Barclays is to test the skills of budding traders with the opening of a virtual investment platform from US-based gamified recruitment startup Stockfuse.
Stockfuse was one of the startups to win a place on Barclays' fintech accelerator programme in London this year. The company offers a virtual trading platform that uses social gaming, psychology and machine learning techniques to weed out promising job candidates.
Derek White, Barclays chief design and digital officer says: “At Barclays we recognise that to drive innovation in the financial services sector, there is a need to look outside of the organisation and embrace the innovative start-up ecosystem. Our Barclays Accelerator plays a key role in this."
The Barclays Market Insight Game is open to University students in Emea, Asia Pacific and the Americas, and will offer participants a chance to experience the financial markets in a risk-free environment. Played out over three game periods, the top two performers from each region for each game will be given the opportunity to meet with market professionals from Barclays and discuss career opportunities.
"One of our core missions is to make financial services recruitment more meritocratic and more accessible, helping students realise their ambitions regardless of their backgrounds," says Stockfuse. "In the past, we’ve worked with various financial institutions on a smaller scale. The Barclays Markets Insight Game, by contrast, is worldwide."
Sharon Gillam, Barclays global head of resourcing & graduates, comments: “Barclays has a responsibility to support both our existing workforce and new talent in this ever-changing environment. Partnering with leading innovators such as Stockfuse will allow us to tap into a more diverse global talent pool and help cultivate students’ future careers.”