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. 

Despite economically rocky times, Fintech has proven its resilience with the industry set to play a key role in financial recovery and growth this year. 

Growing businesses with big ambitions all need the same thing – great people, especially great salespeople. With 300,000 people globally already working in the sector, Fintech firms are looking to employ 40,000 people each quarter. 

Widely regarded as the finance industry’s hottest ticket, there’s no shortage of applications for Fintech roles. But how can you make sure you find the right person for the job? 

 

Prioritising company cultural & fit

A CV / resume screen or application form is an essential first step of the candidate-facing recruitment process. Combined with a clear job description and set of requirements, it allows you to quickly identify candidates with the right skills and experience. 

But it’s only half the story. Companies have personalities – just like people. To find a successful long-term hire that flourishes at the company, there needs to be a cultural match. 

Understanding both your conscious and subconscious company culture will help you think about what attributes a candidate needs to have to succeed in and enjoy the role. 

 

The business impact of company culture

Sometimes people think of company culture as a ‘nice-to-have’, but there’s a tangible business dimension to hiring with culture top of mind. 

When there’s a great cultural fit, employees are happier; happy employees are 12% more productive, according to a study by Warwick University. 

There’s a long term benefit too. Turnover at companies where employees don’t rate the overall company culture reaches almost 50%, opening organisations up to heavy recruitment costs and lost productivity as new staff members get up to speed. 

 

How to assess the right cultural fit

Whereas technical skills and experience are easier to assess, getting a feel for whether someone is a good cultural fit for your organisation is much harder. 

With 79% of organisations now conducting video interviews post-pandemic, it can be even harder to build rapport and get a feel for what makes someone tick. 

Some organisations turn to data and personality tests. From ENTJ to to colours to animals, there’s a whole range of personality tests available to try and give candidates and prospective employers an idea of whether it’s a good match. 

Others do some reverse engineering. They look at their top performers and try to identify common attributes or preferences. The hope is that by looking for similar working styles in a pool of candidates, they’ll find people who will thrive at the organisation. 

 

Bring in the experts

Even in rapidly growing industries like Fintech, recruiting a new team member isn’t something that hiring managers do on a regular basis. Ironically, as a team leader the better you are at recruiting, the less you do it! 

For recruitment firms, matching candidates and companies is what we do every single day. Working with the right recruiter can help accelerate the process of finding your perfect hire. 

When it comes to finding a great cultural match, look for a recruiter that specialises in your particular industry. An industry expert will already have a network of well-qualified candidates and a feel for who will thrive at a particular organisation. 

Industry experts know the market, the companies, and the candidates. Having specialised in Fintech sales recruitment for the past 16 years, we’ve worked with many of the businesses in the industry and got a feel for who will click there. Our Fintech industry expertise is why clients come back to us time and time again and why new clients find success with us straight away. 

It’s not just the companies. We often place candidates multiple times throughout their careers, getting to understand their strengths and preferences. 

A well-established network and relationships with top talent means we can often pull candidates who weren’t actively looking for a new role into the process based on the strength of a great match.  

 

A little bit of matchmaker magic 

CVs, skills, assessments, tests – they all have a role to play. But people are far too complicated to be neatly summarised in two pages or through a personality test.  

Recruitment is about people, and it needs the personal touch. It needs that impossible-to-define gut instinct that tells you whether people will click. 

It’s the reason that our Co-Founder and matchmaker extraordinaire, Kate Sharland, always sits down with the hiring manager and usually CEO or Founder too. Getting a feel for the people behind the job description enables us to find candidates that will thrive in their new role and continue to be a great fit years later. 

To put Kate’s mental rolodex to the test and fill your Fintech sales vacancy with the perfect match, get in touch with the Finiti Search team.

When trusting an external recruiter to find the perfect match, companies want a partner that understands not just that role, but the company and the market they’re operating in. 

In the past, companies have gravitated towards large, general recruiters, but today’s market is all about  “super specialists”: take a look at the Recruiter Fast 50 and 80% focus on one sector. 

Companies can choose an agency with a deep understanding of their industry and job seekers can pick agencies specialising in their desired career path, increasing the potential for a great match from the very start. 

 

Fintech’s unique requirements

Having an in-depth knowledge of the market is critical for Fintech recruitment, especially when it comes to sales roles.

Fintech sales requires a unique combination of industry and domain knowledge, and the sales models used are fundamentally different to those in the traditional financial services and banking sectors. 

A recruiter that is a Fintech market expert will understand the product, its place in the market and potential sales drivers. Understanding the context allows specialist recruiters to pinpoint candidates with the right experience, network and approach to ensure a successful match. 

 

A picture-perfect reflection 

Recruitment agencies are an extension of your team. As the people kicking off the hiring process, they’re often the first representative of the company that candidates meet.

