INTRODUCTION
Happy new year! As we enter 2022, we wanted to bring you some information on the current marketplace and also, look back at how the recruitment process changed throughout 2021.
Finance
At the beginning of 2021, we saw a rise in the amount of candidate applications for the various roles available. Fast forward to the end of Q4 and this has now totally shifted. With a steady rise in job volume, Newly or Fully Qualified Accountants are now in high demand with quality candidates in short supply.
Interview processes have been sped up to meet the demand and gain the upper hand on their competition.
Due to flexible working being more available throughout the United Kingdom, candidate salaries are now more fluid and we have seen a dramatic increase in the North West on the whole.
Top tip…. Continue to get those interviews booked in quickly, some candidates have multiple offers on the table and it never hurts to show enthusiasm as well as edging competition out!
Key hires within this space included: Senior Financial Reporting Manager, Corporate Tax Manager, Commercial Finance Analysts, Finance Business Partners and Financial Accountants.
Pensions, Investments and Technical Support
The pace of recruitment has continued to be busy in Q4, clients are trying to get as many interviews and offers secured before the end of the year, in a bid to provide extra support to their already busy existing teams.
Throughout the Festive break, we saw a much higher volume of activity than in previous years with many clients already preparing for a busy January.
Some clients are now offering 100% remote working to increase the candidate pool and secure top talent.
Top tip… Are you struggling to fill your roles? Go back to basics and look at your flexible working policies to compete with other organisations.
Key hires within this space included: Part and Fully Qualified Actuaries, Core and Senior Pensions Administrators, Pensions Technicians and GMP Project specialists.
Other news on the team front, James Bellis joins us to work alongside Chris and Ollie in the Technical Support and Wealth space.
Risk and Compliance
Risk continues to be the busiest area of recruitment across the board, with three large brand names moving more of their risk teams to the North. Market, Liquidity and ALM Risk are some of the most sought after skills this year and the job flow is heavy as we start 2022.
Model Development and Model Validation are still top of the list of requirements.
Within compliance we are seeing a slow down of contract KYC opportunities, with clients opting for a more permanent approach.
Top tip… again, candidates have a number of roles on the table, so please move quickly and get those interviews booked in!
Key hires include: Operational Resilience Managers, Model validation specialists, KYC SME’s, Group MLRO and Liquidity Risk Stress Testing Manager.
Operations
Operations has seen a massive increase in the volume of roles in Q4, up 60% from Q1. Candidates with previous experience are now in high demand.
Key hires include: Middle office team leader, Client services professionals and various Client Processing roles.
Team news! Heather Lipson joins us from hospitality recruitment, although Heather worked for BNY Mellon, Bank of America, Worldpay and Thomas Miller in her career to name a few. Welcome Heather!