PODCAST | Standard Bank’s technology talent strategy

Standard Bank’s technology talent investment is the focus of this edition of Business Day Spotlight. Host Mudiwa Gavaza is joined by Gerald Perumal, head of strategy and enablement for Standard Bank’s technology division. 

The bank recently hosted its annual UniHack hackathon event in Cape Town in July.

A hackathon is a collaborative event, typically lasting anywhere from a few hours to several days, where individuals or teams come together to rapidly develop a solution to a specific problem or challenge.

Perumal outlines the strategic value of holding such events as a way to get talent into the group straight out of university. In a market where technology talent is commanding a large premium, Standard Bank uses such platforms to stay ahead.

Join the discussion:

Each team develops solutions in response to various challenges that are applicable to financial services and broader society. Teams were given two days to develop their solutions, judged upon completion as a proof of concept to judges. 

The group also holds an internal hackathon each year with staff from across the bank. Perumal says these sessions help to drive the bank’s product development strategy and as a way to get ideas from people across various parts of the organisation. 

The banker highlights the place of hackathons in Standard Bank’s talent acquisition and product development strategy; the bank’s current technology investment philosophy; staff retention; and growth of financial technology. 

• Business Day Spotlight is a MultimediaLIVE Production. 

Subscribe: iono.fm | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Pocket Casts