Specialist Fintech recruitment agencies are able to represent a company much more accurately. With deep industry knowledge, they can paint an honest and compelling picture of a role’s challenges and potential, as well as that company’s unique culture. 

An accurate and engaging description of the role presented by a market expert creates a great first impression that hooks in top talent.  

 

Not just perfect on paper

Whereas large, general recruiters tend to rely heavily on CVs, specialists are able to combine information about skills and experience with knowledge of candidates themselves, and an understanding of whether there’s a good cultural fit. 

Cultural fit is a high priority for candidates. Figures from Glassdoor show that over three-quarters of candidates consider a company’s culture before applying and a similar percentage won’t apply if their values aren’t aligned with the company. 

A specialist recruiter should invest time understanding your company culture. Having specialised in Fintech for over 16 years, we’ve worked with many of the key players before, helping them grow from start-ups to industry leaders. We know the companies, their quirks and preferences and use that context to find a great match. 

 

Getting to know you

For new companies, we build that understanding of company culture by asking a lot of questions – the right questions. 

It’s why we always meet the hiring team including the founders, CEO or other members of the executive management team. We ask not just about the product or solutions, but about how a company is positioning themselves in the market, why they believe they’re successful, and the growth strategies they’re putting in place to build on that success. 

By meeting senior leaders, we’re able to build an understanding of the soft skills and approach a candidate would need to be successful in that particular organisation. 

With each role, there’s an element of understanding the company culture, defining the employer brand, then finding the perfect match. 

 

Great existing relationships

A great specialist recruiter should have an established network within the industry and strong, existing relationships with top talent. 

As well as having worked on behalf of many of the top firms for many years, two decades of focusing on Fintech means we’ve placed many candidates before, some of them multiple times throughout their career. 

It enables us to spot emerging leaders, building relationships with them from the very start of their career and matching them to the perfect company when they’re ready to step up. 

It also means we can draw in passive candidates who make up 70% of the talent market, based on a great mutual fit.  

 

Accelerate commitment 

An excellent understanding of the market and an established network of high-quality, verified talent enables companies to accelerate the recruitment process. 

The latest figures from LinkedIn show that the average length of the recruitment process is 36 days – a lifetime to high-growth companies where people requirements and revenue goals can change overnight. 

Using a specialist agency with an established network that already understands the market can rapidly speed up the recruitment process, getting the right person on board, up to speed, and delivering growth as soon as possible. 

 

The foundations for long-term happiness

Getting the right person in a role doesn’t just offer quick benefits, it creates the right conditions for long-term success. 

With turnover rates as high as 50% in the first 18 months, hiring badly can cost companies as much as 1.5 to 2 times a team member’s annual salary – an avoidable cost that businesses need to avoid in economically challenging times. 

In a tech-focused industry where people have a natural interest in the next big thing, retention can be a challenge. A specialist recruiter that can matchmake based on cultural fit as well as skills maximises the chance of building a team that’s perfectly placed for long-term happiness and success.

Fintech is not just our specialism, it’s our passion. It’s what we live and breathe every day. If you’re hiring for your Fintech sales team, get in touch with us to understand more about how our established network of top candidates could help you find your perfect match.

At the cutting edge of technology with big name firms and investment to match, Fintech is one of the most desirable areas to work in within the financial sector. 

But within Fintech, there are in-demand sub-sectors where top candidates are lining up to secure their next big role. 

 

• Wealth management 

Digital transformation has been at the forefront of the financial services and banking industry. Over the past few years, the line between fintech and more traditional parts of the sector has become increasingly blurred. 

A traditionally more conservative part of the industry, wealth management has started its digital transformation journey with PwC’s Beyond Automated Advice Report naming it the third most likely field to be disrupted. 

With less than one in three providers even offering a mobile application according to the report, it’s an area that’s poised for rapid development and growth in 2023. 

 

1. Payments innovation 

With ever-changing regulations and consumer expectations in the post-pandemic world, payments is a Fintech area that’s constantly innovating, drawing top talent to its doors. 

Combined with an increasing demand for transparency and responsibility, technology that helps firms meet regulatory requirements – RegTech – is a particular hot spot.

Of the almost 500 RegTech firms, the Deloitte RegTech Universe lists 41% as being focused on compliance. With just 38 of those firms focused on transaction monitoring, this could be an area to watch within RegTech and payments. 

Regulatory requirements continue to change and grow despite global economic challenges, so candidates looking for more job security are particularly attracted to this area of the industry. 

• Financial crime and Anti-fraud tech 

Closely linked to RegTech and payments innovation, technology that helps beat fraudsters by spotting or even predicting financial crime is a high-growth area that appeals to top talent. 

