As the year draws to a close and our global clients prepare for Thanksgiving, it is the perfect time to reflect on everything we are thankful for: the relationships we have built, the progress we have witnessed, and the continued evolution of Fintech sales.

At Finiti, gratitude is more than a seasonal sentiment. We experience it every day through our partnerships with forward-thinking fintech firms and the talented sales professionals who drive innovation across the industry.

A Year of Change and Opportunity

Fintech has always been defined by transformation, and 2025 is no exception. In a year shaped by global uncertainty and rapid technological development, the sector has demonstrated resilience, agility, and an unmatched appetite for innovation.

Artificial intelligence and automation have moved from concept to commercial reality, reshaping payments, compliance, and customer engagement. Embedded finance is gaining momentum, with non-financial brands integrating financial services directly into their offerings, creating new business models and expanding the reach of technology into everyday life.

There is also a renewed focus on regtech, cybersecurity, and sustainable finance as firms work to build trust, transparency, and long-term value. Alongside these trends, AI is reshaping the Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) landscape, helping businesses harness data to make smarter, faster financial decisions. We’ve seen this first-hand with clients like Insight Delivered, an innovative analytics start-up using AI to bring clarity and confidence to financial planning. These shifts have created a new landscape for fintech sales, one that demands agility, consultative expertise, and the ability to translate complex technology into measurable, real-world outcomes.

The Evolving Role of the Fintech Sales Professional

The fintech salesperson of today looks very different from even a few years ago. As AI, data analytics, and automation reshape financial services, sales professionals are expected to speak the language of technology and value. The best combine commercial acumen with a genuine understanding of how solutions like AI-driven analytics or FP&A tools deliver measurable impact. They don’t just sell features, they help clients solve complex business problems with technology.

We have seen growing demand for candidates who can navigate complex buying cycles, engage senior stakeholders, and build long-term relationships. As solutions become more sophisticated, communication, adaptability, and authenticity remain defining factors in success.

This shift has also transformed how fintech firms hire. Organisations are not simply filling roles: they are building strategic teams aligned with culture, mission, and growth ambitions.

A Global Community Driving Innovation

Fintech is a global story. While London remains a leading hub, growth in Singapore, Dubai, Berlin, and New York is creating new opportunities for collaboration. Hybrid and remote work models have enabled companies to build international sales teams that draw on diverse perspectives to fuel innovation.

At Finiti, we are proud to support clients and candidates across borders. Whether helping an emerging fintech make its first strategic hire or assisting an established firm in global expansion, every connection strengthens the wider fintech ecosystem.

What We Are Thankful For

This year, we are especially grateful for the trust our clients place in us, the drive and professionalism of the candidates we work with, and the trust our clients and candidates place in us.

Our consultants bring vast fintech knowledge and a genuine passion for people. We have built our reputation on transparency, providing a consultative, advisory service going way beyond just providing the right candidates as well as our continued honesty and integrity in everything we do, and doing things differently, values that continue to guide us as the industry evolves.

We are also thankful for the resilience and creativity of the fintech community. Even amid change and challenge, this sector continues to push boundaries, solve problems, and create opportunities that move finance forward.

Looking Ahead

As we approach 2026, we are excited about what lies ahead. The integration of AI, the rise of embedded finance, and the growing emphasis on inclusion and sustainability will shape the next chapter of fintech innovation. For fintech firms, building the right sales teams will be more important than ever. The next wave of growth will belong to those who combine cutting-edge technology with exceptional human talent.

At Finiti, we are proud to play our part in that story, connecting ambitious people with the organisations that are redefining what is possible in fintech. To our clients, candidates, and colleagues around the world, thank you for your trust, collaboration, and partnership. Here is to another year of growth, innovation, and opportunity.

October is the season of ghosts, goblins and things that go bump in the night. But for many fintech founders, the real nightmares are not in haunted houses. They are in the hiring process. A single mistake can frighten away top talent, weaken growth or leave your team stuck with a commercial leader who is not the right fit.

At Finiti, we speak with senior sales professionals every day, and we have seen how certain hiring mistakes can come back to haunt even the most promising companies. Here are the scariest pitfalls to avoid if you want your growth story to be a treat rather than a trick.

