📌 Introduction
The Kotak NEXTGEN Collections Program (Hardship Assistance Unit – HAU) is a specialized career program by Kotak Mahindra Bank, designed to prepare graduates for customer support and collections management roles within the Hardship Assistance Unit.
This unit focuses on helping customers who are facing financial hardship, repayment difficulties, or loan delinquency. Instead of being purely collections-driven, the HAU emphasizes empathy, restructuring solutions, and customer assistance, making it one of the most unique career programs in banking operations.
🎯 Key Highlights of the HAU Program
- Eligibility: Graduate (any stream) with minimum 50% marks
- Program Duration: 4–6 months (classroom + field training)
- Domain Focus: Collections support with empathy-driven hardship management
- Training: Customer communication, collections strategy, restructuring solutions
- Placement: Assured role in Kotak Mahindra Bank’s Hardship Assistance Unit
📚 Program Structure
1. Classroom Training
Participants learn:
- Basics of loan products (Personal Loan, Home Loan, LAP, etc.)
- Customer hardship identification & assistance framework
- RBI & Kotak guidelines on collections ethics
- Negotiation and empathetic communication skills
- Restructuring and settlement policies
2. On-the-Job Training (OJT)
- Exposure to live HAU operations
- Handling cases of customers with overdue loans
- Assisting customers in financial distress with repayment options
- Documentation and reporting for compliance
- Coordinating with collections managers and credit teams
3. Skill Development
- Emotional intelligence & customer empathy
- Persuasion and negotiation
- Compliance and ethical banking practices
- Problem-solving and decision-making
✅ Benefits of Joining the Program
- Guaranteed Placement with Kotak Mahindra Bank in HAU
- Certification in collections & hardship assistance management
- A unique non-sales, customer-assist role in banking
- Attractive salary package (₹3 – ₹4.5 LPA) + incentives
- Career path into collections leadership, credit control, or customer risk management
🏦 Career Growth Path
- Collections / HAU Executive (Entry Role)
- Assistant Manager – HAU
- Manager – Hardship Assistance Unit
- Collections/Recovery Manager (Retail Products)
- Risk & Credit Leadership Roles
With good performance, candidates can shift to credit risk, restructuring, and compliance teams.
👩🎓 Who Should Apply?
- Fresh graduates looking for customer service + collections careers
- Candidates with good communication & empathy skills
- Those who want a non-sales role in banking
- Students interested in risk management, compliance, and collections support
💰 Salary & Benefits
- Starting Salary: ₹3 – ₹4.5 LPA
- Performance-based incentives (on customer repayment assistance)
- Kotak employee benefits: Insurance, PF, structured career mentorship
📌 How to Apply?
- Visit the Kotak Mahindra Bank Careers portal.
- Search for “NEXTGEN Collections Program – HAU”.
- Fill out the online application & upload resume.
- Complete the selection process:
- Online aptitude test
- Personal interview (focus on communication & customer handling)
- Final enrollment
- Begin training → HAU exposure → job placement.
❓ FAQs
Q1. What is the Kotak NEXTGEN Collections Program – HAU?
👉 It is a graduate program that trains candidates to work in the Hardship Assistance Unit, helping customers in financial distress manage repayments ethically.
Q2. Is this a sales job?
👉 No, it is a non-sales role focused on collections assistance & customer support.
Q3. What is the salary package?
👉 Freshers usually earn ₹3 – ₹4.5 LPA with incentives.
Q4. Who can apply?
👉 Graduates from any discipline with 50%+ marks and good communication skills.
Q5. What kind of career growth is possible?
👉 Career progression into Collections Manager, Risk Analyst, Credit Control Head, or Customer Risk Operations Manager.
📝 Conclusion
The Kotak NEXTGEN Collections Program (HAU) is an excellent career opportunity for graduates who want to enter banking with a customer-focused, non-sales role. By working in the Hardship Assistance Unit, candidates gain experience in collections, compliance, customer assistance, and ethical recovery practices.
If you want a stable career in banking operations with specialization in customer hardship and collections management, this program could be the right choice.
