The wider UK labour market is running slow. The Low Pay Commission describes it as 'low hire, low fire', with weaker recruitment and vacancies sitting below pre-pandemic levels the Low Pay Commission's 2025 report. That means fewer roles come open, so each hire carries more weight. When you do advertise, you want to get it right the first time.
In financial services specifically, the demand skews senior. Government analysis of shortage roles found that recruitment was generally for Regulatory Qualification Framework (RQF) level 6 and above, rather than the level 3 to 5 band GOV.UK's Temporary Shortage List Stage 2 report. RQF 6 sits at degree level. So the training bar most finance employers advertise around is already high, which makes benchmarking it properly worth the effort.
There's a wider shift in how firms build skills, too. Apprenticeships have grown fast in adjacent, fast-moving fields: they rose from 3% of AI hires in 2020 to 19% in 2025 the DSIT AI Labour Market Survey 2025. That tells you employers are no longer relying only on ready-made talent. They're training people up, and the roles they advertise increasingly reflect that.
Start with the roles where the qualification level is non-negotiable. Because finance shortage recruitment centres on RQF 6+ the same GOV.UK shortage report, regulated positions like risk, compliance, audit and controlled functions deserve the tightest benchmarking. Here the training an employer advertises isn't a nice-to-have. It's what lets someone do the job legally and well.
Then look at where finance meets technology. Demand for AI skills rose nearly 200% in a year, with London taking 80% of AI-related job postings and close to two-thirds of all UK technology vacancies figures from Accenture reported by The Register. Banks and insurers compete for the same technical people as everyone else, so the development and upskilling you advertise is part of how you win them.
Watch the entry-level picture as well. Adzuna recorded a 30% drop in UK entry-level job postings since ChatGPT launched, with graduates facing the toughest market since 2018 analysis published by techUK. That's an opportunity. If you advertise a clear training path, you can attract capable early-career people that other firms are overlooking, and grow them into the RQF 6 roles you'll need next.
Begin with the role, not the CV. Write down the exact RQF level and the regulated qualifications the job genuinely requires. With finance recruitment concentrated at RQF 6 and above per the GOV.UK shortage list, be honest about whether a position truly needs that level or whether you can hire slightly below it and train up. That single decision widens or narrows your pool dramatically.
Next, compare like with like. When you read what other employers advertise, separate three things: the entry qualification, the structured training on offer, and the ongoing development. A role that lists a professional qualification plus funded study plus mentoring is a stronger offer than one that only lists a qualification. Benchmark your own advert against that standard before you post it.
Finally, treat training as a two-way test. In interviews, ask what someone learned in their last role and how their employer supported it. Their answer tells you whether the training that was advertised to them was real, and whether they'll value what you offer. With hiring volumes low across the market as the Low Pay Commission notes, every question that improves the match is worth asking.
Benchmarking training well takes time, and a slow market makes each hire matter more. That's where we help. Our recruitment agent manages recruitment end to end for 8% on a successful hire, with no monthly fee and no upfront cost, through Reed.ai. You pay for the value of finding the right person, and it's free for anyone looking for work. Tell us the role and the training bar it needs, and we'll surface people who clear it. Start today.
