Insurance sits inside financial services, and financial services is where the demand for higher-skilled, regulated talent is clearest. Recent government analysis found that in the financial services sector, recruitment was generally for roles at Regulatory Qualification Framework (RQF) level 6 and above, rather than the lower RQF 3 to 5 bands GOV.UK's Temporary Shortage List Stage 2 report.
What does that tell us? The competition is concentrated at the qualified, degree-equivalent end of the market. If you're hiring an underwriter, an actuary, a claims technical lead or a compliance specialist, you're competing for people with formal qualifications and sector knowledge, not just general office experience. That shapes where you look and how you sell the role.
The pattern in the data points to skilled, regulated roles being the pressure point. Because financial services recruitment skews towards RQF 6+ positions the same GOV.UK report, the roles that take longest tend to be the ones that carry technical or regulatory weight.
The common thread is that these people are already in work and often not actively looking. So your process has to reach them, interest them and respect their time.
Start by being precise about the qualification and conduct standards the role really needs. Because so much insurance recruitment is for RQF 6+ roles according to GOV.UK, vague job descriptions cost you time. Spell out the technical skills, the regulatory responsibilities and the level of qualification you'll accept, then separate the must-haves from the nice-to-haves.
Next, sell the role, not just the company. Skilled insurance professionals want to know about the book of business, the systems, the progression and the culture. Give them that early. Then keep your process tight: agree who's involved, book interviews quickly and give feedback fast. When you find the right person, delay is the thing most likely to lose them.
Finally, widen your net beyond the people who happen to be applying today. Much of the strongest insurance talent is passive. A search that reaches people who aren't scrolling job boards will nearly always beat one that waits for inbound applications.
That's where we come in. Reed.ai searches a database of 15 million people to find those who match your insurance role, ranks them and helps you move on the right person quickly. Our recruitment agent manages recruitment end to end for 8% on a successful hire, with no monthly fee and no upfront cost. If you're hiring in insurance in 2026, tell us about the role and see your shortlist.
