Needless to say, in the pre-crisis days of reckless lending within the Irish banking sector, when deals were sealed with a wink and handshake, being a corporate banker was all about who you knew, rather than a necessity to be equipped with an arsenal of quantitative analytical skills.

This is beginning to change.

Patrick Honohan, the Central Bank governor, highlighted in his recent report how anxiety over maintaining market share meant management “tolerated a gradual lowering of lending standards, including decisions to authorise numerous exceptions to stated policies.”

Corporate banking recruitment in Ireland is slowly beginning to emerge once again; some of the domestic institutions are hiring on a contract basis while the likes of HSBC and Barclays are in the market for people as they attempt to seize the opportunity for bigger market share.

But appetite to lend, and indeed a desire to borrow among Irish companies, remains subdued. Most of the new recruits are looking at ways to maximise current loans and re-cook what they already have on their books. Relationship skills are taking a back seat.

“Within the corporate and commercial banking sector, the desired skill-set has dramatically shifted from those who excelled in relationship management to a more rounded background of analytical with relationship management capabilities,” says Andrea Clarkson, manager, financial services at Premier.

One recruitment source tell us of how both domestic and international banks have taken on teams of three or four people to manage a large number clients – usually around 30-40 – to advise on existing deals.

Most are set to get the go ahead to develop new business in the early part of 2011, meaning they need to both demonstrate quantitative prowess now, and evidence of softer skills to be utilised down the line.

“Corporate bankers in the most part are just managing problem clients, which requires a high degree of analytical skills – not traditionally the mainstay of Irish corporate banking,” says Greg O’Hanlon, partner at GHI Consulting. “Most firms are currently getting their ducks in a row, and expect new business to start emerging next year.”

Currently, Bank of Ireland, National Irish Bank and Irish Nationwide have an appetite to hire on a contract basis, according to recruiters.