Map insurance job levels against real UK postings

What does financial-services hiring look like right now?

Financial services hiring is skewing towards higher-level, qualified roles. In the sector, recruitment was generally for Regulatory Qualification Framework (RQF) 6+ roles, rather than RQF 3 to 5 a GOV.UK Temporary Shortage List: Stage 2 report. For insurance teams, that signals where the real demand and competition sits: at degree-equivalent and above.

This matters because many insurance job titles are inconsistent from one employer to the next. An "underwriter" at one firm can sit at a very different level to the same title elsewhere. Anchoring roles to a shared framework gives you a common language for seniority.

Which insurance roles and levels should you map first?

Start with the roles where the qualification signal is clearest. The sector's hiring leans towards RQF 6+ positions rather than RQF 3 to 5 the same GOV.UK Stage 2 report, so map your most senior and technical roles first, then work down.

• Underwriting: trainee, assistant, underwriter, senior underwriter and underwriting manager, each with distinct authority limits.
• Claims: handler, senior handler, technical claims specialist and claims manager, mapped to complexity and settlement authority.
• Broking: account handler, account executive, broker and account director, mapped to book size and client ownership.
• Actuarial and risk: analyst, qualified actuary, pricing lead and chief risk roles, where formal qualifications set the level.

For each, note the regulatory qualification level, the authority or sign-off limit, and the people or client responsibility. Those three together tell you the true level, not the title on the advert.

How do you hire well in financial services?

Benchmark against live adverts, not your own org chart. Pull a sample of current UK postings for each role, then record the qualifications, experience bands and authority limits employers ask for. Because sector hiring leans towards RQF 6+ roles per the GOV.UK Stage 2 report, check whether a given opening genuinely needs that level or whether a well-supported RQF 3 to 5 hire can grow into it.

Write adverts around the level, not the label. State the regulatory qualification you expect, the authority limit, and the progression path. That attracts people who match the real seniority and filters out mismatches early, which shortens your shortlist and your time to offer.

Then keep the mapping live. Review your level definitions each quarter against fresh postings so your benchmarks track the market rather than drifting behind it.

Where does our AI recruiter fit in?

Once you know the level you need, we help you fill it fast. We search 15 million candidates, match people to your mapped role and rank a shortlist in seconds, so you spend your time on the people who fit the seniority you have defined. 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. Map your insurance roles, then let us surface the shortlist. Start today.

Sources

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