Absa acknowledges that technology is the future. That worlds we haven’t even yet imagined are possible, thanks to technology. However, Absa also recognises the power of the human brain. For instance, that a single human brain has the processing power of thousands of supercomputers. Working alongside Dr Etienne van der Walt, neurologist and CEO of Neurozone, Absa recognises that authentic biological emotion and the complex way we connect as a collective is a human ability that technology will not be able to replicate.

In building a true future-forward organisation, Absa is prioritising not only cutting-edge technology, but the best young talent to drive it. It is focusing on integrating cognitive abilities with emotional capabilities to nurture an organisation aligned with its Shared Growth business strategy. That is, using its core assets and resources to develop the societies in which it operates, while growing its business.

It’s on this premise that its Rising Eagles Graduate programme is based. Through it, the bank aims to attract high-performing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) graduates to future-proof its business. But not just any talent; talent that displays this exceptional mix of cognitive ability, emotional capability, and an inherent awareness of their own role in the broader narrative of uplifting Africa.

“How do we attract these graduates? How do we ensure that the absolute best of the best young talent wants to work for us, in a marketplace fraught with competition for these fresh, young minds? At Absa, we are doing this through a highly innovative campaign, the likes of which the South African financial services sector has never seen before,” says Vanessa Carstens, Early Careers Lead, Barclays Africa Group Human Resources.

That campaign is the Human Quantum Computer (HQC). Conceptualised to encapsulate the timeless idea that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, HQC aims to tap into the unlimited potential of the hive mind, as demonstrated in this video:

The campaign aims to bring together on one digital platform thousands of bright, emotionally intelligent youth in Africa. Using a gamification approach, it seeks to harness the collective mental processing power of these young minds to solve some of the continent’s greatest educational challenges. In this way, graduates get to prove themselves and their out-the-box thinking – incentivised through coveted prizes – while the HQC becomes a vehicle for change; a proactive platform for turning ideas for good into reality.

To ensure that the educational challenges being addressed by these young minds are real issues facing African communities, Absa has teamed up with a number of leading African non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and asked them to identify their most pressing issues in this space. The micro-issues highlighted by the NGOs are problems that these organisations have neither the time nor the resources to solve on their own, and it is here that the HQC is set to make a significant difference. For the launch of the platform, the NGOs include Aluwani and  GWF (Good Work Foundation), organisations that are committed to improving education for our continents young people.

This particular campaign objective taps into the Afrilennials’ (African Millennials) desire to work for organisations that give them platforms to change the world, and to make a meaningful difference in our society. It effectively allows them to be a part of something much more significant than just earning a salary.

Aspirational monthly and grand prizes ranging from gift vouchers to Apple Macbooks incentivise users to interact more and more with the platform, encouraging them to participate in meaningful ways.

The top users demonstrating the right mix of cognitive ability and emotional understanding; and who are proactively involved in creating and submitting solutions, will be identified by Absa and invited for an interview.

Check out some of our top performers in this video:

While the HQC campaign is a very effective and accurate recruitment tool, Carstens says its reach extends much further than this.

“The Human Quantum Computer is so much more than a magnet to draw out Africa’s greatest talent for Rising Eagles. It really is designed to change the status quo in Africa and have a lasting impact in communities that are in need,” she said.

With all these attributes to its credit, it is evident that the Human Quantum Computer campaign, as a proof point of the broader Rising Eagles Graduate Programme, addresses the most basic requirement of the Fourth Industrial Revolution: bringing the best of people and technology together to create a better and more sustainable world.

For more information on the Human Quantum Computer, go to https://risingeagles.absa.mobi/the-human-quantum-computer/ DM