HSBC partnered with SimuRise to deliver a high-impact corporate values training for interns using the business simulation “The Quest for King Solomon’s Mines.” Designed for 53 MBA interns, the program helped bridge the gap between classroom learning and corporate expectations, immersing participants in real-world challenges that brought HSBC’s core values to life.
The Need for Values-Based Onboarding
In the world of global banking, technical skills aren’t enough. Corporate values form the foundation of leadership, decision-making, and collaboration.
HSBC, one of the most respected financial institutions globally, recognized this truth early and chose to invest in its future workforce accordingly.
To ensure that their incoming MBA interns embodied the company’s values from day one, HSBC partnered with SimuRise to deliver a corporate values training for interns that was interactive, experiential, and deeply reflective of the organization’s culture.
The Program: A Business Simulation Rooted in Real-World Values
SimuRise designed a customized session featuring its flagship simulation, “The Quest for King Solomon’s Mines.”
This immersive game placed interns in realistic corporate situations that tested both their decision-making and their values.
The program was built around four core HSBC values:
- We get it done – Taking smart risks, staying decisive, and learning quickly
- We take responsibility – Exercising sound judgment and long-term thinking
- We value differences – Listening, empathizing, and including diverse voices
- We succeed together – Prioritizing collaboration, shared wins, and mutual support
Through simulated pressure, shifting dynamics, and competitive tension, interns practiced applying these principles in a fast-paced, team-based setting.
Key Learnings and Behavioral Shifts
This wasn’t just a game. It was a mirror.
SimuRise’s corporate values training for interns helped participants:
- Understand how values influence real-world business decisions
- Gain confidence navigating ambiguity, risk, and conflict
- Appreciate the power of collaboration and shared accountability
- Experience firsthand how empathy and inclusion drive performance
By the end of the session, interns had internalized HSBC’s values not just as slogans, but as tools for thinking, acting, and leading.
Conclusion: Preparing Interns for a Values-Driven Career
HSBC’s collaboration with SimuRise stands as a powerful example of how experiential learning can shape culture from the ground up.
This corporate values training for interns helped MBA participants step into the professional world with not just skills, but with integrity, empathy, and leadership awareness.
By embedding core values into an immersive simulation, HSBC ensured their future leaders don’t just know what the company stands for. They live it.
