What does financial-services hiring look like right now?

Financial-services hiring has shifted up the skills ladder. In the sector, recruitment was generally for Regulatory Qualification Framework (RQF) level 6 and above roles, rather than RQF 3 to 5 GOV.UK - Temporary Shortage List: Stage 2 report. In plain terms, that means banks and other firms are competing hardest for people at degree level and beyond, not for entry-level posts.

That pattern matters for how roles get advertised. When demand concentrates at higher qualification levels, employers have to show how someone keeps growing once they join. Naming the study support team, and the funding behind it, becomes a practical signal rather than a nice-to-have.

Why do open bank roles now name study support teams?

Because the roles in demand are regulated and qualification-heavy. With recruitment skewed towards RQF level 6 and above roles GOV.UK - Temporary Shortage List: Stage 2 report, the people banks want often need to keep studying after they start, whether that's a chartered pathway, a compliance certificate or a risk qualification.

Naming the study support team does two things. It tells applicants exactly who funds and manages their qualification, so the offer feels real. And it helps the right people self-select: someone serious about a regulated career wants to know the training structure before they apply, not after.

How do you hire well for regulated financial-services roles?

Start with clarity. Because demand sits at RQF level 6 and above GOV.UK - Temporary Shortage List: Stage 2 report, your advert should spell out the qualifications a role needs and the ones you'll fund. Vague wording loses strong applicants who are weighing several offers.

• Name the qualification and who funds it, so the development path is concrete.
• Separate must-have credentials from the ones you'll support someone to earn.
• Describe the regulated work clearly, so applicants can see themselves doing it.
• Move quickly: the strongest people in a tight market don't stay available long.

The firms that win here treat study support as part of the role, not a footnote. They make the development path visible, then they move fast enough to secure people before a competitor does.

How do you fill financial-services roles quickly?

We built our recruitment agent to make specialist hiring quick and clear. Our recruitment agent manages recruitment end to end for 8% on a successful hire, with no monthly fee and no upfront cost. If you're hiring for a bank role that names its study support, where recruitment now centres on RQF level 6 and above GOV.UK - Temporary Shortage List: Stage 2 report, start a search with Reed.ai today.

Sources

• GOV.UK - Temporary Shortage List: Stage 2 report