Need for customer focus is driving recruitment in financial services
Consumer demands are driving employment in FS
Demand for improved customer service and new mobile banking and payments services is driving increased hiring in financial services in the UK, with employment prospects 16 percentage points higher than a year ago.
According to Manpower Group, whose Employment Outlook Survey is used as a key economic statistic by both the Bank of England and the UK government, the need to build user-friendly services is becoming a top priority for financial services sector employers.
“So far, 2015 has been a strong quarter for the finance and banking sector, with consistent demand for staff in both temporary and permanent roles. Our latest findings show that these favourable hiring intentions are set to continue into Q3 2015,” said Karen De-Merist, Manpower Group solutions operations director. “Financial Services customers have become increasingly sophisticated over the past few years. They’re demanding more from their providers – in terms of mobile banking and online payment facilities. The continued strength of hiring intentions in the sector is reflective of the investment businesses are making to keep pace. Of course, the challenge will be in ensuring they’re able to access the skills required to turn these hiring intentions into business growth.”
But Manpower warns that though employers intend to recruit in the coming months, it doesn’t mean that the roles will be filled, because “a talent shortage threatens to hamper business growth plans”.
Following the economic downturn, a top priority for employers in the sector has been ensuring their operations are user-friendly, transparent, and approachable for customers, she said: “They’re recognising that to build trust with their customers, they don’t just have to do well in everyday business – they need to be doing good for the wider community too. It’s those employers who successfully engage in worthwhile community projects who will be best-placed to secure business in the coming months. They’re also recognising the importance of matching their workforce profiles more closely to customer profiles, in both face-to-face and over-the-phone roles. This is a much more strategic approach in terms of people practices, in comparison to the scattergun approach seen previously.”