The Ghost Candidate

You move too slowly, your process drags on and suddenly the candidate vanishes without a trace. Top performers rarely stay in the market for long. If you are not ready to move decisively, you risk losing them to a competitor who is.

How to avoid it: Streamline your interview process and make sure you are ready to act when the right person appears.

The Vampire Equity Package

On the surface, the equity offer looks rich, but once a candidate digs into the details it quickly drains enthusiasm. Inflated promises with little real potential leave talent feeling misled, and nothing kills trust faster.

How to avoid it: Be transparent about equity value, vesting and growth potential. Realistic conversations build confidence, not false hope.

The Monster Title

It sounds impressive: Head of Global Sales, VP of Revenue or even CRO. But if the role has little influence, no clear strategy or limited resources, candidates will see through the disguise. A flashy title without substance is more frightening than appealing.

How to avoid it: Match titles with genuine responsibility, influence and room for growth. Candidates want impact, not costumes.

The Haunted Product

Trying to hire a senior sales leader before your product is truly ready for the market is like sending them into battle without weapons. Candidates can sense when a product is not ready, and they will walk away rather than risk their reputation.

How to avoid it: Ensure your product has traction and clarity before bringing in a senior commercial leader. Being transparent about stage and readiness matters.

The Zombie Hire

This one looks alive on the surface, but they lack the energy, influence or alignment to truly move the business forward. A poor hire in a key sales role drains time, morale and momentum, and can take years to recover from.

How to avoid it: Take the time to carefully assess candidate motivations, track record and cultural fit. Hiring for a long term partnership is always better than filling a role quickly.

Turning Nightmares Into Growth Stories

Hiring does not need to be scary. The most successful fintech founders are transparent, realistic and ready to shape roles around the right people. With Finiti’s market insight and candidate network, we help you avoid the monsters in the hiring process and secure commercial leaders who deliver real impact.

Do not let hiring mistakes haunt your growth. Let us make sure your next hire is a treat, not a trick. Reach out today.

As we approach International Day of Charity on September 5th, it is a timely opportunity to reflect on how financial technology, which is often associated with disruption, speed, and commercial growth, is also becoming a powerful driver of positive social change.

At Finiti, we have spent years working with fintech innovators across the UK and beyond. More than ever, we are seeing companies channel their innovation into meaningful causes. They are not just changing how money moves, but also how finance can serve communities and contribute to a more inclusive and sustainable future.

Fintech for Good Is Gaining Momentum

The fintech sector has rapidly expanded across areas like wealth management, digital banking, payments, and blockchain. What is particularly exciting is the growing number of companies integrating purpose into their business models. These businesses are proving that financial success and social responsibility can go hand in hand.

This shift is not just a passing trend. It is a movement gaining real momentum across the industry. Investors, customers, and employees are increasingly supporting fintechs that combine innovation with impact.

Fintechs Making a Difference

Here are a few standout examples of fintech companies leading with purpose:

• Taptap Send – Making international money transfers more affordable, allowing people to send funds to loved ones quickly and without high fees

• Pennies – Powering digital micro donations that let consumers support charities during everyday purchases

• TreeCard – A wooden debit card that funds global reforestation projects with every transaction

• Sugi – Helping investors track the environmental impact of their portfolios and make more climate friendly financial decisions

These companies are creating real change in the world, and they are inspiring others to do the same.

Why This Matters in Recruitment

We speak every day with professionals who are thinking more deeply about their careers. Increasingly, they are seeking opportunities that offer not just strong compensation, but real purpose.

On the employer side, fintech firms with a mission are looking for talent that shares their values. There is rising demand for individuals with experience in areas such as sustainability, financial inclusion, ethical finance, and social impact.

At Finiti, we understand the mindset of both the mission driven company and the purpose driven candidate. We specialise in connecting values aligned people with the fintechs that are working to make finance better for everyone.

Our Role in the Movement

This International Day of Charity, we want to celebrate the companies and individuals using fintech as a force for good. Whether you are building a new platform focused on giving, financial wellbeing, or climate impact, or you are looking to join a team making a difference, we are here to help.

