One of the most annoying things that can ever happen to a banker is to suspect, halfway through an interview process, that the decision has already been made and you are just being put through the hoops. Consequently, although the search consultants retained by HSBC to find a replacement for Noel Quinn are being asked to consider external candidates "to benchmark" the merits of Nuno Rato and George Elhedery, they might find it difficult to persuade many senior global bankers that it's worth their while to update a resume.