The picture is steadier than it has been in years, but it is still cautious. The labour market is currently described as 'low hire, low fire', with weaker recruitment but only slight increases in redundancies, and vacancies have dropped below pre-pandemic levels Low Pay Commission Report 2025, GOV.UK. In short, fewer roles are opening, and fewer people are being let go.
There are signs of a turn, though. Permanent placements have finally stabilised, ending a decline in place since Liz Truss's premiership 45 months ago, while temporary billings increased for a fourth consecutive month REC / KPMG Report on Jobs (S&P Global). For brokers, that means the hiring market is loosening just as the fight to keep good people gets harder.
Demand in the sector is skewed towards more senior, better-qualified people. In the financial services sector, recruitment was generally for Regulatory Qualification Framework (RQF) 6+ roles, rather than RQF 3 to 5 GOV.UK - Temporary Shortage List: Stage 2 report. In plain terms, firms are chasing degree-level and above skills, not entry-level ones, which makes experienced brokers and advisers harder to find and easier to lose.
And people are ready to move. 79% of UK technical professionals plan to change employers in 2026, according to recruitment firm Rise Technical's 2025/26 Insights Report surveying over 500 employers and 1000 candidates Engineering and Technology Jobs (IET) / Rise Technical. That figure covers technical roles, but the signal is clear across skilled work: loyalty follows growth, not comfort.
Start with development, not perks. When most skilled professionals are willing to jump Engineering and Technology Jobs (IET) / Rise Technical, the firms that win are the ones that show someone exactly how they will grow: the qualifications you will fund, the clients you will own, the step up you can reach in 12 to 24 months.
Then hire for the level you actually need. With demand concentrated in RQF 6+ roles GOV.UK - Temporary Shortage List: Stage 2 report, be precise about the regulatory qualifications and experience a role requires, and be honest about what you will train. A sharp, specific brief attracts the right people and filters out the rest.
Move quickly, too. In a 'low hire' market Low Pay Commission Report 2025, GOV.UK, the few strong people who are open to a move get snapped up fast. A slow, vague process loses them. Keep your stages tight, your feedback honest and your decisions prompt.
This is where we help. We search a database of 15 million candidates to find the people who match your brief, and we manage the process end to end, from shortlist to interview to offer. Our recruitment agent manages recruitment end to end for 8% on a successful hire, with no monthly fee and no upfront cost. If you are building a broking team this year, tell Reed.ai the role and let us bring you the shortlist.
