Barclays Director of Early Careers: 'Diversity and personality are key'

Last month, EY made the decision to remove academic qualifications from its application process for the 2016 programmes.

The decision was made because research by the company demonstrated that there was no correlation between success in higher education and success in the professional working world. However, there was a correlation between certain strengths and future qualifications.

Speaking at the time, Maggie Stilwell, EY’s Managing Partner for Talent, said: “Transforming our recruitment policy is intended to create a more even and fair playing field for all candidates, giving every applicant the opportunity to prove their abilities.”

Mike Thompson, Director of Early Careers Programmes at Barclays, agrees with this notion.