Maybank organises “Go Ahead Challenge” to recruit young talent

With an all-new approach to progressive and innovative hiring, the Maybank GO. Ahead Challenge (MGAC) 2019 is back to uncover young talents across Malaysia, ASEAN and the world.

In line with this, Maybank hosted a panel session, ‘#ChallengeOfChoice: Nature Vs. Nurture’, featuring industry leaders like Nora A Manaf, Group Chief Human Capital Officer of Maybank, Timothy Tiah, Founder of Colony, Annabelle Co-Martinent, Founder of La Juiceria and Zikry Kholil, Co-founder of Incitement.

Attended by over 120 MGAC participants and university representatives, the panel session discussed the topic of #ChallengeOfChoice: Nature Versus Nurture in the employment landscape and how employers today utilise innovative approaches to attract next-generation talents.

MGAC is Maybank’s multi-disciplinary talent recruitment competition which has impacted the lives of over 1.2 million students and graduates globally since its inception in 2012.

Themed Challenge of Choice, MGAC 2019 is redefined through the gamification of the programme, providing talents with a holistic platform to showcase their abilities. It also aims to test the ability of all the challengers’ in making decisions in life.

“We’re always looking for innovative ways to test and shape the future-readiness of the participants and #ChallengeOfChoice does that in a holistic manner.

“The new generation of hires are truly an exemplary group who have made such an impact in the workforce as companies across industries are adapting their ways – in balancing between nature and nurture – to attract these talents.

“We’re not just trying to find the best talent with MGAC – we’re looking to shape the leaders of tomorrow.

“We believe that the true hallmark of a leader is about making the right choices in our everyday lives and how we can make sense of them to continue leading a life with purpose and meaning.” said Nora.

MGAC is not only the first talent recruitment competition to combine multiple disciplines that accentuate character with competence – but now is also the very first to be gamified.

It is geared to test those who can think outside the box while skillfully navigating complexities within and at the same time providing a personalised experience for the participants.

“Back then when we looked at hiring a talent, we chose their CVs with a focus on scaling the company, the fastest way possible. But looking back and learning from the experience,

“I understand now that choosing candidates who share the same beliefs and values as our brand is a more effective approach to building a solid foundation for a team. It’s a lot easier to nurture a team that shares the same passion for the success of the brand.

“The approach that Maybank has taken with MGAC 2019 gives the new age workforce a platform to shine in different aspects and showcasing an all-rounded skill set that would make them a very valuable addition to any team they join,” said Timothy Tiah, Founder of Colony.

MGAC has come a long way since its inception of being an international case study competition that challenges students intellectually, mentally and physically.

This time around, the challenge goes beyond its limits with a progressive approach through gamification and personalisation – redefining what student competitions are all about.

With the hashtag #ChallengeOfChoice, participants are given free reign to sculpt their own experience in this competition – from choosing their teammates to the challenges they uptake – adding greater texture and depth to the competition as each decision they make will lead to different consequences and experiences.

For the first time ever, the challenge will not only see non-fictional scenario cases but will also implement gamified elements from the start – from application stage all the way up until the Global Finals.

This year, participants whose journeys are cut short, will also be given a second chance at making their way back into the competition with the help of current participants – aligned with the gamification theme.

Encouraging teamwork and strategic liaising – MGAC 2019 will have all participants and even non-participants play a role in the challenge. It aims to provide an experience that is current, enjoyable and unique for everyone involved.

“At the end of the day, hiring based on the natural skills of a candidate or nurturing the candidate to strive better are both equally important and dependent on the progress of the talents’ career journey.

“For corporations to grow – especially today with a new age workforce coming into the picture – they need to adapt and listen to what they want to attract the right people.

“And that’s what makes Maybank different. Maybank has listened and identified what the future talents want and provided it through MGAC 2019. It gives the new pool of hires a chance to prove themselves beyond just an impressive resume,” added Anabelle Co-Martinent, Founder of La Juiceria.

MGAC 2019 has seen an astounding 300% increase in participation from the previous year, clearly reflecting the popularity of the competition and its new approach amongst the new generation of hires.

This year, we have received over 35,000 applications this year with more than 105 nationalities.

This competition under the award-winning Global Maybank Apprentice Programme (GMAP), which is an exclusive two year Management Trainee Programme designed to give the Global Maybank Apprentices are given a holistic learning experience with customised on-the-job rotations with international assignments to familiarise them with Maybank’s global network operations.

MGAC aims to provide talents with a platform to hone both soft and hard skills holistically, serving as a dynamic interview process that brings in global talents to join Maybank.

On top of the personalised experience, Maybank will be unveiling its one-of-a-kind experiential prizes at the Global Finals, scheduled from the 29th July – 8th August 2019. The Global Finalists will also earn a chance to kick-start their career in thep Banking and Finance industry with a highly-coveted spot in GMAP.

Yearly, the competition reaps multiple local and regional awards with MGAC’s unique proposition and competition model.

For four consecutive years since 2015, the Challenge won top prize for the ‘Best Recruitment Innovation by a Corporate HR Team’, ‘Best Candidate Experience by a Corporate Team’, ‘Best Graduate Recruitment Programme’, ‘Best Regional Recruitment Programme’ in the Human Resources Asia and HR Excellence Awards both in Malaysia and Singapore.

MGAC was also recognised as the ‘Best Innovation on Campus’ at Malaysia’s 100 Leading Graduate Employer Awards for two consecutive years in 2016 and 2017.