Finiti is more than a recruitment partner. We are passionate about the future of finance and proud to play a part in shaping it for the better. If you are growing a purpose driven fintech or exploring your next meaningful move, get in touch today. Let us help you find the people and opportunities that will drive lasting impact.

From a niche sub-sector to an economic powerhouse, Fintech is an industry that changes as much as it innovates. 

With a flurry of M&A activity, it’s a real inflection point for Fintech at the moment and the market is likely to look very different in just a few months. 

Here’s why that might not be a bad thing and sometimes less really is more. 

 

Who can resist a deal? 

Faced with global economic instability and unpredictability, maintaining market valuations has been tricky over the past year with the S&P Kensho Future Payments Index down 19% in January. 

The upside of low valuations is that VCs looking for a bargain and firms who’ve been toying with the idea of growth by acquisition are being tempted by bargain prices. 

InsurTech M&A exits alone reached a record high last year, up 40%. 

This year, there’s already a host of high-profile new unions on the table. From Deel acquiring Capbase to giants like American Express snapping up Nipendo, low valuations are driving market consolidation and some headline-grabbing new partnerships. 

 

Pooling resources

A rocky economic picture has made investment harder to come by, with Fintech funding dropping 46% from 2021 to 2022. 

When investment is harder to come by, mergers and acquisitions can be a way to instantly expand your team and product offerings. Take Numerix’s recent acquisition of FINCAD for example.

As well as the in-house team, when firms merge, they access each other’s backers. By acquiring GoHenry, for example, Acorn also gain the equity and expertise of Nexi, Citi Ventures, Revaia, Muse Capital and Edison Partners. 

 

A piggyback audience 

Firms that merge are able to instantly access a whole new audience of potential customers. And they’re not starting from scratch. 

Approaching prospects through a company that they already know and trust means firms are able to piggyback on their new M&A partner’s brand awareness and values, establishing trust more quickly and accelerating the sales cycle. 

This is incredibly valuable for tech businesses, such as buy-now-pay-later,  that require scale to demonstrate their full value and potential. 

 

Skipping the learning curve

With budgets tight and investors edgy about returns, acquisition can be a powerful way to expand businesses whilst minimising risk. By buying an established company, you’re able to instantly enter a new market or sector, with a team on the ground that knows how to make it work. 

By investing in Nippendo, Amex instantly upped their presence in the B2B payments market. BlackRock’s minority stake in Human Interest allows them to test out the SMB 401(k) sector. Acquiring Pixpay last year allowed GoHenry to operate in France and Spain, in turn setting the stage for its acquisition by Acorn this year.

Market consolidation is sometimes seen as a loss – a contraction, when it can actually be a catalyst for expansion. 

 

More to come 

The economic volatility that tempted buyers is slowing, but that won’t spell the end of M&A activity.  

Fluctuating valuations and markets can slow down the final stages of M&A negotiations. With more stability, we can expect to see deals that have been on the table finalised over the next few months. 

 

Building a team 

Joining forces with another organisation takes careful resource planning. Though there can be some initial redundancies where there’s an overlap of skills and resources, longer-term growth opportunities need the right leadership and sales talent to realise a partnership’s true value. 

We’ve been helping the biggest industry names plan and build their teams for almost two decades. As the only Fintech sales recruitment specialists, reach out to our team for advice on shaping your sales organisation or filling critical new leadership roles.

Having focused exclusively on Fintech sales roles for over 15 years, we can quickly spot changing and emerging trends. 

One of the latest changes we’re seeing is a gradual increase in Account Management roles as sales teams stretch their remit and headcount in order to maximise revenue from existing accounts. 

Here’s an overview of what Account Managers do and why it’s such a fast growing area. 

 

What is account management? And what’s the average salary?

An account manager is responsible for managing relationships with a company’s existing clients or customers. Their goal is to increase client satisfaction and ultimately retain customers and grow the account.

The average base salary range for Account Managers in the Fintech industry is £60k-80k. For more experienced, senior Account Managers it’s up to £100k. For more strategic Account Directors, it can be well into six-figures.

