Ex-DBS CEO Piyush Gupta: Hire for skills, 'fire in the belly', not just academic results
In his experience, the best bankers have never come from the top academic performers, he says.
Former DBS CEO Piyush Gupta argued in an interview that hiring for academic achievements alone is no longer sufficient for selecting the best employees. He stated that DBS used to recruit candidates from the top 20 percent of university graduates at the National University of Singapore (NUS), narrowing down the vast number of applicants.
Gupta believed that the top 20 percent of applicants were no longer the most promising, as the best bankers often come from the next 20 percent. He emphasized that successful candidates must possess not only intelligence but also "street smarts" and the ability to handle various tasks. Gupta predicted that employers would increasingly prioritize skills and "fire in the belly" over academic credentials.
He also noted that universities must adapt to the era of artificial intelligence (AI), shifting their focus from merely transferring information to fostering curiosity, critical thinking, and cross-disciplinary reasoning. Universities should guard against "cognitive debt," teach students to verify AI-generated output, and offer practical, real-world experience.
He proposed that universities should move beyond traditional four-year degree structures to support lifelong learning. Gupta suggested students broaden their education by pursuing 10 minors instead of focusing on one or two majors. He also warned that the automation of routine tasks traditionally assigned to fresh graduates could reduce the depth of knowledge and practical experience they gain, potentially narrowing the "graduate premium" that universities command over non-graduates.
Written by urgent.news from Mothership's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
