Risk Management - Monthly Update - February 2025

Dear Risk Recruitment Insiders,

Welcome to the February edition of Risk Recruitment Insider, your monthly overview of the risk management recruitment market. This snapshot will provide a general market update, hiring trends, and my predictions for the coming weeks. This newsletter is a brief review of the past month, and as always, for more specific or detailed insights, please get in touch.

Market Update

The risk recruitment market in the UK remains challenging but is undoubtedly starting to open up. It feels like the calm before the storm, with many clients actively discussing hiring plans for the year ahead, though few are making concrete moves just yet. Given the shorter month and the impact of half-term, we anticipated a quieter period, and that prediction has largely held true. However, with momentum building, we expect activity to pick up in the coming months.

Hiring Trends

We have continued to see strong demand for credit risk professionals, particularly those with expertise in real assets within the banking sector. At the same time, alternative managers are actively competing for investment risk professionals, a highly specialised and competitive talent pool. Additionally, there is a growing need for first-line operational and enterprise risk professionals across financial services. These candidates are in high demand, as their roles require both deep product knowledge and the ability to effectively partner with front-office stakeholders, making them crucial to risk management functions.

Looking Ahead

Looking ahead, we anticipate that clients will begin executing the first phases of their 2025 hiring plans as we move into March and beyond. With most bonuses being paid in Q1, attrition is also likely to pick up, leading to an increase in replacement hiring. The market has remained largely stagnant over the past 18–24 months, but with these factors in play, we expect hiring volumes to rise. While challenges remain, the signs point toward a busier year ahead, and we are hopeful for a more active and dynamic recruitment landscape.

Stay Tuned

In the coming month, we will be releasing a document exploring shifting perspectives in risk management, as well as alternative strategies for hiring in private markets, where the candidate pool remains tight. Additionally, we have recently published our salary guide - please get in touch for more information. Looking ahead to Q2, we are excited to kick off the first of our 2025 seminars, providing further insights and discussions on key industry trends. Stay tuned for more updates!

As always, this is a very brief snapshot of the market and happy to arrange a call with any contacts in the risk spaces.

Kind Regards,

James