BBVA Steps Up Its Efforts to Recruit Gen Z Talent
BBVA has hired over 10,500 Gen Z professionals worldwide since early 2025. In Spain, the bank is developing various initiatives to improve access to employment and professional development for young people. This strategy that has been recognized by Merco Talento, which names BBVA as the most appealing bank to college students in Spain.
The financial institution continues to invest in young talent by adding Gen Z professionals, born between 1997 and 2012, to its teams. There are currently 20,083 employees from this generation in the Group, including 2,670 in Spain. The hiring figures show a stable trend on a global scale, with just over 6,000 hires in both 2024 and 2025. In 2026, the bank expects to slightly surpass the figures from the previous two years.
This trend is unfolding amid a demographic context marked by an aging population. According to the National Institute of Statistics (INE), the number of people under the age of 16 in Spain fell by nearly 100,000 between January 2024 and January 2025, while people over 64 currently make up 20.7 percent of the population. These demographic changes pose new challenges for companies that need to attract younger generations and offer them opportunities for professional development.
“In an increasingly competitive labor market, attracting young talent requires understanding their expectations and offering opportunities that align with them. At BBVA, we want younger generations to have different pathways to start their careers, continue learning and develop their skills in a constantly changing environment,” said Mónica Villar from BBVA’s Talent Acquisition team.
To this end, the financial institution combines recruitment programs, specialized training and different pathways to access employment to connect students and recent graduates with professional opportunities at the bank, in both business and technology areas.
New opportunities to build a career at BBVA
BBVA has developed a variety of initiatives to connect with new generations and show them the professional development opportunities in the financial sector. One of these initiatives is 'Gen Azul,' which targets young people interested in building a career in BBVA’s Spanish branch network. The initiatives combines training programs, partnerships with universities and educational institutions, dedicated content on the career portal and social media campaigns that provide insight into the work of banking professionals. Through this initiative, the bank aims to introduce recent graduates to career opportunities across its branch network and underscore the potential for growth within the organization.
In the technology field, BBVA also runs targeted programs to recruit specialized professionals. This is the case of ‘Be Talent,’ a program for young data experts that led to the hiring of 23 recent graduates in 2025. The selection process includes a practical challenge in which the candidates must apply their knowledge to a real financial problem. The selected professionals joined teams working in data analysis, artificial intelligence and other technology fields.
“We want to attract young people with exceptional talent and the potential and offer them an experience that makes a difference at the start of their careers. To achieve this, we designed programs for specific profiles, with rigorous selection processes and high-level training. The positive feedback from those who have participated in the different editions encourage us to continue investing in this model,” Mónica Villar explained.
BBVA’s appeal among younger generations is also reflected in external recognition. Merco Talento Universitario España 2025/26 ranks the bank seventh among the most attractive companies to work for in Spain, and first among financial institutions. Based on the views of 8,918 college students and students enrolled in advanced vocational training, the ranking places BBVA among the top ten companies most preferred by college students, along with large tech companies and multinationals.
The internship and scholarship programs, a gateway to the professional world
The scholarship programs represent another pathway for BBVA to connect with young talent in Spain. Through these initiatives, students can complement their academic training with practical experience and gain firsthand insight into how an international financial institution operates.
The number of interns joining the bank has remained stable in recent years. In 2024, BBVA welcomed 365 interns, a figure that rose slightly to 366 in 2025. The trend has continued in 2026 with 318 new interns joining the bank as of September, and an additional 28 open positions still in the selection process.
These efforts to facilitate young people’s first professional experiences were recognized by the Fundación Universidad-Empresa (FUE) in 2025, awarding BBVA the ‘Young Talent Promoting Company’ seal. This certification recognizes the quality of BBVA’s internship programs and assesses aspects such as the design of the positions, selection processes, student onboarding, mentor support and additional training.
Beyond helping young people enter the labor market, young people joining the bank helps to enrich bank teams and add new capabilities in a constantly changing environment. To support their professional growth, BBVA offers ongoing training, development opportunities and the chance to participate in meaningful projects.
“Artificial intelligence is transforming the way we work. This makes it more important than ever before to have teams that bring together people from different generations. Younger professionals bring fresh perspectives and new ways of engaging with technology, while those with longer careers provide experience, judgment and business insight. Our ability to continue innovating and supporting our clients as they navigate the challenges of the future will largely depend on how we combine all this talent,” concluded the Head of Talent at BBVA.