Overview
- The review is at an early stage with no final decisions, according to people familiar with the discussions reported by Bloomberg.
- Roles most exposed include non-client-facing positions in global service centres as the bank seeks to shrink middle- and back-office functions.
- Any headcount reduction would be phased over three to five years and may rely on not replacing departing staff.
- Some reductions could also stem from business sales or exits as the bank streamlines operations.
- CFO Pam Kaur highlighted AI uses in customer service centres, know-your-customer teams and transaction monitoring, and HSBC recently said it expects to hit a US$1.5 billion cost-savings target six months early with a workforce of roughly 209,000 at end-2025.