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Software trial with RBS aims to take age and gender bias out of recruitment

Edinburgh tech firm SymbaSync has secured a trial with Royal Bank of Scotland of software that aims to strip bias out of recruitment.

The project will build on its successful test run with OTP Bank’s Budapest HQ this year. 

SymbaSync’s Project Team Builder is a tool to match employees with their most suitable roles by presenting their skillsets in an anonymous, non-sector-specific manner. This allows project managers to make informed, non-biased choices.

It was created by founder and CEO Joseph McElmeel in 2017 after he built a 160-employee business based on what he learned growing-up around his father’s recruitment company. He realised as organisations grow, workers’ skill history is often lost or forgotten, leaving internal resources underutilised or limited by internal networks.

SymbaSync has also been part of the RBS Entrepreneur Accelerator, the UK’s largest free business accelerator network, which offers mentoring, insight and bespoke coaching to entrepreneurs who want to grow their businesses.

McElmeel said: “Organisations are changing structures meaning new skillsets are required and unlocking that intellectual capital internally, relying on transferrable skills, and removing any bias from age or gender will reduce the costs born with external hires or consultants to fill vacant roles on new or existing project teams. Project Team Builder is designed to remove bias and simplify the internal resourcing and deployment process, saving resources in the process.

“Following the success of the OTP Bank trial, we’re looking forward to working with Royal Bank of Scotland to further test and improve our software and prepare for a wider launch.”

Gill Rattray, entrepreneurial growth manager at Royal Bank of Scotland, said: “We are excited to work with SymbaSync as they continue to grow.

"We’ve worked with them through tough times and applaud their pivot to a product that innovative organisations are keen to use to optimise employee engagement and deployment. We look forward to continuing to help them on this journey.”

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