The wider market sets the pace for every insurance hire. Right now it is cautious. The labour market is described as 'low hire, low fire', with weaker recruitment but only slight increases in redundancies, and vacancies have dropped below pre-pandemic levels the Low Pay Commission's 2025 report.
There are signs the tide is turning. 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 the REC and KPMG Report on Jobs. For insurance employers, that means a slightly more active market, but one where the right people are still hard to reach and move quickly when they do appear.
The seniority of the work is a big reason. In financial services, recruitment was generally for Regulatory Qualification Framework (RQF) 6+ roles, rather than RQF 3-5 the GOV.UK Temporary Shortage List Stage 2 report. These are degree-level and above positions: underwriters, actuaries, risk and compliance specialists, claims leads.
Senior, regulated roles come with longer timelines by design. You are often looking for qualified professionals who are already employed, so you compete for their attention. Then come multiple interview rounds, technical assessments, references and the compliance and background checks that regulated hiring demands. Each step adds days. A smaller pool of qualified people, as the market tightens, stretches the search further still the Low Pay Commission's 2025 report.
Start with a sharp brief. Because most openings sit at RQF 6+ the GOV.UK Temporary Shortage List Stage 2 report, be precise about the qualifications and regulated experience that genuinely matter, and separate them from the nice-to-haves. A tighter brief surfaces better matches faster.
With permanent placements stabilising the REC and KPMG Report on Jobs, the employers who move fast and keep their process tight are the ones who win the best people.
We do the heavy lifting at the top of the funnel so you reach qualified insurance professionals sooner. We search a database of 15 million people, rank a shortlist in under 30 seconds, contact matched candidates in under a minute and book an interview in under three minutes. Those are system speeds, not the length of a hire, but they shorten the slow start that holds insurance roles back. Our recruitment agent manages recruitment end to end for 8% on a successful hire, with no monthly fee and no upfront cost. Tell us about your role today and see your shortlist.
