January 7, 2009

The global credit crisis has ravaged large financial institutions such as Citicorp and Wachovia and put thousands of professionals on the street. Smaller banks are fairing relatively well, however, and that's putting them in a position to go after a caliber of talent they might not have been able to attract in prior years.

"What we're seeing in the area of recruiting is that it's a tremendous time for them, better than any in their history," says David Lewis, president of Operations Inc., a Stamford, Connecticut-based human resources consulting firm that specializes in small to mid-sized companies.