What's the state of financial services hiring right now?

Financial services hiring is shifting towards higher qualifications and specialist skills. Recent government analysis of sector recruitment found that in financial services, hiring was generally for Regulatory Qualification Framework (RQF) level 6 and above roles, rather than RQF levels 3 to 5 GOV.UK's Temporary Shortage List: Stage 2 report. In plain terms, RQF 6 sits at degree level, so employers are competing for people with advanced technical and analytical training.

That pattern tells you something important. The roles insurers want to fill are not entry-level data entry jobs. They are the kinds of positions that need people who can read complex claims data, model risk, and shape decisions. For claims analytics teams, that means the talent pool is narrower and the competition for it is sharper.

Which claims analytics roles are growing, and what do they do?

As insurers invest in analytics, the shape of a claims team is changing. The appetite for degree-level, specialist hiring in financial services per GOV.UK's Stage 2 report maps neatly onto the roles now in demand. Here are the ones to watch.

• Claims data analysts, who turn raw claims records into clear patterns on cost, fraud and settlement times.
• Pricing and risk modellers, who use claims history to set fairer premiums and reserves.
• Data engineers, who build the pipelines that feed clean, reliable data into analytics tools.
• Fraud analytics specialists, who spot suspicious patterns early and protect genuine claimants.
• Analytics translators, who sit between technical teams and claims handlers so insights actually change how claims are settled.

The common thread is clear. These are degree-level, judgement-heavy roles that reward people who can both handle data and explain what it means for a real customer waiting on a claim.

How do you hire well for claims analytics in financial services?

Start with the skill, not the job title. Because sector hiring now leans towards degree-level, specialist roles as GOV.UK's Stage 2 report shows, a tight, skills-first brief beats a long wish list. Decide which two or three analytical abilities genuinely matter, and screen for those first.

Move quickly once you find the right person. Skilled analysts rarely stay on the market for long, so a slow, multi-stage process loses good people to faster competitors. Keep interviews focused, give clear feedback, and be ready to decide.

Finally, widen your search. The people who can model claims data do not always come from insurance. Look across adjacent sectors, from banking to tech, and assess transferable analytical skills rather than a narrow sector CV.

Where do we fit in your claims analytics hiring?

This is 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 focus on choosing the right person; we handle the search, the shortlisting and the booking. Start your search with us today.

Sources

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