度确实发生了转变——只不过并不是因为他们不愿意减少前辈的工作时间。

Florian Pollner of McKinsey, a consultancy, describes how in conversations with human-resources bosses, a theme that comes up time and again is younger workers’ more modular approach to their careers.

麦肯锡咨询公司的弗洛里安·波勒纳描述了在与人力资源主管的对话中，一个反复出现的主题是，年轻员工对待职业的方式更加模块化。

Instead of looking for jobs for life, they seek out roles they can spend a few years in and then leave with broader options.

他们找的不是能干一辈子的工作，而是能让自己在其中待上几年，然后有了更多选择并离开的职位。

That works in banks’ favour for recruiting junior staff: their graduate schemes are still seen as excellent preparation for a career.

这对银行招聘初级员工有利：它们的毕业生计划仍被视为为职业生涯做了极好的准备。

But it also puts pressure on attrition rates in an industry already known for the mercenary outlook of its employees.

但在一个员工唯利是图的行业，这也给员工流失率带来了压力。

These forces are changing the way banks recruit and retain their staff.

这些力量正在改变银行招聘和留住员工的方式。

Many have long tried to draw employees from a more diverse pool.

许多公司长期以来一直试图从更多样化的人群中吸引员工。

That task is now more urgent, and goes beyond lines like race and gender¹².

这项任务现在更加紧迫，而且超越了种族和性别等界限。

Mr Pollner sees banks at all levels recruiting from a much broader range of universities than they used to—and, just as important, trying to hire people with personalities¹³ “different to the stereotype¹⁴ of the average banker”.

波勒认为，与过去相比，各个级别的银行开始从更宽范围的大学中招聘员工——同样重要的是，银行也在招聘性格“与人们对一般银行家的刻板印象不同”的人。

Retention¹⁵ efforts have a darker side, too: an investment manager at a London private-equity fund reports having hired juniors from two separate banks, only to have both receive letters from their former employers suggesting they might have to repay bonuses (in the end, they did not).

为了留住员工，这些努力也有其阴暗的一面：伦敦的一家私募股权基金的投资经理报告称，他们从两家不同的银行聘用了初级员工，结果他们都收到了前雇主的来信，暗示其可能需要归还奖金(但最终，他们并没有这么做)。

The net result within investment banking is likely to be a widening gap between the largest and most profitable banks, chiefly American ones, and “second-tier” firms, including European banks.

这一切在投资银行内部产生的最终结果可能是，最大和最赚钱的银行(主要是美国银行)与“二线”公司(包括欧洲银行)之间的差距会越来越大。

The latter have long had to pay more, and take greater risk, to compensate¹⁶ for not having the prestige and huge domestic market of the Wall Street giants.

长期以来，后者都被迫付出更多，承担更大的风险，只为弥补缺乏华尔街巨头那样的声望和庞大的国内市场。

That has sometimes had dire¹⁷ consequences: Credit Suisse and Deutsche Bank have suffered such frequent losses from scandals and exposure to dubious¹⁸ clients that they have become the butt¹⁹ of industry jokes.

这有时会带来可怕的后果：瑞士信贷(Credit Suisse)和德意志银行(Deutsche Bank)曾因丑闻和可疑客户的曝光而频繁遭受亏损，以至于它们成了业界的笑柄。

As second-tier banks struggle to muster²⁰ the financial firepower to recruit senior talent, that problem will only worsen.

二线银行越来越难集中财力聘请高级人才，这个问题只会更加恶化。

The fewer skilled staff they attract, the less deal-flow they capture, and the faster their investment banks must shrink.

他们吸纳的熟练员工越少，获得的交易流就越少，投资银行就会萎缩地更快。

In recent years many European banks have been forced to flee Wall Street, or close their racier outfits²¹ altogether.

近年来，许多欧洲银行被迫逃离华尔街，或者干脆关闭其活跃的分支机构。

More of them may become casualties of the talent war raging at the cutting edge of capitalism²².

在资本主义的刀口之下，有更多人可能会成为受害者。

1 equates   

v.认为某事物（与另一事物）相等或相仿( equate的第三人称单数 )；相当于；等于；把（一事物） 和（另一事物）等同看待

参考例句：

• He equates success with material wealth. 他认为成功等同于物质财富。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This equates to increased and vigor, better sleep and sharper mental acuity. 也就是说可以起到增强活力，改善睡眠，提高心智的作用。 来自互联网

2 avalanche   

n.雪崩，大量涌来

参考例句：

• They were killed by an avalanche in the Swiss Alps.他们在瑞士阿尔卑斯山的一次雪崩中罹难。
• Higher still the snow was ready to avalanche.在更高处积雪随时都会崩塌。

3 spikes   

n.穗( spike的名词复数 )；跑鞋；（防滑）鞋钉；尖状物v.加烈酒于( spike的第三人称单数 )；偷偷地给某人的饮料加入（更多）酒精（ 或药物）；把尖状物钉入；打乱某人的计划

参考例句：

• a row of iron spikes on a wall 墙头的一排尖铁
• There is a row of spikes on top of the prison wall to prevent the prisoners escaping. 监狱墙头装有一排尖钉，以防犯人逃跑。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 lengthened   

（时间或空间）延长，伸长( lengthen的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The afternoon shadows lengthened. 下午影子渐渐变长了。
• He wanted to have his coat lengthened a bit. 他要把上衣放长一些。

