Citi’s message to young techies: Join us downtown!

Akilah Jenkins has a very cool job. She gets to recruit the people around her at Citi Canada. And one of the coolest spots to help place them is Citi’s new downtown Toronto location for tech staff working on trading systems for the global markets.

“This is going to be a brand-new environment,” says Jenkins, a young IT recruiter for the bank. “It will be very hip and cool, with wooden floors and exposed beams. There’s definitely an energetic vibe. And because it’s new, the people there will be able to create their own tech-first subculture within the wider culture of Citi.”

Citi opened the site, located at the corner of Yonge and Wellington Streets in Toronto, to house a special group of technologists who will support the bank’s global business. “We’re focusing on developing industry-leading capital markets systems and platforms,” says Ian Ng, head of technology for Canada. “That means enhancing automated trading systems, developing pricing and risk systems and supporting our markets’ businesses across the globe. And we think that’s a very exciting place to be for young people – it’s very fast-paced.”

What Citi offers, he says, is a far larger playing field than any Canadian bank can offer. Based in New York, Citi does massive business around the world. “For example, we run payments systems that moves trillions in payments. And that sort of scale only occurs at the global level,” says Ng.

“It’s the same within the capital markets’ space. Citi is a tier one investment bank that operates in 160 countries and jurisdictions around the world. Our clients tend to be global, institutional players – pension funds, hedge funds, governments and Fortune 500 companies. These are areas where I think young people want to work.”

Every year, he notes, Citi takes in over 80 graduate analysts from Canadian universities, who move into technology roles, as well as about 30 summer interns. They generally come from math, computer science and engineering backgrounds. The bulk of Citi’s tech people – some 2,500 – work at a large site in suburban Mississauga, Ont., but now there will be a downtown alternative which is forecast to grow to at least 200 in 2023 – and maybe more. It will be easy to reach by transit and, of course, have unique downtown amenities – in the heart of the financial district.

What kind of environment can the new group expect? Aside from the hip surroundings, says Jenkins, there is Citi’s strong corporate culture. She joined the bank in July 2022 and found that immediately, “I liked the vibe,” she says. “Especially as a younger individual – the attire is business casual, there’s a lot of diverse people and everybody seems to be very welcoming. I have a sense of belonging when I’m here at Citi.”

Citi has progressive policies about diverse hiring, ensuring there is a diverse pool of candidates for each position with at least one female interviewer on the panel. For her part, Jenkins is a member of the bank’s Black Heritage Canada Affinity Network.

“Citi does welcome diverse people from different age groups, different backgrounds, different cultures,” says Jenkins. “And for me, being in recruitment, that’s a strong selling point for candidates I speak to.”

Citi also offers hybrid work models, including in-person roles, mixed office and home, and even full remote, depending on what managers need for their teams. There is also tuition reimbursement for courses up to $5,250.

“There is a lot of focus on flexibility, health and wellness incorporated into the benefits and roles,” notes Jenkins, “Citi has really made these a top priority.”

This article appeared in the magazine announcing this year's Canada's Top Employers for Young People winners, published January 24, 2023 in The Globe and Mail. This article was prepared with the financial support of the employer, which reviewed but did not write its contents.