The face of the company, they’re the primary point of contact for clients, ensuring that their needs and expectations are being met and a collaborative long-term relationship is built. 

In addition to relationship management, an account manager’s job description may also include developing and executing account strategies, identifying new opportunities for growth, and collaborating with other teams within the company to deliver products or services to existing clients.

 

What skills does a good account manager need? 

Successful Account Managers blend stakeholder management, great communication skills, business and commercial acumen.  

All Account Managers need to be great communicators. Building good relationships with clients means being able to listen actively, convey ideas clearly, and handle challenges with tact and empathy. 

Account managers also need to be organised and detail-oriented. They’re responsible for managing multiple client relationships at once, so they need to be able to keep track of everything and ensure that all client needs are being met.

Successful Account Managers are able to build trust and knowledge of their clients’ business to understand their challenges, offer solutions and ultimately grow the account. 

 

What separates good Account Managers and great Account Managers?

The answer is simple. Expertise. 

Account managers that have a deep understanding of the industry in which their clients operate are able to provide valuable insights and recommendations. This builds trust, connection, and a real sense of value which makes it hard for clients to go elsewhere – essential in highly competitive markets like Fintech. 

 

Why is Account Management important? 

We’re in economically rocky times and all companies are under pressure to retain customers and deliver more revenue. 

Usually the first thing that springs to mind is to find more customers – new customers – but the increasing drive for Account Managers shows that more companies are recognising the value of the customers they already have. 

Research by Bain & Company found that increasing retention by just 5% could boost profits by as much as a quarter. As well as revenue growth, there’s also a cost saving with the average new customer acquisition cost ranging from as low as $200 for SaaS firms to $640 in financial services. 

With happier customers that stay with the business longer and spend more, it’s easy to see why more businesses are choosing to invest in hiring Account Managers.

For advice on growing your sales team or help filling a vacancy, reach out to the Finiti Search team – the only Fintech sales recruitment specialists.

As Fintech sales recruitment specialists, one of the most common questions we get asked is “what’s the market like?”. 

Here are the five key Fintech trends we’re seeing as we head into Q1 and how they’re impacting recruitment. 

 

It’s a period of consolidation 

Fintech had been experiencing meteoric growth in the years leading up to 2022. This translated into a hiring frenzy with the number of fintech roles in the US alone increasing by 223%.  

But over the past year it’s been impossible to miss a host of redundancies with a slow-down in investment in Fintech. 

With the backdrop of high-profile bank failures, including SVB, Signature Bank, and Credit Suisse, the resulting market instability makes companies and investors cautious. 

Concerns about other bank failures may see growth plans put on hold. For candidates, some will be reluctant to move in an unstable market whereas others at companies that have been affected might start looking for a new role with more security. 

 

Focusing on existing team members 

Rather than cutting roles, some organisations are looking at different ways they can redeploy their existing team members to respond to changing market conditions. 

For example, those with expertise in the customer journey and a head for data may be moved into a newly formed Revenue Operations team. 

Thinking beyond the job description not only helps the business flex to changing demands, it can also provide development opportunities to stretch and engage existing staff. 

 

Focusing on existing customers

This “bird-in-the-hand” mindset also applies to customers. Securing new accounts is often the focus for many sales teams with only 40% of businesses putting an equal focus on acquisition and retention.

But with research showing that a 5% increase in retention can boost profits by as much as 25%, organisations are recognising the importance of existing customers in delivering growth and investing in the right people to support them. 

 

Efficiency as an opportunity

The rollercoaster of world events over the past few years has driven all businesses to carefully consider their spending and their processes. 

In parallel, the increasing number of tools and technologies businesses are using means there’s a huge amount of data just waiting to be turned into actionable insights and a more efficient business. 

People often think that “efficiency” is code for cost-cutting and redundancies. But we’re seeing a more fundamental shift in ways of working with a greater focus and agile principles at the centre. 

 

Employees don’t buy it 

Despite high-profile redundancies, we’re seeing an uptick in recruitment heading into the new financial year. 

