The roles you are advertising tell a clear story about the level of expertise the market is chasing. In financial services, recruitment is generally for Regulatory Qualification Framework (RQF) 6+ roles rather than RQF 3-5, according to the GOV.UK Temporary Shortage List: Stage 2 report (2026). That is degree-level and above: senior, technical, regulated work, not entry-level admin.
Why does that matter for team design? Because it signals where the pressure sits. Firms are competing hardest for people who can own regulatory judgement, interpret rules and carry accountability. If your open roles skew to that senior end, your structure has to give those hires the support, reporting lines and junior pipeline they need to work well.
Start by sorting your open roles into the layers a compliance function usually needs. A healthy structure balances three broad levels, and your current vacancies show you where the gaps are.
The market signal is useful here. With recruitment generally aimed at RQF 6+ roles rather than RQF 3-5, per the GOV.UK Temporary Shortage List: Stage 2 report (2026), most firms are hiring at the specialist and leadership levels. If you only ever hire senior, though, you starve the pipeline. Reading your open roles as a set, not one at a time, keeps the layers in proportion.
Plan the shape before you plan the hire. List every open role, tag each one by level and by the regulated skill it covers, then look at the whole picture. Gaps and overlaps jump out fast: three advisory roles and no one to own sign-off, or a senior hire with no analyst support underneath.
Be precise about qualifications. Since financial-services recruitment leans to RQF 6+ roles, as noted in the GOV.UK Temporary Shortage List: Stage 2 report (2026), name the exact regulatory qualifications and experience each role needs. That sharpens your shortlist and stops senior roles stalling. Then sequence your hiring: fill the accountability roles first, because they define what the specialists and analysts below them actually do.
Finally, move quickly. Senior compliance people are in demand, so a slow process loses them. Clear role definitions, a tight interview plan and fast feedback keep strong people engaged from first contact to offer.
Once you know the shape you need, we help you fill it. We search a database of 15 million candidates to find people who match the level and regulated skills each role demands, and we manage the process end to end. Our recruitment agent manages recruitment end to end for 8% on a successful hire, with no monthly fee and no upfront cost. If you are planning your next compliance hires, tell us the roles and we will get started.