5 luring   

吸引，引诱（lure的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• Cheese is very good for luring a mouse into a trap. 奶酪是引诱老鼠上钩的极好的东西。
• Her training warned her of peril and of the wrong, subtle, mysterious, luring. 她的教养警告她：有危险，要出错儿，这是微妙、神秘而又诱人的。

6 mergers   

n.（两个公司的）合并( merger的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Mergers fall into three categories: horizontal, vertical, and conglomerate. 合并分为以下三种：横向合并，纵向合并和混合合并。 来自辞典例句
• Many recent mergers are concentrated within specific industries, particularly in retailing, airlines and communications. 现代许多合并企业集中进行某些特定业务，在零售业、民航和通讯业中更是如此。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

7 entice   

v.诱骗，引诱，怂恿

参考例句：

• Nothing will entice the children from television.没有任何东西能把孩子们从电视机前诱开。
• I don't see why the English should want to entice us away from our native land.我不明白，为什英国人要引诱我们离开自己的国土。

8 banking   

n.银行业，银行学，金融业

参考例句：

• John is launching his son on a career in banking.约翰打算让儿子在银行界谋一个新职位。
• He possesses an extensive knowledge of banking.他具有广博的银行业务知识。

9 unwilling   

adj.不情愿的

参考例句：

• The natives were unwilling to be bent by colonial power.土著居民不愿受殖民势力的摆布。
• His tightfisted employer was unwilling to give him a raise.他那吝啬的雇主不肯给他加薪。

10 hack   

n.劈，砍，出租马车；v.劈，砍，干咳

参考例句：

• He made a hack at the log.他朝圆木上砍了一下。
• Early settlers had to hack out a clearing in the forest where they could grow crops.早期移民不得不在森林里劈出空地种庄稼。

11 predecessors   

n.前任( predecessor的名词复数 )；前辈；（被取代的）原有事物；前身

参考例句：

• The new government set about dismantling their predecessors' legislation. 新政府正着手废除其前任所制定的法律。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Will new plan be any more acceptable than its predecessors? 新计划比原先的计划更能令人满意吗？ 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 gender   

n.（生理上的）性，（名词、代词等的）性

参考例句：

• French differs from English in having gender for all nouns.法语不同于英语，所有的名词都有性。
• Women are sometimes denied opportunities solely because of their gender.妇女有时仅仅因为性别而无法获得种种机会。

13 personalities   

n. 诽谤，（对某人容貌、性格等所进行的）人身攻击； 人身攻击；人格, 个性, 名人( personality的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There seemed to be a degree of personalities in her remarks.她话里有些人身攻击的成分。
• Personalities are not in good taste in general conversation.在一般的谈话中诽谤他人是不高尚的。

14 stereotype   

n.固定的形象，陈规，老套，旧框框

参考例句：

• He's my stereotype of a schoolteacher.他是我心目中的典型教师。
• There's always been a stereotype about successful businessmen.人们对于成功商人一直都有一种固定印象。

15 retention   

n.保留，保持，保持力，记忆力

参考例句：

• They advocate the retention of our nuclear power plants.他们主张保留我们的核电厂。
• His retention of energy at this hour is really surprising.人们惊叹他在这个时候还能保持如此旺盛的精力。

16 compensate   

vt.补偿，赔偿；酬报 vi.弥补；补偿；抵消

参考例句：

• She used her good looks to compensate her lack of intelligence. 她利用她漂亮的外表来弥补智力的不足。
• Nothing can compensate for the loss of one's health. 一个人失去了键康是不可弥补的。

17 dire   

adj.可怕的，悲惨的，阴惨的，极端的

参考例句：

• There were dire warnings about the dangers of watching too much TV.曾经有人就看电视太多的危害性提出严重警告。
• We were indeed in dire straits.But we pulled through.那时我们的困难真是大极了，但是我们渡过了困难。

18 dubious   

adj.怀疑的，无把握的；有问题的，靠不住的

参考例句：

• What he said yesterday was dubious.他昨天说的话很含糊。
• He uses some dubious shifts to get money.他用一些可疑的手段去赚钱。

19 butt   

n.笑柄；烟蒂；枪托；臀部；v.用头撞或顶

参考例句：

• The water butt catches the overflow from this pipe.大水桶盛接管子里流出的东西。
• He was the butt of their jokes.他是他们的笑柄。

20 muster   

v.集合，收集，鼓起，激起；n.集合，检阅，集合人员，点名册

参考例句：

• Go and muster all the men you can find.去集合所有你能找到的人。
• I had to muster my courage up to ask him that question.我必须鼓起勇气向他问那个问题。

21 outfits   

n.全套装备( outfit的名词复数 )；一套服装；集体；组织v.装备，配置设备，供给服装( outfit的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• He jobbed out the contract to a number of small outfits. 他把承包工程分包给许多小单位。 来自辞典例句
• Some cyclists carry repair outfits because they may have a puncture. 有些骑自行车的人带修理工具，因为他们车胎可能小孔。 来自辞典例句

22 capitalism   

n.资本主义

参考例句：

• The essence of his argument is that capitalism cannot succeed.他的论点的核心是资本主义不能成功。
• Capitalism began to develop in Russia in the 19th century.十九世纪资本主义在俄国开始发展。