Financial services is hiring for depth, not just headcount. According to GOV.UK's Temporary Shortage List Stage 2 report (2026), recruitment in the sector has generally been for Regulatory Qualification Framework (RQF) 6+ roles rather than RQF 3 to 5 roles. That points to employers wanting people who can hold technical and analytical responsibility, not just process work.
For a broking team sizing its first MI analyst, that market signal matters. You're competing for people who can work with data and interpret it, so your brief needs to be clear about the level you actually need before you start.
The emphasis on higher-qualified, more technical roles in the sector, as set out in the GOV.UK Temporary Shortage List Stage 2 report (2026), reflects what a first MI analyst is really for: turning raw broking data into decisions. In practice the role covers a handful of recurring jobs.
The point to settle early is scope. A first hire can own reporting and insight, or they can own reporting plus the data plumbing underneath it. Those are different roles at different levels, and trying to get both in one junior hire usually stretches the person too thin.
Start by listing every report your team produces today, how long each takes and who asks for it. That list is your workload. If one person can comfortably own it and still have room to add insight, you're sizing a single role correctly. If the list already fills a full week before any analysis, you may be scoping a more senior hire or a role that grows into a small function.
Next, set the seniority honestly. A junior analyst needs clean data and clear briefs to do well. A more experienced analyst can shape the questions, challenge the data and work with less direction. The sector's tilt toward higher-qualified roles, noted in the GOV.UK Temporary Shortage List Stage 2 report (2026), is worth weighing here: if your MI needs to stand up to regulatory and insurer scrutiny, lean toward someone who can own that responsibility.
Then write the brief around outcomes, not tools. Name the decisions you want the role to improve, the reports it owns and who it reports to. A tight brief helps you assess people fairly and speeds up every conversation that follows.
Once your brief is ready, we match it against a database of 15 million candidates to surface people who fit the scope and level you've set. 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. Ready to size and fill your first MI analyst role? Share your brief and see your shortlist.
