Financial services is hiring for depth, not volume. The clearest signal comes from the qualification level employers are targeting. In the financial services sector, recruitment was generally for roles at Regulatory Qualification Framework (RQF) level 6 and above, rather than RQF 3 to 5, according to the GOV.UK Temporary Shortage List Stage 2 report (2026).
That matters before you scope anything. RQF 6 and above sits at degree level and higher, so the demand is weighted towards experienced, technically qualified people rather than entry-level hires, as set out in the GOV.UK Temporary Shortage List Stage 2 report (2026). If you write a settlement brief without reading your open roles first, you risk pitching at the wrong level for the market you're hiring into.
Securities settlement is the back-office engine of financial services: matching trades, confirming instructions, managing failed settlements and keeping custody records clean. These are specialist operations roles, and they track the sector's wider skew towards higher qualification levels described in the GOV.UK Temporary Shortage List Stage 2 report (2026).
When demand concentrates at RQF 6 and above, as noted in the GOV.UK Temporary Shortage List Stage 2 report (2026), the people you want are competent, qualified and in demand elsewhere. Reading your current open roles shows you the duties that repeat, the systems your team already runs and the gaps a new hire needs to close. That detail is what separates a generic job advert from a brief that attracts the right person.
Start by reading, not writing. Pull your open and recent settlement roles together and look for the duties that keep appearing, the regulatory touchpoints and the seniority each one really needs. Because sector demand leans towards RQF 6 and above, as reported in the GOV.UK Temporary Shortage List Stage 2 report (2026), be precise about which qualifications are essential and which you can develop on the job.
Do this and your shortlist gets sharper, your interviews get shorter and your offer lands with someone who fits the work as it exists today.
Once you know what the role really needs, we move fast. We search 15 million candidates, rank a shortlist in under 30 seconds, contact matched people in under a minute and can book an interview in under three minutes, so you spend your time on the right conversations rather than the search. 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 scope your securities settlement hire? Tell us about the role and we'll build your shortlist today.