Redundancies foster employee uncertainty. Those who weren’t made redundant still feel uneasy about their job security and look to pre-empt future cuts with a new opportunity. Almost 50% of Fintech workers planned to move jobs in 2022, and it’s a trend that’s only set to continue this year. 

It’s an important reminder to companies managing a recruitment process to engage and reassure the employees they’re retaining to avoid being understaffed. 

Pick our brains on the latest Fintech market trends or tell us about your latest vacancy by getting in touch with the Finiti Search team today.

In the data-rich Fintech world, Revenue Operations (RevOps) roles are quickly becoming the must-have hire. 

RevOps are responsible for driving revenue growth through optimising the entire customer lifecycle, from lead generation to customer retention. 

With the rise of digital transformation and the increasing importance of data-driven decision-making, RevOps roles have become critical for organisations looking to identify efficiencies, understand their customer, and maximise their revenue streams. 

The traditional approach to revenue growth has been for companies to have separate teams for marketing, sales, and customer success. However, this can lead to inefficient processes, communication breakdowns, and missed opportunities. 

RevOps seeks to break down these silos and unify these teams under a single revenue-generating strategy that’s focused on the customer journey. 

For example, RevOps might work with the marketing team to optimise lead generation and lead qualification processes, ensuring that the sales team is receiving high-quality leads that are more likely to convert into customers.

It’s an approach that delivers, with some B2B tech brands reporting a boost in sales productivity by 10-20% and a digital marketing ROI increase of as much as 100-200%.

 

Diving into the data

It’s not just the teams, it’s also their data. With more digital channels and tools than ever before, companies are sitting on a mountain of data. RevOps is about collating that data and turning it into actionable insights. 

RevOps consolidate data from various sources, such as marketing automation tools, CRM systems, and customer support platforms. 

This provides a comprehensive view of the customer journey, helping identify areas where the company can improve their customer experience, optimise their sales funnel, and ultimately increase revenue.

 

Identifying efficiencies 

Another important function of RevOps is to drive process efficiencies across the organisation. 

As well as facilitating a more joined-up approach between the different revenue and customer focused teams, RevOps also looks at workflows to identify where there’s room to improve, such as automating repetitive tasks. 

 

Mitigating risk 

By providing a comprehensive view of the customer journey, RevOps can identify potential bottlenecks, process inefficiencies, and other areas where the company may be losing revenue. 

This can help companies make informed decisions about where to allocate resources, reducing risk by addressing issues before they become major problems. According to Adobe, the whole purpose of RevOps is to “make revenue and growth more predictable”.

By providing a centralised view of the customer journey and performance metrics, RevOps can also help companies quickly identify and respond to trends, reducing the risk of being caught out by volatile or changing markets. 

The growing number of RevOps roles reflects the increasing importance of data-driven decision-making and the value of a cross-functional approach. 

By helping teams work together and translating data into insights, RevOps roles can help companies increase revenue, reduce costs, and mitigate risk. 

Looking for your first RevOps hire? Finiti Search specialises in sales recruitment within the global Fintech industry. Get in touch with the team to find out more about our talent network and how we can help find just the right person for the job.

Fintech is the fast-growing darling of the finance industry. With an all-star growth rate averaging 6.7% over the past five – eventful – years, it’s a sector that’s transformed products and consumer expectations alike. 

With major returns and the spotlight of consumer attention, traditional financial services and banking firms haven’t been able to resist eyeing up what Fintech brings to the table. 

The once sharp line between high-street retail bank and cutting-edge Fintech firms is increasingly blurred. Will all banks morph into Fintech firms or is inspiration a two-way street? 

 

A bold disruptor

Fintech companies represent a unique threat to traditional banking and financial services: not only do they offer a leap forward in the way services can be delivered, they can directly compete with well-established competitors. 

Research into the cost of more traditional financial services shows that charges are, on average, around 2% of the asset value. 

With new technology and technology and streamlined business models, Fintech firms immediately appeal to people looking for more affordable and convenient ways to manage their money. 

 

A moving target

What’s made Fintech such a dangerous and impactful competitor is the industry’s ability to pivot. 

