What does the insurance hiring market look like right now?

The picture is one of rising expectations. As routine, low-value claims get settled by automated systems and agents, the human work that remains is harder: it needs sound judgement about fair redress, an eye for edge cases and a feel for regulatory nuance. That shift shows up in the roles firms are trying to fill.

In financial services, recruitment is now generally for higher-qualified roles rather than mid-level ones, according to GOV.UK - Temporary Shortage List: Stage 2 report the GOV.UK Temporary Shortage List Stage 2 report (2026), which found demand concentrated at Regulatory Qualification Framework level 6 and above rather than levels 3 to 5. In plain terms, employers want people who can weigh a redress decision, not just process a form.

For insurance, that trend matters. The more the simple work is settled by software, the more each remaining role carries responsibility, so the bar for hiring rises with it.

Which roles and skills are in demand as claims get automated?

When agents settle straightforward claims, the roles that grow are the ones that exercise judgement: complaints and redress specialists, claims handlers on complex or disputed cases, and technical assessors who decide what fair looks like. These sit at the higher-qualified end of hiring that GOV.UK - Temporary Shortage List: Stage 2 report the GOV.UK report identifies as the focus in financial services.

The core skill is redress judgement: reading a case, understanding what a fair outcome is, and defending that decision if it is challenged. That pairs with regulatory literacy, clear written reasoning and the emotional intelligence to handle people at a difficult moment. These are harder to train and slower to build, which is why demand for them keeps climbing.

• Complaints and redress specialists who decide fair outcomes on disputed cases.
• Complex and technical claims handlers working beyond the reach of automation.
• Regulatory and compliance roles that keep redress decisions defensible.
• Quality and oversight roles that check the settlements agents make.

How do you hire well for redress and judgement roles?

Start by hiring for the decision, not the task. Automation now covers much of the routine processing, so test for reasoning: give applicants a realistic disputed case and ask them to talk through the redress they would offer and why. You learn more from how someone thinks than from a list of past employers.

Because demand sits at the higher-qualified end, per GOV.UK - Temporary Shortage List: Stage 2 report the GOV.UK report, move quickly once you find the right person. Strong applicants with regulatory qualifications do not stay on the market for long. Write job adverts around the judgement you need, keep your interview stages tight, and be ready to make a clear decision when someone impresses.

It also helps to widen your search. The best redress thinkers may sit in adjacent parts of financial services, so look for transferable judgement rather than an exact job-title match.

Where do we fit for insurance employers?

This is where we help. We search a database of 15 million people to find those with the redress judgement and regulatory background insurance teams need, then rank a shortlist so you can move fast on the ones who fit. Our recruitment agent manages recruitment end to end for 8% on a successful hire, with no monthly fee and no upfront cost. Tell Reed.ai the role today and see your shortlist.