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SKILLS
Opportunity knocks The UK’s decision to leave the European Union and the beefing up of regulations have made recruiters change their hiring requirements. But that’s only part of the story BY LIZ BURY
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n today’s job market, the choices open to risk professional at all levels are unfolding in new and unexpected directions. In addition to the influence of Solvency II and a tougher regulatory regime, the Brexit vote has introduced a new note of uncertainty and with it, opportunity. In the short-term, particularly in the banking sector, the vote is leading companies to hire into contract roles in preference to permanent positions. “Banks tend to like contracts anyway, because it gives them the flexibility to remove staff should they need to. Pre-vote, we saw a reasonable amount of permanent hiring, but there’s more on the contract side now,” says Rob Starkl, a specialist recruiter in financial services and banking risk at recruitment firm Robert Walters, based in London. In Edinburgh, predictions of a strong market for interim roles are echoed and there’s an expectation that any potential regulatory changes resulting from Brexit could result in more risk vacancies. “There will be more need for risk skills, not necessarily all permanent. It will likely be strong on the interim side of things as well,” says Lucy Adam, managing director of Adam Appointments, an Edinburghbased recruitment firm focusing on corporate governance. In a survey on Brexit conducted by the Institute of Risk
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There’s an expectation that any potential regulatory changes resulting from Brexit could result in more risk vacancies
Enterprise Risk