More agile and adaptable than traditional institutions, Fintech firms can quickly develop and launch new products and services to meet changing customer needs.

It’s led to digital wallets, peer-to-peer (P2P) lending platforms, robo-advisors, and blockchain-based cryptocurrency exchanges. 

Fintech companies have also started moving into more traditional financial services and banking areas. 

For example, some P2P lending platforms have started offering more traditional loan products, such as personal loans and mortgages. Digital banks have also started offering a wider range of financial products, such as credit cards, savings accounts, and investment accounts.

 

Traditional banks pay the price 

Low consumer trust and demand for greater transparency following the 2008 banking crisis combined with the digital-first pandemic years have created new consumer expectations – ones that Fintech firms are best-placed to meet. 

Estimates suggest traditional banks and financial services firms could be losing up to 15% of existing revenue and a third of new revenue to shiny new Fintech competitors. 

It’s not just revenue: big tech has eyes on replacing bankers too with 61% of tech leaders predicting that AI would make traditional bankers redundant before 2030. 

 

Rising to the challenge

In response to the rise of Fintech companies, traditional financial services and banking institutions have had to adapt and evolve. 

With 81% of adults saying the quality of the online experience affects who they bank with, traditional banks have had to invest heavily in technology and digital transformation initiatives. 

British retail bank Natwest, for example, has introduced a new sub-brand, Mettle. Targeted at the growing side-hustle market, it’s a free, mobile-only bank account aimed at sole traders and freelancers. Taking inspiration from the API-obsessed Fintech market, the account syncs with popular SaaS accounting tools. 

It’s just one example of how traditional firms are having to innovate and integrate in order to keep up. 

 

If you can’t beat them… 

Rather than go head-to-head, some traditional providers have started partnering with Fintech firms in order to leverage their expertise, accelerate the digitisation process, and expand their product offerings.

Some traditional banks have started partnering with P2P lending platforms to offer their customers access to alternative sources of credit. Others have integrated robo-advisory services into their wealth management offerings, allowing customers to invest in low-cost portfolios of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that are managed by algorithms. 

It’s a trend that’s likely to continue with 82% of financial services firms saying they plan to increase partnerships with Fintech firms over the next three to five years.

There’s a mutual benefit. By partnering with traditional banks, Fintech firms can leverage their regulatory expertise, access to funding, and reach a ready-and-waiting audience that can help Fintech firms reach the sky-high growth numbers investors want to see. 

 

Will two become one? 

As both Fintech companies and traditional financial institutions continue to evolve, the line between the two has become increasingly blurred. Fintech firms are starting to look more like traditional banks, while traditional banks are starting to look more like Fintech firms. 

Ultimately, success in any market is determined by how well companies can understand, meet, and adapt to customer demand. 

Fintech has fundamentally changed what people expect from all aspects of banking and financial services. Whether it’s opening a new account or managing an investment portfolio, consumers expect transparency, value, and increasingly personalised offerings that fit into their wider life and the technology they use.

Traditional banks and financial services that refuse to embrace digitisation will find themselves quickly outpaced and out of business. 

Those that invest wisely in Fintech partnerships, however, have the potential to form the super banks of the future, combining reputation and stability with innovation and convenience. 

 

Building the right team

Whether it’s identifying new business partnerships with major banking players or finding new ways to reach consumers, the right salespeople are key to any Fintech firm’s growth. 

Most Fintech sales roles, particularly at leadership level, are better suited to those with industry experience, but as the line between Fintech and traditional financial services continues to blur, some top candidates may be able to make the switch to Fintech.  

Focusing on Fintech for over 15 years, Finiti Search understands where the industry’s been, where it’s going, and how to create the sales team to help you get it there. To fill a vacancy in your sales leadership team or just pick our brains on industry hiring trends, get in touch with the team today.

Fintech is a fast-paced, dynamic industry that’s constantly innovating and growing – it’s why those that work in the sector love it (ourselves included!). 

The sector’s resilience throughout economic challenges combined with modern ways of working have grabbed the attention of those working in the more traditional parts of the finance sector. 

