The job market – Kelly Bigger

The job market has seen big changes over the last two years. We asked Kelly Biggar from Financial Services Recruitment Speacialists, Fram Search, to share her thoughts.

Thankfully, we’ve moved away from the awful days of March 2020 and it’s sometimes easy to forget the uncertainty we all felt at the time. Can my business operate remotely? Is my job safe? Will the economy be able to cope?

Well, I think it is safe to say financial services has overall coped very well with COVID, and between growth and the 'great resignation', recruitment activity remains very high.

These last few years have caused many of us to reassess what is important to us. This has had a massive impact on the traditional office-based role. Whether they like it not, companies need to offer hybrid working to attract talent. As a recruiter, this is now one of the first questions I’m asked when speaking to candidates about a new role, when historically it was never really expected. Flexible, hybrid or even remote working now seems to be more important than salary to some people. I have had candidates happy to move for the same salary, or slightly less on some occasions, if they can work from home two or three days a week.

Hiring overall has also changed during the pandemic. Speed has always been important, but this is a candidate led market and with most first and second interviews happening via video call, the pace has picked up. Candidates are also receiving multiple offers and buy backs, and clients who act quickly tend to have the most success in hiring - speed has never been more important. Growth, resignations, retirement brought on by pandemic changes and perhaps Brexit (although skills shortages seem global) means candidates currently have more choice. We feel prospects for candidates will remain strong for some time within financial services. However, dark clouds are gathering in the wider economy and the appalling situation in the Ukraine are only adding to the economic headwinds.

I would say most clients have seen an upturn in productivity, employees are happier, work life balance is better and overall, firms seem to be doing well. KELLY BIGGAR Head of Wealth Management Practice Head of Asset Finance Practice Fram Search https://framexec.com/

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