Financial services keeps leaning towards senior, qualified people rather than entry-level hires. In the sector, recruitment was generally for Regulatory Qualification Framework (RQF) 6+ roles rather than RQF 3 to 5, according to a GOV.UK Temporary Shortage List report. RQF 6 sits at degree level, so when you see it in an advert, the employer is signalling it wants proven expertise, not a trainee seat.
That matters when you read a broker job advert, because the qualification bar is the first clue to the shape of the team behind it. A run of RQF 6+ posts points to a team being built around senior specialists. A mix of levels tells a different story about how the desk is structured.
Live broker adverts carry three signals you can read together. First, the qualification level: the sector's pull towards RQF 6+ roles over RQF 3 to 5 roles, as set out in the GOV.UK Temporary Shortage List report, shows whether a desk wants seasoned brokers or is growing its own talent.
Second, the role mix. When several adverts go live at once, their titles and levels sketch the team. A single senior broker alongside two or three support or account roles suggests a small, lean desk. A cluster of same-level broker posts points to a larger, scaling team.
Third, the regulatory responsibilities attached to each seat. The weight of compliance, client-money handling or sign-off duties in a single advert tells you how much the employer expects one person to carry. Heavy duties on one seat often mean a smaller team covering more ground. Split duties across several adverts usually signal a bigger team dividing the load.
No single signal sizes a team on its own. Qualification level, role mix and regulatory load only make sense together. A high qualification bar with split regulatory duties across many posts reads as a large, specialist desk. A high bar with all duties on one seat reads as a small, senior team.
Start by matching the qualification bar to the seat, not to the title. If the sector trend favours RQF 6+ roles, as the GOV.UK Temporary Shortage List report notes, be clear about which seats genuinely need that level and which can bring someone through. Over-specifying every seat narrows your pool without adding value.
Next, write each advert so its role mix and regulatory load are honest. Spell out who owns compliance, client money and sign-off. People reading your adverts use the same three signals to judge whether a role suits them, so clarity attracts the right applications and filters out the wrong ones.
Finally, hire for the team shape, not just the vacancy. Decide whether you're building a lean, senior desk or a larger, scaling one, then post roles that fit that plan. The three signals you read in other firms' adverts are the same ones you set in your own.
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