The combination of exciting tech and big valuations along with lower perceived risk as Fintech continues to deepen its roots has been driving top talent to make the switch ever since the 2008 financial crisis, according to Claudia Ivanova, Head of HR for Fispan. 

But not everyone has what it takes to make it in one of the most innovative parts of the industry. 

 

Opportunities for new faces

From 2000 startups to almost 500 unicorns, new Fintech start-ups and businesses emerge every day. They all need great salespeople to help the business reach its potential – and fast. 

New job vacancies in Fintech are growing with an incredible 182% increase in tech jobs in the first quarter of 2022 alone. 

With this level of expansion, it won’t always be possible to hire from within the industry: demand for talent will outstrip the pool of people already working in Fintech. 

 

Comparing (or selling) apples and pears

Job seekers often underestimate just how big the change can be; they assume that sales techniques and business models will be similar across all financial products. 

What great Fintech salespeople do, however, is to understand and articulate the strategic business value of their solution.

It’s about much more than having a basic understanding of the product and its delivery mechanisms. 

Experienced Fintech salespeople have an appreciation of the level of investment involved in choosing a solution. They’re able to identify who the decision-makers are, anticipate their concerns, and match their pitch to the business priorities. 

This powerful combination of industry knowledge and business acumen enables them to paint a compelling picture of the value their solution will bring to that particular business. 

It needs someone who can get under the skin of the customer to understand how the solutions they’re selling can help solve their pain points. Candidates with a Financial Services background who may have only sold their company’s internal tech platform to different internal divisions or subsidiaries won’t necessarily have had to build this skillset in the same way. 

 

You work for who? 

Another aspect of the switch that both employers and candidates often underestimate is the change from a well-established brand to a relative unknown. 

Whilst many traditional financial services and banking firms are household names, even established Fintech firms don’t enjoy the same brand awareness. 

Research by Latana Brand Tracking found that when asked to think of a mobile bank, the best known was Monzo with 10% awareness, dropping to 4% for Starling and 2% for Revolut. 

Moving from an instantly recognisable firm to an unknown logo on your CV isn’t for everyone. 

Asking candidates about how a move into Fintech fits into their long-term career goals is a good way to understand how important employer brand is to a candidate and whether it’s likely to be a long-term switch. 

 

Experience with innovation

Those who successfully make the switch from traditional financial services and banking to Fintech are likely to come from more tech-savvy firms. 

With more banks and financial institutions embracing technology, there’s a growing pool of FS and banking candidates who will have experience with Fintech. 

Goldman Sachs, for example, invested heavily in USD coin from the startup Circle. 

Understanding their existing employer’s use of technology can help unpick whether a candidate already has valuable, transferable experience when moving to the Fintech sector. 

 

Subject Matter Experts 

There are some circumstances where first-time Fintech job seekers can really add value. 

When a Fintech firm is really focused on selling into a particular area, candidates with subject matter expertise can prove invaluable. Their “insider experience” and connections often help to build rapport with prospective clients, identify new opportunities, and open doors based on their existing network. 

When you’re looking to fill a vacancy, consider whether specific knowledge of a particular sector would add value. If so, someone looking to move into Fintech could be a good hire. 

 

Thinking before recruiting 

Invest time in thinking about whether your vacancy would be suitable for a Fintech first timer before starting the recruitment process. 

For more junior roles or a position where wider sector experience could add value, considering people from outside Fintech could allow you to reach a wider pool of candidates with valuable experiences and expertise. 

If you’re recruiting for a sales leader, however, candidates switching from traditional financial services or banking will rarely stack up against a seasoned Fintech salesperson with a proven track record and years of market understanding. 

Deciding on whether to consider candidates without Fintech experience before you put out a job ad or start the recruitment process helps speed up the recruitment process, ensuring you only focus on the right candidates for the role. 

If you’re struggling to decide whether to consider candidates from outside of Fintech, get in touch with our team for a chat. As the only specialists in Fintech sales recruitment, we’ve been helping Fintech firms think through recruitment challenges, design teams, and find the perfect candidates for more than 16 years.