It’s an area that thrives in difficult times, especially the Covid-19 pandemic. In the UK alone, pandemic-related scams amounted to £34.5 million and the FT reported that spam messages increased by 220% in the first month of the pandemic. 

Seemingly recession proof with high levels of job satisfaction, anti-fraud Fintech companies can expect to attract top candidates to open positions. 

• ESG / Sustainability 

With a staggering 68% compound annual growth rate predicted over the next three years, it’s no wonder ESG was hailed as “the fastest and most attractive investment case in the fintech market” by KPMG. 

A considered, well-thought out approach to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) can help future-proof the organization by looking beyond today’s legislation to prepare for tomorrow. 

According to CBI, two-thirds of investors take into account a company’s ESG activity and risks when investing, and this will only rise throughout 2023. 

• AI

The current darling of the tech world, one technology that will affect all of the above areas is Artificial Intelligence (AI). It’s continuing its meteoric rise across a whole range of sectors, and Fintech is no exception. 

From detecting fraud to providing better customer service, there are many applications within Fintech with the potential to help organisations drive efficiencies and revenue. 

Credit-decisioning technologies, for example, have increased revenue by 5-15% according to recent research from Mckinsey.

AI plays a central role in the next chapter of Fintech, and the industry’s star performers are either already working in AI or looking for it to be a significant part of their next organisation’s proposition. 

 

Whether you’re recruiting into one of the areas above or across the wider Fintech world, the Finiti Search team have been matching top talent to Fintech firms since the industry started. 

Fintech is our everyday. We know the market, the companies and the salespeople behind them and love finding businesses the perfect match. 

If there’s a sales role you’re looking to fill, get in touch with our team and we’ll be happy to help. 

The economic challenges of 2022 may have taken their toll on global investments, but they also demonstrated just how resilient the UK’s Fintech industry is and why the sector has a vital role to play in helping the UK economy bounce back this year. 

 

A tough year

From soaring inflation and interest rates to markets rocked by the uncertainty of war in Ukraine, 2022 was a tough year for the global economy. 

Latest estimates predict that we’ll continue to feel the economic shockwaves this year. The World Bank revised its 2023 global growth forecast down from 3% six months ago to just 1.7%, with investment growth in emerging markets set to reach a two-decade low. 

 

First glance at the impact on Fintech 

At first glance, unprecedented global economic conditions appear to have taken a serious toll on  global investment deals which dropped 14%, with a knock-on effect on Fintech. 

Even established Fintech giants weren’t immune: Coinbase hit the headlines in November 2022 when their value plummeted from $79.6 bn to below $10 bn in just a year. 

The UK Fintech sector felt the pinch, with Finextra recently reporting an 8% “funding slump”, with investment dropping to $12.5 billion in 2022, down from $13.5bn the previous year. 

 

Taking a closer look

A closer look at the context behind the headline-hitting numbers tells a different story: given the scale of the economic challenges in 2022, Fintech has proved itself to be a resilient industry that’s worthy of continued investment. 

Whilst globally investments dipped by around a third, Fintech investments only reduced by 8% according to the latest report by Innovate Finance.

The result was that even in the face of extreme economic unpredictability, over $92 bn was invested into Fintech firms around the world last year. 

 

A UK success story

Not only did Fintech hold its own compared to investment in other sectors globally, the UK’s Fintech sector remained a vital force in the UK economy. 

Reductions in Fintech funding in the UK were smaller compared to other markets, with investment in London firms down by just 5%. 

UK Fintech giants continued to grow with SumUp raising €590m and checkout.com securing $1 bn in series D funding. Rising stars also continued to catch investor attention, with GoHenry passing 2 million users and raising $55 million in October 2022. 

Add up the Fintech investment the UK received and we’re second only to the US; in fact, you’d need to add together Fintech investment in the next 10 European countries to equal the amount of funding the UK Fintech industry brought in. 

And that’s in a “bad year”. 

 

The future of Fintech

Fintech’s resilience in the face of global economic turmoil underlines its potential. And investors are ready. 

Backing startups has been a successful strategy for the UK, having already produced 122 unicorns — companies valued at £1 bn or more  — with a staggering 258 more on the “unicorn track” according to Deal Room. 

Fintech accounts for almost 20% of those unicorns, with London alone being home to 21 Fintech unicorns according to figures from Beauhurst. 

 

Building teams for growth

Looking behind the headlines at how Fintech has performed in context demonstrates what an important driver of economic growth it has been and will continue to be throughout 2023. 

Fintech firms with the right team in place will be perfectly positioned to bounce back from the challenges of 2022 and take advantage of the renewed optimism and opportunities of 2023. 

As Fintech recruitment specialists, we’ve seen this positivity and continued investment last year, with firms reaching out to us to help recruit sales leaders, first hires and c-suite execs. 

