Are RBS staff more likely to stick around now?

This isn't exclusive to Scotland, but RBS is looking to show a little love to its employees outside of the investment bank by offering a benefit worth 5% of salary to thousands of middle managers. The question is, will this inspire a new sense of loyalty among its staff?

When Stephen Hester said retaining talent was "the single biggest problem at RBS" he was largely referring to the legions of investment bankers heading for the door.

The bank has since made attempted to keep them there (having paid out 1.3bn in bonuses), but employees in less glamorous functions north of the border still have a right to feel a little hard done by.

However, according reports in the Telegraph, thousands of RBS staff - including some affected by redundancy - will receive back-dated additions to their "value account", which is used to buy things like health care and company cars. Unused cash is then paid to staff at the end of the tax year.

Staff in middle management positions would have seen this benefit - which amounts to 5% of salary - in this month's pay packet.

Nonetheless, despite Hester's assertions that big Scottish job cuts are over, is this little sweetener enough to stop RBS's staff north of the border from getting itchy feet?

One Edinburgh-based financial services recruiter says they've yet to be deluged with CVs from RBS employees but "this is probably down to a lack of other opportunities, rather than any bumper pay packets."

Another headhunter admits that the only CVs from RBS staff they've seen have been from those on the receiving end of job cuts.

The latest CBI/PricewaterhouseCoopers quarterly report into the financial services industry says confidence is returning to Scotland, but that we're not "completely out of the woods yet".

Nonetheless, RBS has been offering employment opportunities in Scotland throughout this year. It may encounter problems attracting people, though, suggests one ex-RBS corporate banker.

"People are going to be more reticent to join the likes of RBS and Lloyds, and my feeling is that they will have to offer 'danger money' if they're looking to recruit externally," he says. "But the fact remains that non-government owned banks are a lot freer to recruit and a lot freer with their remuneration practices."