If you’re looking to grow your Fintech sales team in 2023, get in touch with our team to find out more about how our unique network of Fintech sales talent could help you create the next fintech unicorn. 

Last year saw the financial sector rocked by global economic instability, and Fintech was no exception. 

Despite the many challenges of 2022, Fintech proved its resilience, and we’re seeing companies pull together plans for 2023 with cautious optimism. 

As the only specialist Fintech sales recruitment firm, we take a look back at some of our industry’s key statistics for 2022 and the trends to watch out for in 2023. 

 

Start at the top

Finiti Search figures

• 100% Senior level, commercial hires
• 25% C level / Executive Management

The right strategy is key to surviving in financially challenging times, and that comes from an organisation’s leaders. 

In 2022, the organisations we worked with prioritised investment in their sales leadership. All of the roles we placed were at a senior level, with 25% at c-suite level. 

This applied to Sales teams, but also other high-level specialists such as Chief People Officers that help define and shape an organisation’s strategic approach. 

 

2023 prediction:

DEI rose up the HR agenda in 2022 and will continue to be an important priority in 2023. For UK Fintech firms, fostering greater gender equality in their teams could help firms be more successful according to Ernst & Young’s latest Fintech-focused DEI report. 

As a female-founded organisation in fintech, it’s a priority that’s close to our hearts and one we continue to help our clients navigate, using our talent network to help reach a wide range of candidates.  

 

Reward & recognition 

Finiti Search figures

• Average base salary of placements: £146,000 GBP / $177,000 USD

Cost of living stories were rarely out of the headlines in 2022, and, as rising inflation took hold, salaries became even more of a focus in the recruitment process. 

Talent.com puts the average Fintech salary at $128,928 in the US and £62,500 in the UK, across all types of roles within the industry. 

Specifically in Fintech sales, the average base salary of roles we placed in 2022 was £146,000 GBP / $177,000 USD, though this does reflect our focus on more senior level roles. 

It may be tempting to do the opposite, but when budgets are tight, we always advise clients to take their time with the recruitment process: getting the wrong person in role costs dearly in terms of repeating recruitment and can damage morale and productivity across the wider team. 

 

2023 prediction:

With more candidates on the lookout for their next opportunity, fintech companies will need to think about and articulate what makes them unique – their employer brand. 

Far more than a marketing strategy, research by GlassDoor found that a strong employer brand can reduce cost per hire by as much as 50% and cut turnover by 28%, making this an area with strong ROI for 2023. 

 

Location, location, location

Finiti Search figures

• 50% North America based
• 25% UK & EMEA based

When it comes to Fintech, the US leads the way. With almost 2000 deals and $39.2 bn capital invested, it’s not surprising that half of the roles we placed were based in North America. 

But the UK is hot on its heels: a recent report from Innovate Finance calculated that the UK receives more Fintech investment then the next ten European countries combined. 

A quarter of the roles we placed were in the UK and EMEA where the number of Fintech startups increased 160% between 2018 and 2021 with strong growth set to continue. 

 

2023 prediction: 

Keep an eye on Nigeria. Mastercard’s latest report on the Future of Fintech, calls out Africa’s growing expertise in payment innovation and the central role Nigeria has played in establishing Fintech in Africa. 

The Fintech Times also recently reported on the rapid growth of crypto markets in North Africa and the Middle East, making it one of the markets to watch in 2023. 

 

David vs Goliath

Finiti Search figures

• 50% Fintech Starts ups Series A-C
• 50% Established, larger Fintechs

There’s a battle for talent between Fintech startups and more established companies, with the roles we placed split evenly between the two. 

Investors, however, firmly backed newer startups against more familiar faces. Investment in later stage organisations dropped from $82.4 bn in 2021 to $50.5 bn last year. In contrast, seed investment rounds secured $7.5 bn in 2022, a 29% jump up from 2021. 

 

2023 prediction: 

Whilst investors loved the heady risk of a startup, job seekers have become more risk averse in the current economic climate. 

As Finiti Search Founder Alison Power discussed in a recent article for the Financial Times, global economic challenges may tempt candidates to look at more traditional financial services roles over less established Fintech counterparts. 

This may be a blessing in disguise for Fintech firms looking to recruit in 2023. To be successful in a Fintech sales role, candidates need to be well suited to our fast-paced, dynamically changing industry. 

Candidates with a real love of Fintech and its culture won’t be able to resist finding their next challenge in the most dynamic part of the finance industry. 

If you’re looking for support navigating the changing Fintech recruitment landscape of 2023, get in touch with our team. Made up exclusively of Fintech sales recruitment experts, we help organisations around the world build their Sales Teams to help their business grow and thrive.